Keegan Stewart has learned how to overcome adversity.

The Aberdeen Roncalli senior has fought through setbacks during his playing days, dealing with several injuries that impacted his years in high school athletics.

“My freshman year I broke my hand towards the end of football season,” Stewart said. “And then I was able to play all of basketball season fine.”

But that was only the beginning of a series of injuries for Stewart, who has focused solely on football and basketball.

“My sophomore year I broke my foot playing football, but I recovered by the time basketball season started,” Stewart said. “And then my junior year I had to have knee surgery, and missed basically all of basketball season.”

Missing basketball last season became a blessing in disguise, as it gave Stewart the opportunity to see aspects of the game that most players do not see.

“Last year sitting on the bench and seeing the game from a coaching standpoint, it kind of made me notice the small things that needed to be done better,” Stewart said.

Being forced to study the game from a different angle gave Stewart a glimpse of what to look for on the court, as well as how to help the team, without worrying about how much playing time he would see.

“When you’re a bench player you’re trying to get in and get minutes, but when you know you can’t play, you just get to watch everything and see it from a team point of view rather than a person’s point of view,” Stewart said. “I think that helped me see what the team needs and in what areas that I can help the team best.”

This season, Stewart has put what he has learned into practice as he has seen plenty of playing time as a starter for the Cavaliers, leading the team by posting several 20-plus point performances in the process. He credits his teammates for feeding him the ball and giving him opportunities to score.

“I think it’s a lot of my teammates, especially Maddox Miller,” Stewart said. “(Opponents) are concerned about him hurting them. In some of the games that I’ve had those higher scoring games, they face-guarded Maddox, so it’s just opening up things for me, and I know when to take advantage of my matchups. My teammates do a great job of getting me the ball when I have a matchup that we like.”

Stewart has built a special connection with Miller; a connection that began back in grade school and has blossomed into a relationship beyond the game of basketball.

“We have really good chemistry; we’ve played together since the third grade, so it goes back all the way to then, just playing with each other,” Stewart said. “And then we go to the (YMCA) or open gyms together all the time, and we’re really good friends off the court too, so we know each other personally. It’s not just a basketball thing.”

Stewart describes himself as an “outside-in” player who can take advantage of the matchups he’s faced with. He says he tries to mimic the play of NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns, who can also play from anywhere on the court.

“I like to shoot threes, but then I know when I have matchups to get inside and take advantage of smaller matchups,” Stewart said. “If I can’t make a shot from the perimeter, I know I can get myself going inside and get to the free-throw line.”

Stewart hopes to lead Roncalli to a deep postseason run in the coming weeks; a run that he says will take hard work and effort.

After high school, Stewart plans on attending Northern State where he will pursue a degree in Sports Marketing, and eventually dive into a career in sports advertising. No matter where he goes in life, Stewart is thankful for those that have helped him grow during his time at Roncalli and has been glad to represent the school over the past few years.

“It’s meant a lot. Playing my freshman year with Gray Imbery and Micah Dohrer, they showed me a lot about being a good basketball player, but then they also showed me a lot about how to be a good person and to always treat others how I want to be treated,” Stewart said. “It’s more than just basketball; you’re showing what your school is made of. It reflects in your teachers, your parents, the people you see every day. It’s a lot about treating others the way you want to be treated and respecting everybody no matter what.”