KINGSTON – The halls in Kingston brought back memories. The growing roar of the crowd could still be heard faintly.

It was a fond pilgrimage to the Silver Lake campus for Nolan Hughes and Stephen Quigley, two former Laker baseball stars who changed the institution’s culture. On Friday, the two MLB prospects returned home to the very school where their respective careers both began.

“Playing for Silver Lake, playing for my hometown, my home community, it really meant a lot,” said Hughes. “I took a lot of pride, wearing the uniform on the front.”

Hughes, a 2020 Silver Lake grad, was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 16th round of the MLB Draft last summer. After graduating, he overcame an injury-plagued stint at Fordham before transferring to Xavier, where his career took off to new heights.

Meanwhile, Quigley graduated back in 2018, and signed with the Cincinnati Reds as an undrafted free agent himself following an impeccable collegiate career which began at Wheaton College. He would later conclude things at UConn as a pitcher. This included an epic performance during the NCAA Baseball tournament where he shut down ninth-ranked Oklahoma (a 4-1 victory June 1) to help the Huskies advance to the regional finals.

The two were instrumental in guiding Silver Lake to multiple Patriot League titles, and were provided an opportunity to speak with Laker nation firsthand during a basketball showdown with Duxbury.

“I left here a totally different player than the one I’m returning as,” said Quigley. “I left as an undersized, Division 3 shortstop, and now I’m back as a professional pitcher. So with the time between when I left here and came back, a lot of hard work went in. A position change, multiple schools, six years. So, it’s a testament to hard work.”

Fans who made the trip down Route 27 were treated to an intense basketball battle between the Lakers and their Patriot League rivals. After the two schools exchanged baskets for the majority of the first three quarters, the Dragons closed things with a 16-6 run to seal a 59-49 victory, their first of the season.

Senior Trevor Jones keyed Duxbury with 16 points, including two consecutive three-pointers to put the game to bed late.

Rising freshman star Oliver Curley paced Silver Lake with 17 points.

Despite the fanfare around the event, Richard Henninger’s group remained poised as the drama built.

“I think the team does a really good job of staying focused,” said Henninger. “We have a lot of guys who have been to football championship games. So, I think those things don’t really distract them.”

During the halftime intermission, Silver Lake athletic director Richard Swanson brought a pair of shirts to midcourt, where Hughes and Quigley were standing. The two were elated to see their old baseball jerseys unfolded, still in mint condition from their high school days. The prospects were greeted with an ovation, and later remained at the school to assist with the cleanup afterwards. The whole time, the two standouts were also signing autographs for Lakers fans, young and old.

Silver Lake Regional High welcomed back the school’s most accomplished athletes in recent memory. Nolan Hughes, left, and Stephen Quigley, right, were honored in a short ceremony Friday night during halftime of the boys basketball game against Duxbury. (Mark Stockwell/Boston Herald)

“I was part of a great group of guys,” Hughes said. “There were a lot of supportive people that helped me along the way, especially in the Silver Lake community. It was really special, and it is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”