When Eric Abbe beat out then-senior Kallin Sipe for Abilene High’s starting quarterback job last fall, it was with the expectation that he’d be holding onto that post for a while.

So when he was lost for the season less than two quarters into the Eagles’ opener against Amarillo Tascosa, you can imagine the disappointment he felt.

A torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee on AHS’ first drive of the second quarter rendered him a spectator the rest of his junior season. And in doing so, it forced him to pack the entirety of his varsity career into his senior year, which kicks off Aug. 30 against that same Tascosa squad.

While it would be easy to look back and ask, ‘What if?’ or ‘Why me?’ Abbe’s chosen to avoid that pitfall. And while he won’t try to convince you the injury was a good thing, he acknowledges there were lessons through that experience he might never have learned otherwise.