Coming into the season, Abilene High coach Mike Fullen felt good about his receiving corps, but that feeling was based more on faith than results.

Only one Eagle receiver had caught as many as 10 passes in 2018, and the bulk of the players in that group had never played a varsity game.

But under the tutelage of former Abilene High and Abilene Christian University great Jerale Badon, a raw AHS receiving corps has shown rapid maturation through the first four weeks of this season. And entering District 3-6A play this week at North Richland Hills Richland, the Eagle pass-catchers have emerged as playmakers — just as Fullen had hoped they would.