Last year at this time, a young Abilene High boys basketball team was in the early stages of grinding its way to a forgettable 4-8 record and sixth-place finish out of seven schools in District 4-5A.

Twelve months later, with most of the same players in their rotation, the Eagles find themselves at 18-7 overall and alone atop the district standings at 4-0 in league play.

The turnaround from last year’s 12-17 product, while surprising to some, hasn’t necessarily caught those part of it off-guard. Coach Justin Reese, who’s now in his sixth season as the Abilene High boys coach, views this year’s success more as the natural progression of a deep and unselfish group of players who have just collectively dedicated themselves to competing at a higher level.