FORT WORTH, Texas — Two seasons ago, the Eastern Hills High School boys' basketball team had a 5-22 record. This year, they're ranked first in the state.
"We all wanna win," Head Coach Melvin Miller said,
Lots of people, alumni especially, have paid close attention to the boys' grit and determination. That includes Fort Worth Police Officer Tracy Carter, class of 1990, who regularly cheers on the team.
"This school is special, near and dear to my heart," he said. "I played on this same floor."
Over the weekend, Carter decided to post on Facebook, asking if anyone would join him in buying the boys new shoes as a testament to their hard work. It didn't take long before the offers came pouring in.
"I've got alumni from '65 that have reached out to me and said, 'Hey Tracy we want to help you do this,'" he said. "Everybody was like, "Tracy, I'm in, what can I do?"
Coach Miller watched as person after person offered to pay.
"I don’t have the amenities to sell them on, I don’t have a fancy gym, so for them to have something to come their way based on the sacrifices they made makes me feel good," Miller said.
And it sure made the boys on the team feel good too.
"It meant a lot," Junior Dorian Johnson told WFAA.
"I feel like all of our hard work is paying off for the most part, and it's really appreciated," sophomore Alex Barther said.
"They think of us highly on the court and off the court, enough to where we deserve basketball shoes," Messiah Miller added.
"These kids will never meet some of these people, but this just shows the love that east side has for them," Carter said. "And we want to pour into them, so they can pour back into the kids that will walk this court and play again in here."
Carter said the shoes should be here in time for Friday's game. Each boy will get two pairs, he said, thanks to all the donations.