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Go ahead, call it a comeback.

The Yakutat High School boys basketball team was a dominant run 'n' gun force that was bewildering opponents on the way to 2A state titles as recently as 2006. Since then, the squad has fallen under the thick shadow of a girls team that has gone back-to-back with the last two state titles.

Part of the problem for the Eagles has been simply having the bodies to run or gun. A shorthanded squad took sixth at state in 2007, but last year's team boasted just seven total players and missed the state dance altogether.

After doubling their roster to 14 players this season, though, the Eagles and 15th-year head coach Bert Adams Jr. are ready to put their team bus back on the fast track.

"I think the program just wasn't attractive anymore. If you have to slow it down and play in the half-court, it doesn't play to our strengths," Adams Jr. said. "This year we had a couple of kids move back and a couple more move in. Right now, we're trying to mix the younger players into the mix of older players to get the chemistry we're looking to find."

A trio of experienced seniors provide the base for Yakutat's chemistry this season. Point guard Shea Jackson and versatile wing Stephen Adams were both named to the Southeast 2A All-Conference team last season and are expected to carry much of the scoring load.

Adams, the team's leading scorer through its first three games, has handled his move into the post well this season. The move was necessary because of the team's needs, but Adams' 6-foot-1 stature puts one of their top athletes at a frequent disadvantage.

"He's our best 3-point shooter as well, so it makes it even tougher to move him inside, so we'll end up playing him inside and outside," Adams Jr. said. "He's been doing great in the medium-range area for us offensively, but we'll let the matchups decide where he fits."

Jackson has been starting at the point for the Eagles since his sophomore year and brings a steady hand to spark the team's fast-break style.

"He's definitely more comfortable in our system this year than when we were slowing it down in the past," Adams Jr. said. "We're hoping to keep him out on the floor as much as possible."

The team's third senior, Lucas Wheeler, provides the height down low at 6-foot-2 and has developed into a reliable rebounder and defender.

The rest of Yakutat's team is comprised of three juniors, three sophomores and a talented group of five freshmen who Adams Jr. expects to make a big impact. A five-man class is a rare bonus for Adams Jr. at a school comprised of roughly 50 total students.

"A lot of young players can't put it on the floor and create opportunities like our seniors can, so it's really going to help going back to the uptempo style," Adams Jr. said. "We have speed, strength and depth as our top qualities. The guys have worked hard in the weight room in the offseason, and we can play 10 or 11 players deep now without missing a beat athletically."

Aside from getting his squad in shape to run, the other key component of Adams Jr.'s attack is the gunning. His main focus in practice thus far has been drilling his players into dangerous shooters and helping them develop better shot selection with their new-found range.

Yakutat has already been working on the toughness that they will need to finish atop the Southeast this winter, by taking on bigger, stronger teams in their first three games. Big losses to 3A teams from Sitka and Haines started the squad's run at an early tournament in Sitka. They showed their heart, though, in taking last season's 2A state champs, Galena, down to the wire before falling short by just seven points. Galena has moved up to 3A for the current season.

"I got what I wanted out of our tournament. I knew we were going against bigger, better teams, but it helped them learn to play with the physicality they need at the state tournament," Adams Jr. said. "They need to focus for 32 minutes, and they can't have a letdown. We walked away understanding that."

After falling short last season, the Eagles coach fully expects his team to return to the state tournament in 2009 and make some noise.

"Our goal is to win the regional championship and make it to state. That's a very realistic goal with this group of kids," he said.

To get to state, Yakutat will need to finish in the top two at the eight-team regional tournament. With the tournament's championship loser playing the third-place team for the trip to state, though, Adams Jr. said his focus is on getting his team in that first-place slot.

"We want to win it outright and get to state with some confidence and rest. We don't want to play back just to get there," Adams Jr. said.