By PIERCE GREENBERG
For Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood Academy soccer coach Randy Johnson knows it’s not easy to win with a young team. But a varsity team that starts three 8th-graders? That’s a tall order.

“(Youth) is a huge factor and I don’t care how good they are, when it’s 8th-graders and freshmen vs. juniors and seniors, it doesn’t work well,” Johnson said.

The Eagles dropped a DII-A East/Middle regional game 3-0 to Ensworth on Tuesday. They’ve only won one game this season—a 2-1 win over Franklin Road Academy.

Senior Ohan Missirian-Dill and sophomore Seth Coomer created a couple of offensive chances — but couldn’t net a goal. Brentwood Academy was also without their top scorer, sophomore Baylor McKay, who was sick.

On the defensive end, the Eagles started two freshman and two 8th-graders in their back four. Their youth was exposed in the first half as Tigers junior John Mckowiak fired a low shot from the right side of the goal to give Ensworth a 1-0 lead.

Less than two minutes into the second half, BA goalie Sam Still made a diving save that deflected the ball right toward Ensworth forward Jake Estes, who headed it into the back of the goal.

“You make small victories,” Johnson said. “We try to keep the other team scoreless at halftime. We try and score. We try to teach them so they can improve.”

Still, Johnson said that he is looking forward to see what his team can do in the region tournament.

“A lot of what we’re doing is building,” Johnson said.

The Eagles’ next game is on Thursday at Page High School at 7 p.m.