Chaos and uncertainty rule the day for most teams when it comes to prep athletics this year — along with just about everything else in 2020 — and the Liberty Christian boys soccer team is no exception. At the start of the Eagles’ third season, head coach Tim McCarthy acknowledges he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Realistically, I was very worried because our first year was dismal, there just wasn’t much there,” said McCarthy. “Last year was solid, around .500, but we graduated our two best players (goalie Dakota Ball and center/midfielder David Vaclavick) so that was really hard. I came into the year thinking I didn’t know who was going to return so I thought we would wait and see who shows up on the field and see what we have.”

So far, so good.

Four games into the season, the Eagles are off to a 2-1-1 start with wins over Westwood (8-1) and the Fulton School (3-2) along with a 2-2 lightning-shortened tie against Crosspoint Christian. The Eagles’ only loss came on Monday night to Wright City, 6-3, a game that McCarthy knew would be a test.

“Wright City is a really big challenge,” he said days before the game, noting that the Wildcats are a much larger school. Overall, though, the third-year coach is pleased.

“As it turns out, I think we’re stronger than last year. We are playing more as a team and not relying on one or two superstars,” said McCarthy. “With another year of coaching, I am able to teach these kids who haven’t been playing their whole lives. The growth curve is steep, and it’s fun to watch kids that were raw and mold them into something.”

Even with a more team-oriented focus, the Eagles have had a couple of standouts this season — namely forwards Josh Dames (senior) and Cole Christian (junior) — that could help lead the team to a special season.

“They’re generating some offense that we didn’t have last year,” said McCarthy. “I’m amazed at where we can go. We are set to play the same teams over and over again, so it’s possible we could have very few losses.”

The Eagles are in a unique position this year with St. Louis County teams not yet playing, which impacts the schedule. But the playoff format through the Missouri State Christian High School Athletic Association, which consists of several teams the Eagles will not see during the regular season, remains intact.

Next up for the Eagles is a road contest at Westwood Baptist in Poplar Bluff on Friday, September 25.