The Catholic High boys soccer team wasted no time in recording their first win of the season, defeating Westgate 5-1 at home in the Panther’s first game of the year.

Catholic High nabbed the first goal of the night in the 7th minute as Khylon Edwards sent an arcing shot into the back of the net. Maxwell Chauvin doubled the lead in the 15th minute with a perfectly executed corner kick routine, burying the ball into the goal with a powerful header.

With an early lead secured, Catholic High began to slow down the pace of the game, making several substitutions throughout the first half. Bennet Boudreaux scored once in the 36th minute and again in the 40th to give CHS a 4-0 lead going into the break.

Boudreaux added his third goal of the night just minutes into the second half. Westgate nabbed a goal of their own against the run of play in the 64th minute, but the comeback was unsuccessful as the Panthers held out for a 5-1 victory.

CHS head coach Hale Trahan said that he saw both positives and negatives from his team in their first match of the season.

“There was good and bad about (the performance),” said Trahan. “We kind of tailor who we play and the formations we use to where we are in the season. This was the first game, so we came out a little more conservative than usual. Overall, we controlled the ball well. We had some really good opportunities that we missed, including a penalty kick, but that comes with being the first game in the season.”

Trahan was quick to praise the quality of his opponents, adding that Westgate had performed better than in previous seasons.

“This was the best Westgate team that I’ve seen in the last couple of years in terms of personnel and structure,” he explained. “I think it would be a wasted opportunity for a young and developing team to try to just hurry up and get to the end of the game. We could’ve played that strategy but we had 10 guys come off the bench who were all underclassmen, so we needed them to get the minutes.”

Catholic High kicked off the season later than many of the other programs due to a combination of the football team advancing deeper into the playoffs and the cancellation of the Copa Acadiana tournament.

“We had kind of a slow start to the season. We had a cancellation over the weekend and we added a couple guys late, but we’re getting up to speed as we enter December,” Trahan said. “There’s still some adjustment and development to do, but overall it’s coming along.”

For Trahan, his first year in charge of the team has been made easier by taking up a teaching position at the school. Formerly the owner of his own electrical business, Trahan said that being able to form a personal connection with his players is one of the benefits of working on campus.

“I teach a lot of my players, so it’s a lot easier to relate to the kids and form a personal relationship with them when you’re in an intimate environment like the classroom,” he said.

The Panthers will return to action on Friday when they host Carencro (3-3-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.