Earlier in the season against Hays, boys varsity soccer managed a 3-3 draw, a disappointing result given its form at the time. Tuesday evening, the Chaps bounced back, scoring five goals in the first half to ultimately win 6-2 against the Rebels.

“We knew exactly how they were going to play,” head coach James Baker said. “We knew it last time too, but we just didn’t play very well. We came out with a lot of energy tonight and played the way we wanted to play.”

Westlake came out of the gate aggressively and put two goals on the board within 10 minutes. In total, the Chaps had 17 shots, eight of which were on target. Hays’ goalkeeper was, for the most part, unable to handle the barrage on goal thanks to aggressiveness from the Westlake attackers. Striker senior Stefan Rankovic finished the match with a hat trick.

“Putting six in the back of the net was nice,” Baker said. “We want to play aggressively every time we come out. We should be the aggressor pretty much every game. It’s necessary to how we want to play.”

The boys were able to maintain a stable defense and hold their own in the midfield throughout the game, making themselves the more dominant side.

“We’re on a real roll as a team right now,” midfielder senior Owen Holland said. “Everyone’s giving their best effort all the time. Our attacking has really come along, and the defense has become a lot more solid since the start of the season.”

The win marked the fourth straight for the boys, as most of the preseason struggles have been addressed and eliminated.

The Chaps’ next game is away at Lake Travis, and after a 0-0 draw at Ebbie Neptune in their previous matchup, the game is set to be a competitive one especially with the playoffs approaching. Even with the Cavaliers looming, Baker is confident with his team’s play going into the matchup.

“This is our fourth win in a row,” Baker said. “We’re really starting to find our form. Everybody’s getting playing time, everybody’s playing for the team. It’s exactly what we want to see at this point in the season.”