The Westport soccer team broke out for five goals in the second half as they walloped Wareham 6-0 during a home game on Tuesday afternoon. The Wildcats are unbeaten in their last eight games with an overall record of 6-1-2 and 6-0 in the Mayflower Athletic Comprehensive. Junior midfielder Miguel Ferreira scored a pair of goals to continue his hot streak. He has four goals in the last two games and six overall. Wildcats head coach Chris Parker has asked the junior to be even more aggressive in his role coming off the bench.

“He’s got the technical skills and the speed to break down opposing backs and get into the final third,” he said. “He just needs to be more consistent in his determination. It’s more of a mindset.”

Senior striker CJ LeBlanc, midfielder RJ Ferreira, senior midfielder Tiago Rodrigues and center back Jackson Chase also scored goals during the victory. The Wildcats attack scored 38 goals in six games against their Mayflower League opponents and 43 goals overall in the first half of the season. LeBlanc has four goals and three assists since moving from center back to striker in place of injured Austin Raposo. The six-foot LeBlanc has a high motor and is starting to put pressure on opposing defenders.

“I have honestly enjoyed it,” the senior captain said of the switch to striker, “It’s fun because it’s mentally more challenging. When you get the chance, you’ve got to score. It’s a responsibility and that’s what the team needs.”

He has had help with the offensive attack from Miguel Ferreira, RJ Ferreira, Rodrigues and Noah Vieira. Rodrigues has six goals for the season. He is a tall, athletic highly skilled attacker who can also play striker. RJ Ferreira is one of the best passing midfielders on the team. He has five goals and freshman midfielder Noah Vieira is a tall nibble player, who has scored six goals coming off the bench.

“The scoring on this team has been different,” Coach Parker said. “It’s been an even distribution. We could have upwards of six guys with ten goals at the end of the season. Which is what we need to do to replace a guy like Austin up top.”

Westport has two more Mayflower League games left before embarking on a much tougher non-league schedule and Coach Parker is concerned if the Wildcats attack will produce against the likes of Diman, ORR, Bishop Stang, Somerset-Berkley and Fairhaven.

“We’ve got to get better at scoring,” he said after Westport scored just one goal in the first half against Wareham. “It was mind boggling. We are a good passing team. Our build up to the final third is pretty good, but we have to get better at finishing.”

Defensively, the Wildcats kept Wareham at bay. Goalkeeper Johnny Gadboury had to make just a single save to earn his fifth clean sheet of the season. The defense has been strong through the middle, but has rarely been tested in the first half against the weaker Mayflower league opponents. Senior center back Blake Stewart, junior Jackson Chase and Gadboury at goalkeeper have given the Wildcats a stout trio in the middle. Stewart, the defensive team captain thought LeBlanc was originally, a good replacement for Garrett Skov, a strong leader on the defensive backline last season. Now that LeBlanc is playing striker, he feels that the defense is beginning to get comfortable with his replacement, Chase.

“Jackson has stepped up and played well,” he said. “He can use his big body to defend the box and he’s tall like Garrett and is good at using his height to defend corner kicks and set pieces.”

LeBlanc is confident about the Wildcats’ play in the second half of the season.

“We have lofty goals,” he said. “The end of the schedule is tough, but we feel that we are capable. If we play our style of soccer, there is not a team that can beat us.”

Notes:

Injured senior striker Austin Raposo has been on the bench of late cheering on his teammates. He said he hopes to be back practicing in June. He is looking to play next fall for either Bryant University or Vermont among others.

“I have faith in CJ and the team,” Raposo said.