The hopes of the St. Aloysius soccer team rest on three seniors.

Those three seniors — Adam Thornton, Stephen Mazzanti and Richard Cowart — showed why they will bear the burden on Friday. Thornton and Cowart both notched a hat trick and Mazzanti fell one goal shy as St. Al pounded visiting Wesson 8-3.

“We’re going to lean on them a lot,” St. Al coach Will Vollor said. “Last  year, those guys were the team.”

Cowart also assisted on one of Thornton’s goals and Andrew Gravens notched two assists.

However, one factor that Vollor feels will be key for the Flashes (1-0) is the defensive unit of Mac Jones, senior Charles Marsalis and Vincent Montalbano. The backrow trio may not get the ink of the other three, but their contributions are just as vital.

“Our defense is clutch,” Vollor said. “They’re the reason why those guys (Thornton, Mazzanti and Cowart) can float up to the top.”

The Flashes jumped out on top in the first half Friday, as Thornton booted a shot high from 20 yards out and it snuck just under the crossbar at the 4:50 mark.

Cowart shook loose from the Cobra defense and booted in a short shot to increase the Flashes’ advantage to 2-0.

Mazzanti put the moves on the Wesson defense and tickled the back of the net with a solid shot to put St. Al up 3-0 with 16:26 elapsed.

Wesson refused to play Cobra to the St. Al mongoose.

Victor Mellado tapped in a rebound in the 23rd minute to cut the deficit to two goals.

But Thornton and Mazzanti struck again. Gravens found Thornton in front of the goal for Thornton’s second of the evening. Mazzanti added to his tally just three minutes later to give St. Al a comfortable 5-1 lead at the break.

However, from there, things would get as sloppy as the rain-soaked field.

In the second half, Mellado quieted the crowd in the 53rd minute as he found the corner post for his second goal. Chris Fink scored two minutes later and the big St. Al lead had just evaporated.

Vollor, who had played even the seventh and eighth graders, quickly put back in his workhorses. Thornton got an assist from Cowart to put the game out of reach at the 71st minute. Before the horn sounded, Cowart scored two more goals in quick succession.

(G) St. Aloysius 9, Wesson 0

Sarah Franco earned a shutout in goal and eight different Lady Flashes scored as St. Al whipped visiting Wesson.

Kortney Osborne had two goals for the Lady Flashes (1-0) and Haley Davis had three assists.

Ansley Fulcher, Riley Griffith, Dayton Gamble, Davis, Marie Booth, Rachel Thomas and Madison Lumbley also scored for St. Al.