St. Aloysius still has a long road ahead of it this soccer season, but a stumble on the first step will have it trying to make up some ground.

Mason Davis headed in a corner kick late in the first half for the game’s only goal, and Bayou Academy defeated St. Al 1-0 Monday in the MAIS Division II West boys’ soccer opener for both teams.

“Just part of the building process. You’re going to give up one you don’t want to, and this is definitely one we didn’t want to give up. We wanted to start off strong,” St. Al coach Jay Madison said.

Monday’s game was the first of three district games in a 10-day span for the Flashes (3-4-1, 0-1 Division II West). They’ll take two road trips to Greenwood next week to play defending Division II champion Pillow Academy on Dec. 11 and Delta Streets on Dec. 14.

The second half of the district round robin is in January. Madison said the solution to overcoming Monday’s loss is simple.

“Go get some wins next week. Go up to Greenwood and go up there and get some wins,” he said. “I like the plan we had. I liked how we executed it. It’s just that once we gave up the goal the pressure got on us instead of on them.”

St. Al keeper Caleb Tucker made eight saves. The only one Bayou sneaked past him came in the 37th minute, when John Butler Edwards sent a corner kick from the right side into the box. Davis redirected it past Tucker to put the Colts ahead 1-0.

Although it was behind on the scoreboard, St. Al largely dominated the second half. It had five excellent scoring opportunities that misfired for one reason or another, however.

In the 59th minute, Eli Shiers sent a cross through the box that sailed clear through to the other side without finding a foot.

A minute later, John Ellis Montgomery dropped a 30-yard free kick that Bayou keeper Josh Lott caught but dropped. The ball fell behind Lott, but stayed in front of the goal line and he picked it up for the save.

Another long free kick was punched away by Lott in the 69th minute. In the 77th, Dalton Windham had a good look from the top left corner of the box on a throw-in but mishit the ball and popped it in the air instead of driving it toward the goal.

In the final minute of the game, Corbin Burroughs had a short breakaway opportunity. As Burroughs planted his foot for a spin move to get past the last defender at the 18-yard line he slipped and lost the ball. Lott made an easy save on another shot a few seconds later to end the Flashes’ final threat.

“We didn’t look good in the final third. It’s that one pass or one dribble, or that one extra thing, which is some of the stuff you see early in the year,” Madison said. “They were doing some of the same thing. They’ve got six seniors and I’ve got two. Old plays, it helps.”