MARQUETTE, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team saw their season come to an end on Wednesday night as the Marquette Redmen eliminated the Wildcats in the District Semi-Finals with a 60-41 victory.  Marquette held a slim 13-10 lead after the 1st quarter after Bryce Brazeau hit two three-point shots.  After a 6-0 run by Marquette to open the 2ns quarter, the Wildcats rallied behind three straight buckets by Colin Donajkowski, Jadon Duncan, and Haydn Goebel.  Redmen center Marius Grazulis then took over the game registering a triple double (22 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 blocks) as the Redmen pushed their lead to as many as 23-points in the 2nd half.  Bruz Copping led the Wildcats with 12 points, Duncan added 10 points, and Chris DeRocher finished with six.  The Wilsdcats finish the season 16-5.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team wrapped up the 2018-2019 Regular Season with a 57-49 setback to Traverse City Central on Friday night.  The two teams went back and forth in the opening half with the Wildcats leading 21-19 at the break.  The 3rd quarter proved to be the difference in the game as the Trojans opened with a 14-0 run to take a 33-21 lead.  The Wildcats responded to cut the Trojan lead to 37-30 after a Chris DeRocher bucket at the buzzer.  The early 4th quarter belonged to the Wildcats as they scored the first five points after a DeRocher three and a Bruz Copping bucket, forcing a Trojan timeout.  Alpena tied the game at 39-39 with 5:30 to play after another DeRocher layup.  Tobin Schwannecke pushed the Trojans ahead for good scoring four consecutive points and Preston Briggs scored eight of his game-high 19 points in the 4th quarter.  Alpena finishes the Regular Season 16-4 overall and 6-4 in the Big North Conference.  They will open District play on Wednesday against the winner of Traverse City Central and Marquette.  

PETOSKEY, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team struggled in the 4th quarter offensively as Petoskey pulled away for a 64-52 victory on Wednesday night.  In a game that went back and forth, the Northmen locked down defensively and converted their free throw opportunities to pull away late.  Alpena took a 47-45 lead early in the 4th quarter when Chris DeRocher converted an old fashioned three-point play.  Petoskey's Gabe Whitmore hit a three-pointer with 5-minutes to play to give them a 51-47 lead.  Whitmore and Jade Spurgeon combined to go 10-for-10 from the free throw line to help the Northmen put the game away.  Chris DeRocher led the Wildcats with 21-points and Jadon Duncan added nine points.  The Wildcats (16-3, 6-3 BNC) host Traverse City Central on Friday night to wrap-up the regular season.

CADILLAC, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team hung on to defeat Cadillac, 48-46, to pull into a 1st place tie in the Big North Conference with Petoskey.  Halfway through the 4th quarter, the Wildcats led 42-34 but the Vikings went on a 9-4 run to cut the lead to 3 with under a minute to play.  Alpena responded by running a patient offense to convert a bucket to take a 48-46 lead.  After a Cadillac three, the Wildcats had numerous opportunities to put the game away but missed the front end of 2 one-and-ones that allowed the Vikings to cut the lead to just two.  Cale Mickelson, one of the best long-range shooters in the conference, missed a three-pointer off the front rim with four seconds left to allow Alpena to escape with the win.  This is the first victory by the Wildcats in Cadillac since a 51-39 victory on January 27, 2015.  Bruz Copping led the Wildcats with 15 points while Chris DeRocher added 10 points.  Alpena (16-2, 6-2) travel to BNC Co-leader Petoskey on Wednesday night.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team blew open a close game with a big 3rd quarter in their 77-49 non-conference win over Ogemaw Heights on Saturday afternoon.  Prior to the game, the nine seniors that make-up the team were honored at half court with their parents.  The Wildcats and Falcons both struggled offensively early in the game as Alpena held an 18-6 lead after the opening quarter.  Alpena began to push the lead after a Bruz Copping "and-1" play and four quick points from Jack Schamnski off the bench to give the Wildcats a 25-6 lead early in the quarter.  The Falcons quickly got back into the game as Trevor Brown hit three consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead to seven.  Alpena would hold a 34-24 lead into the halftime break thanks to nine points from Chris DeRocher.  The Wildcats stormed out of the locker room to begin the 2nd half with a 21-3 run and outscored the Falcons 26-10 in the third quarter to pull away.  Aidan Goike led the Wildcats with 17 points, DeRocher finished with 15, and Kayden Wisniewski had 12.  Alpena (15-2, 5-2 BNC) have a big week to finish the regular season as they travel to Cadillac on Monday and Petoskey on Wednesday before finishing the season on Friday night with Traverse City Central.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team kept pace with Petoskey in the Big North Conference race with a 54-44 victory over Traverse City West on Thursday night.  Chris DeRocher led the offensive attack for the Wildcats with 28 points and Bruz Copping added 11 points.  Petoskey defeated Cadillac on Thursday to remain in 1st place with a 6-2 record, while TC Central fell to Gaylord to fall to 6-3 in the league.  Alpena (14-2, 5-2 BNC) host Ogemaw Heights on Saturday for Senior Night at 4pm.  The Wildcats have a busy week in BNC play as they travel to Cadillac (Monday) and Petoskey (Wednesday) before hosting TC Central on Friday.

CHEBOYGAN, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team blew open a close game in the 2nd Quarter to cruise to an 80-42 non-conference victory over Cheboygan on Tuesday night.  Trailing 18-10 after the first quarter, Cheboygan scored five quick points to cut the Wildcat lead to 18-15.  That was as close the Chiefs would get as Alpena outscored the Chiefs 22-2 in the 2nd quarter to take a 40-17 lead at the half.  Chris DeRocher caught fire in the 3rd quarter as he scored 18 of his game-high 25 points to pace Alpena to a 62-31 lead into the final quarter.  Kelley Stark scored 18 points, Jadon Duncan had ten, and Garrett Beaulieu chipped in with eight.  Alpena (14-2, 4-2 BNC) will travel to Cadillac on Friday night as they are in a three-way tie for first place with Petoskey and Traverse City Central.

DETROIT, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team took advantage of the opportunity to play on the big stage in a 100-53 victory over Dearborn Crestwood on Saturday at Little Caesars' Arena in Detroit.  The Wildcats jumped on Crestwood early as they took a 24-7 lead after the opening quarter and a 53-23 lead at the Half.  Chris DeRocher led the Wildcats with 43-points, the third-highest single game scoring output in program history.  Ten of Alpena's 12 players scored in route to the highest scoring performance since 2013.  Alpena (12-2, 4-2 BNC) will travel to Cheboygan on Tuesday night.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team used a fourth-quarter offensive push to blow open a close game for a 70-55 Big North Conference victory over Gaylord on Thursday night.  In a fast paced game, both teams scored at ease in the opening quarter as the Blue Devils took the 17-15 lead.  Alpena and Gaylord combined to hit 10 three-point shots in the first half as Jared Landrie torched the Wildcat defense for 13 points.  Chris DeRocher (11 points) and Bruz Copping (10 points) hit several key shots to give Alpena a 35-32 lead at the Half.  Both teams made defensive adjustments during the halftime break as the Blue Devils outscored the Wildcats 10-9 in the quarter.  Alpena began to pull away early in the 4th quarter as Copping hit two free throws and DeRocher hit a three-point shot to give the Wildcats a 49-42 lead just 90-seconds into the Fourth.  After a Kyler Mckenzie three-point shot to cut the lead to 49-45, the Wildcats pulled away thanks to four three-pointers of their own in the Fourth Quarter.  Copping led the Wildcats with 28 points, while DeRocher chipped in with 26 points.  Alpena (11-2, 4-2 BNC) will travel to Little Caesars Arena on Saturday to play Dearborn Crestwood at 11am.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team got a record-setting 29 point effort from Chris DeRocher in a 74-45 victory over Sault Ste Marie on Tuesday night.  DeRocher came into the game needing 29 points to break Butch Feher's record of 1,435 career points set in 1972.  DeRocher immediately went to work scoring 10-points in the opening quarter, including an NBA range three-pointer, as the Wildcats took a 23-4 lead.  The Wildcats continued to pour it on as they took a 39-16 lead into the halftime break, including 21 from DeRocher.  With 7:13 remaining in the game DeRocher was fouled on a drive to the basket needing to make one free throw to break the record.  He hit the first free throw igniting a deafening cheer from the large crowd in attendance.  DeRocher finished the game with 29 points while Bruz Copping contributed 16 points.  Alpena (10-2, 3-2 BNC) travel to league-leading Petoskey on Friday night.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team had no answer for TC Central's Jack Sherwin in the 4th quarter in their 58-53 loss on Friday night.  Sherwin, a 6-6 Center for the Trojans, scored all 11 of his points in the final quarter to help TC Central pull to a 1st place tie with Petoskey.  Alpena remained in the game throughout the night thanks to Chris DeRocher, who scored 21 points in the loss.  DeRocher is now 28 points away from setting the career scoring record and looks to do that Tuesday night when Alpena (9-2, 3-2 BNC) host Sault Ste. Marie.  Bruz Copping added 13 points and Jack Schamanski scored 10 for the Wildcats.

BAY CITY, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team outscored Bay City Western 44-26 over the final three quarters and rolled to a 65-47 over the Warriors on Monday night.  After an offensive opening quarter, the Wildcats found themselves tied at 21 going into the 2nd quarter.  Alpena turned on the defensive pressure and continued to pour on the offense to turn a close game into a rout.  Chris DeRocher continues his march to history by scoring 27 points, which leaves him 49 points from becoming the all-time leading scorer in program history.  Bruz Copping continued his strong play by adding 10 points.  Kelley Stark also had nine points, while Jadon Duncan and Jack Schmanski had eight points a piece.  The Wildcats (9-1, 3-1 BNC) travel to TC Central on Friday for a BNC battle.  

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team went on a 16-0 run in the Fourth Quarter to earn a crucial Big North Conference victory over Traverse City West, 58-50, on Friday night.  The Titans lead the Wildcats 46-39 with 5:24 remaining in the game.  Bruz Copping sparked the comeback with four free throws, a jumper, and a lay-up to give the Wildcats the 47-46 lead.  Chris DeRocher, who finished with 21 points, converted a three-point play then found Copping for his 10th point in just under two minutes.  In all, the Wildcats outscored the Titans 19-4 over the final 5:24 of the game.  This was the first victory over TC West for Alpena since 2014, and the win pulls the Wildcats to a first-place tie with Petoskey at 3-1 in the BNC.  The Wildcats (8-1, 3-1 BNC) travel to Bay City Western on Monday night.  Alpena defeated the Warriors, 70-26, back on November 27.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team got a career-high 40 points from Chris DeRocher in their 79-67 victory over Escanaba on Friday night.  Escanaba got the early jump by using their size to muscle their way to an 8-3 lead.  Alpena would make the right adjustments and outscore the Eskymos 20-10 to take a 23-18 lead after the opening quarter.  DeRocher took over in the 2nd Quarter to score 20 first-half points as the Wildcats led 43-31 at the break.  After the break, the Wildcats kept their feet on the gas as a Kelly Stark three-pointer pushed the lead to 19-points midway through the 3rd quarter.  DeRocher finished the night with 40 points, which moves him to within 97 points of Butch Feher's career point record of 1,436.  Bruz Copping added 13 points, while Stark and Jadon Duncan contributed eight points respectively.  Escanaba (4-4) was led by Jared Nash with 20 points.  Alpena (7-1, 2-1 BNC) host Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team relied on tough defense to cruise past Cadillac, 53-37, on Friday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium.  Both teams started off slow on offense as the first basket of the game was not scored until the halfway mark of the 1st Quarter.  The Wildcats then caught fire as Bruz Copping, Aidan Goike, and Kayden Wisniewski buried three-pointers for an 11-4 1st Quarter lead.  Alpena continued to play stifling defense as Cadillac could only manage 9 first-half points and turned the ball over on multiple occasions as the Wildcats took a 25-9 halftime lead.  Alpena led by as many as twenty points in the 2nd Half as Chris DeRocher paced the Wildcats with 22 points.  Copping finished with 13 points and Aidan Goike added five points.  The Wildcats (6-1, 2-1 BNC) are off until January 4 when they host Escanaba.  

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team could not overcome ten three-pointers hit by the Petoskey Northmen in their 57-52 loss on Tuesday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium.  Petoskey got hot early as they hit five of their first six three-pointers to take a 21-13 lead at the end of the 1st Quarter.  A couple Chris DeRocher free throws cut the lead to 26-24 midway through the 2nd Quarter but then DeRocher picked up his 2nd foul and had to sit.  Petoskey got a lay-up, plus the foul then rebounded the missed free throw and hit a three to cap a five-point possession.  The Northmen would take a 31-26 lead into the Halftime break.  After the intermission, the Wildcats played sloppily by turning the ball over which Petoskey turned into a 7-0 run to take a twelve point lead.  After Petoskey took a 40-32 lead midway through the quarter the Wildcats looked to their bench for some momentum.  First, it was Jack Schmanski that got a lay-up and a hustle turnover to turn the tide of the quarter.  Kelley Stark then hit two three-pointers to spark a 10-0 run the end the third quarter.  Kayden Wisniewski missed a three-pointer from the corner, got his own rebound, and nailed a jump shot as time expired to give the Wildcats a 42-40 lead after three.  Petoskey would go on a mini 5-0 run to push the lead to 53-50 with just under 2:00 to play.  A Bruz Copping lay-up cut the lead to 55-52 with under a minute to play.  A missed Northmen free throw gave the Wildcats a chance to tie the game late but a costly steal and two free throws by Jade Spurgeon put the game away for Petoskey.  The Northmen got 22 points, including 5 three-pointers, from Nathan Spadafor to put away the Wildcats.  Alpena was lead by Bruz Copping's 14 points.  Alpena (5-1, 1-1 BNC) host Cadillac on Friday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium.

GAYLORD, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team ended a ten game Big North Conference losing streak with a 61-54 win at Gaylord on Thursday night.  The Blue Devils jumped out to a quick start with a 13-4 1st Quarter lead.  The Wildcats got rolling offensively in the 2nd quarter and went on a 17-0 run to lead 30-20 at the halftime break.  Alpena would fight off numerous Blue Devil runs throughout the 2nd half to pull out the 7 point victory.  The Wildcats were led by Chris DeRocher with 23 points, Bruz Copping with 17, and Jadon Duncan with 12.  Alpena (5-0, 1-0 BNC) host Petoskey on Tuesday night at the Gillespie Gym.

TAWAS, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team won their third straight game with a 64-44 victory over Tawas Area on Friday night.  The Wildcats started off slow as they held a 9-7 lead after the 1st Quarter and only led by four points at the half.  A 21 point fourth quarter allowed the Wildcats to pull away for the twenty point victory.  Chris DeRocher led the Wildcat offense with 33 points, and Jadon Duncan added 14 points.  Alpena (3-0) host Cheboygan on Tuesday night.

SAULT STE MARIE, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team once again got out to a hot start and rolled past the Blue Devils, 62-20, on Wednesday night in the Soo.  Just like Tuesday night, the Wildcats got out to a fast start with a commanding 18-2 1st Quarter lead.  Alpena has outscored it's first two opponents 32-5 in the opening quarter.  The Wildcats were led offensively by Chris DeRocher's 18 points and Aidan Goike's 11 points.  Alpena (2-0) are off until December 7 when they travel to Tawas.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Boys Basketball team opened the 2018-2019 season with a victory over Bay City Western, 70-26, on Tuesday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium.  The Wildcats jumped out early with a 14-3 lead after the opening quarter, and never looked back.  Alpena was lead by Chris DeRocher's 31 points and Bruz Copping's 13 points.  Overall, ten different Wildcats scored in the victory.  Alpena (1-0) will travel to Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday night to take on the Blue Devils.