ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Varsity Football team couldn't make the key plays when they counted and dropped the home opener. 20-14, to the Sault Area Blue Devils on Friday night at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.  The opening half saw both teams struggle to move the ball as the defenses stood tall for most of the opening part of the game.  The Blue Devils opened the scoring with 34 seconds left in the half when Jakob Davie found Johnn Robinson open in the end zone for the 13-yard score.  The extra point was no good and the Blue Devils took a 6-0 lead into the locker room.  The Blue Devils struck again midway through the 3rd quarter when Davie hit James Huskey for the 44-yard touchdown to give the Soo a 14-0 lead.  The Wildcats would respond with a 12 play, 63-yard drive capped off by a Eli Winter touchdown to cut the lead to 14-7.  The Blue Devils snatched the momentum back with 7:20 to play when Davie connected on his third touchdown of the night to extend the lead back to two scores.  Daniel Savage took the ensuing kick-off and pounded his way into Blue Devil territory to set up the Wildcats to get back into the game.  Winter rushed for his second score of the night on a bruising 15-yard score to cut the lead to 20-14.  The Blue Devils were able to milk to clock down to 49 seconds and were faced with a 4th-and-16.  Davie connected to Huskey on a 18-yard pass to put the game away for the Blue Devils.  Davie was 8-of-12 passing for 132 yards and three touchdowns for the Blue Devils (2-0).  Eli Winter rushed for 40 yards and two scores for the Wildcats.  Alpena (0-2) open Big North Conference play on Saturday night when they host Gaylord.