ALPENA, MI - Eli Winter was stopped short on a two-point conversion in overtime as St. Johns held off Alpena, 21-20, in the regular-season finale at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.  The Wildcats took the game's opening possession into Redwing territory before being stopped on 4th and 4.  St. Johns capitalized as Jaymn Medlock found DeMarquis Washington wide open on a halfback pass to give the Redwings the 7-0 lead.  Eli Winter got the Wildcats on the board early in the 2nd Quarter when he got loose for the 25-yard Touchdown but a failed two-point conversion cut the lead to 7-6.  Late in the half St. Johns was driving into Alpena territory before Brian Frisch was able to intercept a Luke Kudwa pass to keep the score at 7-6 into the halftime locker room.

After forcing a three and out on the opening possession of the 2nd half by St. Johns, the Wildcats put together a solid drive sparked by a big pass play from Ryan Voltz to Eli Winter.  Jordan Schultz capped off the drive with a 7-yard  run and the two-point conversion to give the Wildcats the 14-7 lead.  The Redwings responded with a lengthy drive into Wildcat territory and converted a long 4th and goal play as Kudwa scrambled to find Adam Waszak in the back of the endzone to tie the game at 14-14.  Neither team was able to reclaim the lead as the clock expired in regulation to send the game into overtime.

The Wildcats won the coin toss and decided to go on defense first.  St. Johns took the lead in overtime on another pass from Kudwa to Waszak to give the Redwings the 21-14 lead.  Alpena would face a 4th and goal at the 3 when Winter took the pitch left and busted into the endzone to get the Wildcats to 21-20.  Alpena would make the choice to go for two and was stopped short on the Winter pitch.

Eli Winter finished the game with 168 yards on 28 carries, while Jordan Schultz had nine carried for 39 yards.  Alpena finishes the season 4-5, which is the highest win total since a 4-5 season in 2014.

PETOSKEY, MI - Eli Winter converted a 4th and 4 with 1:36 left to play as Alpena earned a major Big North Conference victory over Petoskey, 18-15, on Friday night.  The win, the first over Petoskey since 2006, sets up a "win and get in" scenario next Friday night for a birth in the MHSAA Playoffs.

The first quarter time of possession was dominated by Alpena as the Northmen ran a total of 3 offensive plays.  The Wildcats took the opening kick and drove the ball down the field on a 7:28 drive.  An Eli Winter Field Goal was no good and Petoskey took over at their own 26.  After a three and out, Alpena took possession once and again drove the ball into Petoskey territory.  The Northmen defense again stood tall and forced a 4th and long that Alpena could not convert on.  The Northmen would get into scoring range after a big pass play on 3rd and long from Gabe Whitmore to Nate Eberly-Rodriquez.  Whitmore would cap off the drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 3:42 to play in the first half.  Alpena would block a Northmen field goal late in the first half to get to the halftime locker room trailing 7-0.  

Petoskey would receive the opening kick-off of the 2nd half but could not move the ball after a strong defensive stand by Alpena.  On the first play for Alpena in the 2nd Half, Jordan Schultz took the handoff up the middle for a 78-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 7-6.  Jordan Schultz and Anthony Villeneuve would record back-to-back sacks for the Wildcat defense forcing a Petoskey punt deep in their own territory.  The Wildcats would move the ball into Petoskey territory and face a 4th and goal from the 15.  Ryan Voltz found a wide-open Eli Winter on the crossing pattern for the critical 4th down conversion as the Wildcats took a 12-6 lead.  The only turnover of the game would come on the next possession for Petoskey as Charlie Williams recovered the fumble, setting up the Wildcats near midfield as the 3rd quarter came to an end. 

Eli Winter ran a perfectly executed halfback pass as he found Kelley Stark for the 30-yard pass completion down to the Petoskey 3 yard line.  Winter would finish the drive from a yard out to give Alpena the 18-7 lead.  Petoskey would move the ball deep into the Alpena RedZone thanks to their running attack.  Facing a 4th and 5 from the Wildcat 9, Whitmore sprinted out to his right and found Jarrin Kelly wide open in the endzone to get the Northmen to within three at 18-15.  Alpena's running attack would begin to bleed the clock out as the Wildcats got the ball to the Petoskey 41 with 1:36 to play.  Alpena decided to go for it and Eli Winter took the handoff behind a crushing block by Jordan Schultz for the first down.  Alpena then got into victory formation and ran the clock out for the victory.

Alpena (4-4, 3-2 BNC) take on St Johns next Friday night in the final regular-season game of the year.  A win by Alpena would secure the team's first winning season and playoff birth since 2004.

ALPENA, MI - Traverse City Central scored 29 points in the 3rd Quarter in their 43-7 victory over Alpena on Homecoming Friday at rainy Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.  The Wildcats took the opening possession into the Trojan red zone thanks to a 42-yard run by Jordan Schultz.  The Trojan defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs.  The two teams would trade punts in a scoreless opening quarter.  Traverse City Central got on the board when Austin Bills powered his way in from the three-yard line with 3:16 left in the second quarter.  After a Ryan Voltz interception on the next Wildcat possession, the Trojans extended their lead on a Josh Burnham 1-yard touchdown.  

The Trojans would blow the game wide open in the 3rd quarter behind the running of Bills and Burnham and the strong Quarterback play of Peyton Smith.  Alpena was able to get on the board when Charlie Williams scored from 5-yards out with 1:20 left in the game.  Jordan Schultz carried the ball 12 times for 99 yards to lead the Wildcat offense.

Alpena (3-4, 2-2 BNC) remains alive for a playoff birth but must win their final two games.  The Wildcats wrap-up the BNC schedule on October 18 when they travel to Petoskey.

MARQUETTE, MI - Eli Winter punched in a 1-yard touchdown score with 2:08 remaining to help the Wildcats rally past Marquette, 28-25, on Friday night at William R. Hart Stadium.  After a scoreless first quarter, the Redmen got on the board first with a Drew Wyble 21-yard field goal.  A few plays later, Jordan Schultz broke free for a 50-yard touchdown to give Alpena the 7-3 lead.  The Redmen would reclaim the lead as Austin Ridl connected with Brady Wright for a 20-yard TD and a 10-7 Marquette halftime lead. 

After the two teams traded punts on their opening possessions of the 2nd half, the Wildcats found paydirt when Schultz pounded in from 1-yard out to make it 13-10 Alpena.  Wyble would tie the game for the Redmen going into the final quarter on a 30-yard field goal.  The fourth quarter would be a back and forth affair as the two teams would trade the lead four times.  Marquette took the lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jurmu.  The Redmen decided to go for two and was stopped by the Wildcat defense to give Marquette the 19-13 lead.  Eli Winter put the Wildcats back in front with a 36-yard run, and combined with the Hunter Canute Extra Point, Alpena now led 20-19.  Brady Wright put the Redmen back in the lead with a two-yard touchdown run with under three minutes to play.  The Wildcats again stopped Marquette on the two-point conversion and only held a 25-20 lead.  The final lead change of the game would be the Winter score, aided by two big plays from Charlie Williams.  The Schultz two-point score would give the Wildcats the 28-25 lead.  Marquette would drive into Wildcat territory before a big sack by Brady Oliver pushed them back.  An incomplete pass in the endzone with 40 seconds to play allowed Alpena to escape with the victory.

Schultz led Alpena with 105 yards on nine carries, while Winter 16 carries for 92 yards. Charles Williams carried the ball seven times for 81 yards.  Ryan Voltz was 7 of 14 passing for 100 yards.

The victory is Alpena's first win over the Redmen since a 20-19 win in 1997.  Alpena (3-3, 2-1 BNC) host Traverse City Central on Friday night for Homecoming.

PHOT COURTESY OF: Trinity Carey

TRAVERSE CITY, MI - The Alpena Football team turned the ball over four times in a 37-6 loss to Traverse City West on Saturday night at Thirlby Field.  Alpena had the game's first possession and had a perfectly designed play on the first play but Ryan Voltz overthrew a wide-open Charlie Williams.  The Wildcat defense then forced a 3 and out on West's first possession but a roughing the punter penalty gave the Titans back the ball.  West would make Alpena pay when Aiden Griggs scored his first of three total touchdowns on the night to make it 7-0.  A fumbled snap by Voltz was converted by the Titans when Mason Morrison found Seth Gallagher for the 36-yard touchdown to make it 14-0.   Griggs added his second score of the half with 9:42 to play, and Finn Durbin added a 38-yard field goal to give West the 23-0 lead at the half.  The Titans took the opening possession of the 2nd half down the field and Christian Boivin scored from 13-yards out to make it 30-0.  Griggs would find pay dirt again, this time on defense as he intercepted a tipped pass and took it 30-yards for the pick-six to add to the Titans lead.  Griggs finished with over 100 total yards, three total TDs, an interception, and a fumble recovery for the Titans.  The Wildcats would finally get on the board with 0:12 left when Voltz connected with Williams for the 56-yard touchdown.

Alpena (2-3, 2-1 BNC) travel to Marquette on Friday night.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Football team's strong offense performance proved too much for Cadillac in a 41-38 victory on Friday night at the Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.  The Wildcat offense had 427 yards of total offense, including 139 yards passing, in the win.  The Wildcats opened the scoring on their opening drive when Eli Winter punched in his first of three Touchdowns from 5-yards out.  Cadillac quickly responded with a big run back and a Collin Johnston 38-yard Touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7.  Alpena responded with a 6-yard run by Winter with 4-minutes left in the opening quarter.  On the ensuing kick-off, Charlie Williams ripped the ball away from the Viking returner and returned it for the score.  Hunter Canute's Extra Point attempt was no good after a botched snap to give the Wildcats the 20-7 lead.  Cadillac responded with a 31-yard touchdown run by Johnson to cut the lead to 20-14.  Jordan Schultz stretched the lead back out to two scores with a seven-yard run just five seconds into the 2nd Quarter.  After a Cadillac penalty, the Wildcats pulled the extra point team off the field and converted the two-point conversion to give Alpena the 28-14 lead.  After finally forcing a Viking punt, the Wildcat offense could not move the ball and botched the punt snap to give Cadillac the short field.  Cadillac took advantage of the short field as Johnston scored his third touchdown of the night from 1-yard out to cut the lead to 28-20.  Alpena found themselves at mid-field on a 4th-and-14 late in the quarter but was aided by an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Cadillac sideline to keep the drive alive.  Alpena would make the Vikings pay as Eli Winter punched in his third score of the quarter from 1-yard out to give the Wildcats a 34-20 lead into the halftime break.  

Cadillac would take the opening drive of the 2nd half into the Wildcat RedZone before penalties would force them to go for it on 4th and long.  Alpena's defense stood tall giving their offense back the ball.  Alpena's Ryan Voltz found a wide-open Kelly Stark flying down the left sidelines for a 65-yard touchdown with 9:31 to play in the quarter to give Alpena the 41-20 lead.  Cadillac would begin to chip away at the lead with the strong play of Tipp Baker.  Baker punched in a 1-yard run with 9:31 to play in the quarter to make it 41-26.  Baker then ran a sweep around the Wildcat offense for the 38-yard score to pull the Vikings even closer at 41-32.  With 5:04 to play, Aden Gurden connected with Alec Barczewski for the 25-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 41-38.  Alpena's offense took over with three straight first-down runs to run the clock out for the 41-28 win.

Ryan Voltz went 9-of-13 passing for 139 yards and Kelly Stark had three catches for 117 yards and a score.  On the ground, Eli Winter ran the ball 31 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns.  Alpena's 41 points are the most scored since a 48-16 win over Ogemaw Heighs in 2017.  The Wildcats (2-2, 2-0 BNC) sit alone in 1st Place in the Big North Conference and travel to TC West on September 28.

ALPENA, MI - The Alpena Football team responded from the struggles in their first two games to win their Big North Conference opener, 30-6, over Gaylord on Saturday night at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.  The Wildcats started off strong as they moved the ball on their opening possession deep into Blue Devil territory until Ryan Voltz fumbled the ball on the Gaylord 21.  The Wildcat defense would stand tall and force a Gaylord punt late in the opening quarter.  Jordan Schultz got the Wildcats on the board with a 3-yard run with 0:53 remaining in the 1st Quarter.  Charlie Williams would add to the Alpena lead on a six-yard run after the Wildcat defense forced a Blue Devil turnover deep at their 20-yard line.  The play of the night came with 13 seconds left in the half when Voltz found a streaking Kelley Stark in the back of the endzone for a 30-yard Touchdown to put Alpena up 20-0 at the half.  The third quarter was more of the same for Alpena as Jordan Schultz added his second score of the game, this time it was a 68-yard run to increase the lead to 27-0.  Hunter Canute would add a 22-yard field goal late in the quarter to finish off the Alpena scoring.  Gaylord's Jacob Cleaver scored a 63-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to the Blue Devils on the board, but that would be as close as they could get.  Alpena (1-2, 1-0 BNC) host Cadillac (2-1, 1-0 BNC) on Friday night at 7pm.

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.

ESCANABA, MI - The Alpena Varsity Football team opened the 2019 season with a mistake-riddled 34-13 loss to Escanaba on August 29.  The Wildcats opening drive stalled after the first three plays and then snapped the punt over the head of Hunter Canute to give the Eskymos a short field.  Two plays later, Josh Bruntjens gave Escanaba the early 7-0 lead.  Alpena was able to move the ball to midfield before a poor center/QB exchange turned the ball over to the Eskymos.  Escanaba converted the turnover into six when Ethan Silverstone found Kyle Krutina on a 4-yard screen.  The Wildcats responded when Jordan Schultz punched the ball into the endzone from 1-yard out to cut the Eskymos lead to 14-6.  Escanaba closed out the second half by scoring their third touchdown of the half with seventeen seconds left on a 1-yard pass from Silverstone to Bryant Maki.  Escanaba added two more touchdowns in the 2nd half before Eli Winter found the endzone.

Schultz led the Wildcat offense with 150-yards rushing, while Winter had 147-yards rushing.  Ryan Voltz finished 6-for-14 passing for 26 yards and also ran five times for 14 yards.

Alpena (0-1) will host Sault Ste. Marie on September 6 for their first game on the Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.