ALPENA — All the ingredients are in place for the Alpena High football team to win tonight.

∫ The final home game of the season.

∫ Senior Night.

∫ A favorable matchup.

All the Wildcats have to do is make it happen.

Alpena (1-6) hosts Escanaba (1-6) tonight at 7 p.m. at Park Family Field at Wildcat Stadium.

Victory will come as a welcome change for whichever team wins. Alpena enters the game with a five-game losing streak while the Eskymos have dropped their last four games.

“We can’t overlook any team,” Alpena senior Colt Gray said. “We’ve been fighting hard all week in practice and we know we have to come to play, but we’re hoping to finish the season strong in our last home game and come out with a win.

Alpena is 2-3 in its last five games against the Eskymos and won the most recent matchup last year, 26-20.

Records aside, Alpena coach Eric Mitchell knows this is a game both teams want and knows his team will need to execute to win.

The Wildcats hope to rebound from last week’s 34-7 loss to Flint Powers and jumpstart their offense after being limited to just seven total points in the last two weeks.

“I think both of us realize how big of a game this is for the programs,” Mitchell said. You know, we talked about a Monday that’s kind of like their Super Bowl, right? Same with us to an extent… We know that this is our last home game and Senior Night, plenty of distractions, but for us more than anything, we realize this is a game that we can and have to get.”

The Wildcats are still nursing some injuries, but Mitchell said several players have stepped up and filled in wherever they’re needed.

Gray — one of nearly a dozen seniors playing in his final home game tonight — is one such player, lining up at nearly every offensive position except quarterback, according to Mitchell.

“Injuries are tough, but our message this season has been ‘it’s next man up’; you’ve got to be ready to step up and expect the unexpected,” Gray said. “That’s how it’s been and we’re ready for that.

Escanaba’s lone win came in Week 3 against Petoskey, a team that edged Alpena a few weeks ago. Last week, the Eskymos fell 39-14 to Gaylord and was intercepted three times.

The Eskymos’ offense, led by Casey Bray, is capable of scoring and averages 20 points a game. Escanaba has shown ability to make big plays, but has also had some trouble sustaining drives — two things Mitchell hopes the Wildcats can key in on tonight.

“We know what to expect,” Gray said. “We see they run some mesh plays and some double pops. So we’re looking forward to playing this game and coming out with the win.”

Alpena’s seniors who will be honored tonight include Gray, Brady Niedzwiecki, Brady Pagels, Logan LaCombe, Nic Geister, Sam Cook, Cam Stevens, Tristan Pilarski, Mason Villarreal and John Short.