Zeeland East came out strong from the start, scoring their first touchdown just 11 minutes and 30 seconds into the first quarter. They added another touchdown four minutes later, quickly going up 14-0.

Despite their efforts, the Wildcats couldn’t stop Zeeland East from finding the end zone again, with the third touchdown coming just before the five-minute mark. With the kick good, Alpena found themselves trailing 21-0.

There was a brief moment of hope for the Wildcats when Zeeland East fumbled the ball, and Aidan Aube capitalized, recovering the fumble. However, Zeeland East managed to bounce back, scoring yet another touchdown.

An illegal substitution penalty due to 12 men on the field, followed by unsportsmanlike conduct by one of Alpena’s key players, left the Wildcats at an even greater disadvantage, losing a starting tackle early in the game.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Thorin Rodgers tried to block a player from Zeeland East in Friday night’s matchup where Alpena lost 68-0 at home.

Zeeland East continued their scoring streak, extending their lead to 28-0 with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Zeeland East didn’t slow down in the second quarter, piling on more points. They were up 49-0 by halftime, and the Wildcats struggled to find any offensive rhythm.

The second half saw continued dominance by Zeeland East, who pushed their lead to 68-0. However, a highlight for Alpena came late in the third quarter when number 33 blocked a Zeeland East kick, preventing the extra point and showing the Wildcats’ persistence despite the circumstances.

In the final quarter, Zeeland East took a knee to close the game, with the final score at 68-0.

Late in the game, an injury saw one of Zeeland East’s players taken off the field on a stretcher, momentarily pausing the game and reminding both teams of the physical demands of football.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns The Alpena High School football team gathers in a huddle before the game begins on Friday. The Wildcats played Zeeland East who overpowered them to a 68-0 win.

Alpena captain Eric Eades reflected on the loss, emphasizing the need for the Wildcats to stay mentally resilient under challenging moments.

“Those kinds of moments are essential because it gets the fans, the coaches, and the players excited and back into the game,” Eades said. “I think the team needs to keep their heads high, even when we’re down, to capitalize on those moments.”

He also touched on the team’s discipline and the challenges they faced with limited player depth, noting, “We had our starting tackle ejected early and lost a wide receiver to injury, and we don’t have the proper numbers to replace players easily, so it was difficult. I plan to help the team by playing my hardest every second I’m on the field.”

Despite the loss, Eades remains focused on improving for the next game.

“We have to address the issues by becoming better for the next week, and my message for the team is the refs will always see the end of what happens and not always the start, so be smart,” he said.

The Wildcats will look to regroup and learn from this experience as they prepare to travel to Cadillac on Friday.