The opening quarter set the tone for a scrappy game. With five minutes remaining, Boyne City earned the first points of the night by tackling Alpena into the end zone for a safety. Later in the quarter, the Ramblers fumbled, and the Wildcats quickly capitalized with a first down after recovering possession. However, a substitution infraction at 1:23 stalled Alpena’s momentum.

In the second quarter, Boyne City extended their lead when Owen Hewitt hauled in a touchdown reception at the 3:52 mark. A successful two-point conversion gave the Ramblers a 10-0 advantage heading into halftime.

Alpena’s defense, a clear improvement from last season, kept the Wildcats in the game. That effort paid off late in the third quarter, when brothers Xavier and Andrew Szymoniak connected for Alpena’s first touchdown with 2:57 left. A field goal from Brady Chapman soon after narrowed the deficit to 7-10.

Boyne City answered early in the fourth quarter as Jamie Joseph scored a touchdown at 10:16, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Drew Neer, stretching the Ramblers’ lead to 18-7. Refusing to back down, Alpena rallied with a touchdown from Aidan Aube at 6:31. The Wildcats’ two-point conversion attempt was no good, leaving the score at 13-18.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Wildcat Aidan Aube takes a knee after scoring the second touchdown of the night on Friday at Wildcat Stadium.

Despite Alpena’s late push, Boyne City held on to secure the win.

While the loss was tough, the Wildcats displayed significant strides on both sides of the ball, particularly on defense. Alpena’s fight until the final whistle showed a team growing in confidence and competitiveness as the season progresses.

The Wildcats will look to carry that momentum into their next game, when they travel to face Marquette at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5.

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Alpena's Brady Chapman runs the ball up the field on Friday night.