News Photo by Darby Hinkley The Alpena High varsity soccer team clenched second place in the Sunrise Cup tournament on Saturday. Pictured, standing, from left, are JV coach Solomon Turkson, Owen Kaiser, Aric Knight, Joe LaCross, Nick Dargis, Jace Kadrich, Jacob Krey, Mason Hinkley, Reed Leeck, Assistant Varsity Coach Brett Naimowicz, and Head Varsity Coach Ken Dragiewicz. Kneeling, from left, are Jackson Natzel, Reece Dragiewicz, Lucas Thomson, Jackson Birmingham, Mason Burns, and Parker Kaiser. Lying in front are goalies Josh Short and Jayden Crandell.

ALPENA — The Alpena Wildcats boys’ soccer team battled through four matches on Saturday at the Sunrise Cup, showing resilience and strong team play on their way to a second-place finish. Alpena posted a 2-1-1 record on the day, finishing behind unbeaten Traverse City St. Francis.

The Wildcats opened their tournament run with a 9 a.m. match against Gladwin, where Joe LaCross put Alpena on the board with 6:49 left in the first half. LaCross struck again early in the second half before Mason Hinkley sealed the win with a late goal at 5:30 remaining, giving Alpena a 3-0 victory.

In their second match, Alpena faced Cheboygan. Mason Burns broke through with a goal at 17:54 left in the first half to put the Wildcats ahead. Burns appeared to have scored again later in the half, but the goal was waved off for offsides. Despite the setback, Alpena held a 1-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Lucas Thomson extended the advantage with a goal at the 11:40 mark. Owen Kaiser then found the back of the net twice, scoring with 10:34 left and again with 5:13 left, lifting Alpena to a commanding 4-0 win.

The afternoon slate proved tougher for the Wildcats. Against Traverse City St. Francis, Alpena held firm through a scoreless first half. But St. Francis broke through with two second-half goals, one from James Covert at 15:45 and another from Louis Rhein on a header with 11:47 left. Alpena fell 2-0 in the matchup.

Alpena closed the day with a defensive battle against Grayling. Both teams struggled to break through as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

With their 2-1-1 record, Alpena secured second place overall in the tournament standings. Traverse City St. Francis finished in first place at 4-0, while Grayling matched Alpena’s 2-1-1 record but fell behind on tiebreakers. Cheboygan placed fourth at 1-3, while Gladwin rounded out the standings at 0-4.

The Wildcats displayed balanced scoring throughout the day with goals from LaCross, Hinkley, Burns, Thomson, and Kaiser, while also earning two clean sheets on defense. The strong showing highlighted Alpena’s depth and determination as they continue to build momentum for the remainder of their season.

The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Boyne City for a 5 p.m. kickoff.