Know your role and execute well.

That’s the mentality the Alpena High football team is taking as it looks to break a two-game losing streak tonight against Bay City John Glenn.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Wildcat Stadium.

Alpena (2-3) has shown some flashes of consistency over the last two weeks, but both games have resulted in losses and the Wildcats are hoping to get back on track this week.

“I think it’s just refocusing on the details and making sure we know our assignments and our roles and once that’s cleared up, going at it with a lot of fanatical effort,” Alpena coach Aaron Sims said. “If we do those things, if we get back to that mentality, everything else will take care of itself.”

John Glenn (3-2) is led by freshman quarterback Jobe Long, who’s played well beyond his age. After a Week 1 loss to Freeland, Long rallied the Bobcats past Cadillac and played through illness in a win over Charlotte. In Week 4, Long rallied the Bobcats against Saginaw Nouve, but fell a yard short of a potential game-tying touchdown.

Their defense is led by senior A.J. Christe, a 5-11, 200 pound force at linebacker. Christe is averaging nine tackles per game and has been a tank for the Bobcats’ defense since transferring from Bay City All Saints two seasons ago.

“They’re big, they’re physical and they play with a lot of tenacity,” Sims said of the Bobcats. “More than anything else, they have a lot of belief that they can win.”

Alpena found a little bit of success on the ground last week, but couldn’t match Traverse City West’s consistency in a 43-14 loss. Both teams were held scoreless after the first quarter. but the Titans scored 22 points to a commanding lead Alpena couldn’t rally back from.

Playing a team like West, who is one of the Big North’s best teams on a yearly basis was a good test for Alpena, but Sims also knows there were times last week when the Wildcats showed they could play with the Titans. Not capitalizing on those high points, ultimately hurt their chances to win.

“We had a lot of opportunities and that goes back to the execution and the detail stuff,” Sims said. “We had lot of chances and a bounce here or a bounce there or a play here or a play there and maybe our mentality is a little different.”

The Wildcats found themselves in the same spot last year after five weeks and responded with a win to get to the .500 mark. To do that again, Sims has reminded his players of the importance not only of execution, but focusing on the next play and playing like that play is the most important one of the game.

“The difficulties arise when you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s what we’ve focused on this week is getting back to basics and making sure we know what we’re doing,” Sims said. “(We’re) making sure when they’re in (they know) that’s the most important play of the game.”