ALPENA — With goals set, confidence brimming, and some different opponents on the schedule, the Alpena football team hopes it has all the ingredients to put together a successful season in 2022.

“We set goals early on in the summer. We go over what our goals are at least once or twice a week and that’s the thing: we’re committed to our goal,” Alpena coach Eric Mitchell said. “We’re a younger team, but we’re athletic. We’re gritty and we want to win.”

Thirty one players will suit up for Alpena this season, including several who were a part of Alpena’s JV team that went 5-4 last season.

With returning talent and exciting incoming players, Alpena hopes it can avoid serious injuries and improve from last season’s 2-7 campaign.

Offensively, the Wildcats will look to jumpstart an attack that’s struggled mightily in the last two seasons — just 142 points over 16 games.

The Wildcats have the talent to attack opponents through the air and on the ground and Mitchell said Alpena’s offense has added some new wrinkles based on its personnel.

“The last couple of years, we just didn’t get enough reps, so it’s hard to get those in, but we didn’t miss a beat this year. Every kid had a playbook and when they have questions, they’ve been asking all summer long. So we came into camp prepared this year, so it’s been easy and fun to put more wrinkles in the offense,” Mitchell said. “I think a lot of people are going to be surprised. We didn’t change everything, but I think we’ve changed enough so that things look different.”

At quarterback, Alpena returns strong-armed junior Jake Zann, who got a taste of varsity action last season. Zann impressed early last year, throwing for over 400 yards and a pair of touchdowns in three games before a season-ending injury.

Zann has looked good during practices and he’s itching to get back on the field and ready to do what he can to help the Wildcats win.

“I haven’t really missed a beat because it’s just about the same receivers that we had last year, the same guys and we all have good chemistry,” Zann said. “I think I’ve gotten a lot better at managing my composure and seeing the field a lot better, making the right decisions and not being afraid to take contact.”

Zann will have plenty of veterans to catch passes as Brady Niedzwiecki, Brady Pagels, and Colt Gray are among Alpena’s returners at receiver.

Blocking for them up front is a mix of players that includes juniors Chris Wherry (center), Brady Carlson (guard), Alex Corwin (guard), Vince MacArthur (tackle), Austin Poirier (tackle) and sophomore Jack Krawczak (guard/tackle).

In the backfield, Mitchell said senior Nic Geister and juniors Elyja Chism, Kaleb Donajkowski, and Hunter Cohoon will be among those getting carries.

On defense, the Wildcats hope to improve after allowing nearly 35 points a game last season.

Neidzwiecki, Pagels, junior Jon Rensberry, and Carter Stark will be in the defensive secondary mix and Gray, Zann, Donajkowski, Cohoon, Rensberry, and Geister could all see some time at linebacker.

After some offseason changes, the Wildcats’ 2022 schedule looks a bit different than in year’s past. Alpena is still part of the Big North Conference and will play Gaylord, Cadillac, and Petoskey in conference matchups. But the departure of Traverse City West and Traverse City Central from the Big North opened the door for the additions of Saginaw Heritage and Whitefall as well as Flint Powers.

Alpena — which moves down to Division 3 this year and plays a schedule against mostly Division 3 teams — will still have challenges to face, but the Wildcats like their chances against this year’s slate of teams.

“For us this year to not have to talk about that (losses against Traverse City) elephant in the room, it’s huge for us. We have a couple new opponents like Saginaw Heritage that we haven’t played (in a while),” Mitchell said.

2022 ALPENA SCHEDULE

Aug. 25 vs. Saginaw Heritage

Sept. 1 vs. Marquette

Sept. 9 at Whitehall

Sept. 16 at Cadillac

Sept. 23 vs. Petoskey

Sept. 30 vs. Gaylord

Oct. 7 at Flint Powers

Oct. 14 vs. Escanaba

Oct. 21 at St. Johns