Wide receiver MacGregor McClintic returned the following kickoff with a 37-yard run, followed by a long pass play he received from quarterback Jett Prevost, putting the Wildcats near their end zone.

The effort wasn’t enough, as the Vikings then took over possession of the ball on downs. In the next series, a big defensive tackle by Emerson Compeau put a stop to the Vikings’ momentum, until a 42-yard run landed them in the end zone again with 3:59 left in the first quarter, bringing the score to 16-0.

Dominating the end of the first quarter was Wildcat quarterback Prevost, who gained enough yardage to put the Wildcats on the board, 16-6. But the quarter ended with a last-second touchdown run of 58 yards by the Vikings, pushing the score to 24-6.

Wildcat Defensive Back Austin Wilson recovered a Viking fumble to start the second quarter, followed by power tackles from Sal DeVito and Gage Lutey. The Wildcats’ momentum picked up, but Cadillac blocked a McClintic punt, giving the Vikings excellent field position resulting in another eight points.

Courtesy Photo The Alpena Wildcat JV football team huddles up on Thursday against Cadillac.

After halftime, the Wildcats came out fierce. In the third and fourth quarters, Prevost completed several successive passes to Wide Receiver McClintic, ultimately gaining enough ground for Halfback Evan Andrews to cross the end zone, bringing the score to 32-12. Wildcat Linebacker Zech Bonenfant flustered the Viking offense with a strong tackle in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough as the Vikings landed one more touchdown, closing out the game at 46-12.

Head Coach Jay Kurowski commented on the incredible efforts put forth by his team, “Cadillac is a very tough opponent, they always are. Our team is comprised of mostly freshmen; they played hard for four quarters and were able to move the football against a team of mostly sophomores and a few juniors. If we continue our hard work in practice, good things are going to follow.”

The Alpena JV Wildcats have an even record of 2-2 as they head into their next game on Thursday, Sept. 25, in Petoskey against the Northmen.