Wildcat football team has “all in” mentality
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ALPENA – The Alpena Wildcats varsity football team enters the 2026 season with a clear sense of purpose and a renewed commitment to competing every weekend under second-year head coach DJ Szymoniak.
Coming off a 1-8 campaign in 2025 that featured a lone victory -- a decisive 41-0 homecoming win over Sault Area -- the Wildcats are focused on building upon measurable progress on both sides of the ball. Two years earlier the program surrendered more than 500 points in a season. Last year that figure dropped to a little more than 230 points across nine games, cutting points allowed roughly in half. Offensively, the improvement was equally stark: the team scored six points the season before last and finished 2025 with 108.
"Our goal is to go out every Friday and compete," Szymoniak said.
That competitive mindset is rooted in what the coach calls his five pillars. The first and most foundational is academics. Szymoniak noted that athletic director Ben Henry recently informed him it is the first time in six years the football program has no players ineligible to start the season.
"We understand that winning entails more than just scoring more points, no matter what the competition is, but how do you get there? We define it with good grades," Szymoniak said.
That success last season also produced Academic All-State recognition as a team, a distinction the Wildcats have made their number one goal to repeat in 2026.
The second pillar is servant leadership. Last year the team raised money for military families and for Friends Together. The remaining three pillars - technique, effort and attitude - demand the mental fortitude from both coaches and players to prioritize what matters most on the field.
Senior leadership will be central to carrying those pillars forward. Henry Wirgau, Simon Duthler, Eli Werth and Greyson Srebnik headline a group that also includes Gavin Ross, Eion Eades, Conner Wise, Westin Mitchell, Brody Misiak, Logan Mill, Reilly Atkinson, Brody Oliver, Rylan Compeau, Ethan Sahr and Kadyn Vanderveer, according to the current roster on MaxPreps.
"Our senior class this season have endured a tough high school football career thus far. They got their first career win last season, as freshman and junior varsity players they did not win a game," Szymoniak said.
Summer preparation included seven-on-seven competition at Michigan State University and Hope College, where the Wildcats faced programs such as De La Salle, the 2025 Division 2 state champion.
"Our kids have seen what state championship material looks like and I think they started to realize this is something that is possible. Obviously, it's going to take a lot of work, but they have shown their commitment," Szymoniak said.
The team's slogan is simple: "All In."
"At the end of the day this team has bought in, and they are willing to put in the work that it takes. Now we anxiously wait for our first game against Boyne City on August 28th," the coach said.
Beyond the Xs and Os, Szymoniak continually stresses life lessons. He reminds players that academics must come first, drawing from his own experience of playing college and professional football until he was nearly 30 years old.
"At the end of the day and when my career ended at 29 years old, it was my education that helped me get to where I am today as a person," he said.
On the field he emphasizes collective accountability.
"At the end of the day you need all 11 people on the field to make positive plays happen. For example, if a tackle misses a block the play is likely blown up before it has a chance to develop."
Off the field the coaching staff prioritizes bonding time. The team recently traveled to the Upper Peninsula, visiting the Bear Ranch in Newberry and spending a night together. Players also swam at Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
"It's huge, when we are on the field working everyday it's hard to find time to get to know each other. To get them away is important," Szymoniak said. "They also got the opportunity to swim in Tahquamenon Falls State Park and that is time they get to spend together bonding without whistles blowing or coaches yelling."
One of the season's anticipated highlights will be the Valor Game against Gaylord, featuring an F-16 flyover during kickoff.
"It's going to be awesome; it took a lot of work and good people to make it happen. It's going to be a great atmosphere with Gaylord coming to town which will add some extra fuel to the fire," Szymoniak said.
The 2026 schedule opens Aug. 28 at Boyne City, followed by dates at Cadillac, at Escanaba, home against Gaylord, home against Powers Catholic, home against Marquette, home against Petoskey, at Sault Area and home against Ogemaw Heights.
For a program that has endured lean years, the message from the head coach and his senior class is consistent: compete every Friday, uphold the five pillars and stay all in.