Wildcats earn top spot in Sunrise Side Challenge
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ALPENA - Alpena High School's boys soccer team won the Sunrise Side Soccer Challenge on Saturday, beating Grayling 4-2 and Cheboygan twice by 5-0 scores.
Joe LaCross scored 16 seconds into the opener on an assist from Jackson Birmingham. Sam Bastow made it 2-0 before halftime on a pass from Jackson Natzel. Reece Dragiewicz pushed the lead to 3-0 early in the second half. Grayling scored twice, but Birmingham added Alpena's fourth goal.
"Good to get the first win of the tournament," coach Ken Dragiewicz said. "Overall team effort with the entire roster playing significant minutes. Boys played unselfish soccer and were able to maintain possession of the ball."
Against Cheboygan in the second game, Dragiewicz opened the scoring. Mason Burns, Greyson Christensen Cooper, LaCross and Garrett Chabot also scored. Bastow had two assists.
In the championship rematch, Dragiewicz scored first and later set up goals by LaCross and Bastow. Parker Kaiser scored on a corner kick from Birmingham, who added a late goal on a cross from Natzel. Josh LaCross and Jayden Crandall combined for the shutout.
Eight players scored in the tournament. LaCross and Dragiewicz led with six points each.
"Success in tournament play requires contributions from everyone on the roster, and that is what we had today," Dragiewicz said. "I was pleased with how balanced our scoring was. When we have balanced scoring it makes us a better team and harder to defend."
He also praised the back line.
"Our defense was solid all day, and I thought our outside backs of Bryson Collegnon and Jacob Krey played exceptionally well."