ALPENA — A back-and-forth Valor Game at Wildcat Stadium came down to late execution Friday night, with Gaylord pulling away for a 30-22 Big North Conference victory over Alpena.
The loss was Alpena’s third consecutive defeat in league play and left the Wildcats 1-3 overall and 0-3 in the conference. Gaylord improved to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big North.
The game carried added meaning beyond the conference standings. Played on National POW/MIA Recognition Day, Alpena’s annual Valor Game honored missing service members, veterans and first responders.
Wildcats seize the early momentum
The first quarter ended scoreless, but Alpena’s defense established itself early in the second. On Gaylord’s first possession of the period, Zac Orban came from the quarterback’s blind side for a sack on third-and-11, forcing the Blue Devils to punt.
Alpena then broke through on the ground. Andrew Szymoniak raced 48 yards to the Gaylord 27, and later finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run on third-and-3. The Wildcats converted the two-point try to take an 8-0 lead.
Gaylord answered on its next possession, scoring and converting its own two-point attempt to tie the game 8-8 with 28 seconds remaining in the first half. The score held through halftime.
Alpena quickly regained the advantage after receiving the second-half kickoff. Szymoniak broke loose for a 50-yard run to the Gaylord 14, and quarterback Cash Moughon followed on the next snap by finding Greyson Srebnik. Srebnik broke a tackle and scored.
A delay-of-game penalty moved the two-point attempt back, so Alpena kicked the extra point instead. The Wildcats led 15-8 with 11:06 left in the third quarter. During that stretch, Szymoniak had about 111 rushing yards on four carries, including runs of 48 and 50 yards.
Gaylord answers twice in the second half
Gaylord responded with a wide-receiver screen touchdown to Pierce Barraw. A neutral-zone penalty against Alpena during the extra-point attempt gave the Blue Devils an opportunity to go for two, and they converted to move ahead 16-15.
The teams traded momentum through the rest of the third quarter, with Gaylord carrying its one-point lead into the final period. Alpena reclaimed the lead on its opening fourth-quarter possession when Moughon scored on a quarterback sneak. The extra point made it 22-16 with 10:53 remaining.
Gaylord needed only one play to reverse the game again. Cosby powered through Alpena defenders for a 27-yard touchdown, and the extra point put the Blue Devils ahead 23-22 with 9:41 left.
Alpena was forced to punt on its next series, but the punt was deflected. Gaylord took over at the Alpena 22 and turned the short field into a 19-yard touchdown run. The extra point extended the lead to 30-22 with 6:24 remaining.
Late comeback attempt falls short
Starting at its own 12, Alpena kept the next drive alive with a fake punt, as Moughon picked up the first down. The Wildcats could not finish the possession, however. On fourth-and-6 with 1:44 remaining, Moughon completed a pass to Szymoniak, but the play came up short of the line to gain.
Gaylord took over on downs with 1:37 left, lined up in victory formation and ran out the clock. Alpena’s next home game is scheduled for Friday against Flint Powers Catholic.