Standing in the way was the Petoskey Northmen.

Despite losing their top player for the season, the Northmen ultimately defeated the Wildcats by a final of 57-40.

Foul trouble held back Alpena and limited its ability to force Petoskey into turnovers.

“I thought we played an excellent first and third quarter, but our second quarter killed us,” Alpena coach John Pintar said. “Connor (Cameron) getting into foul trouble was unfortunate, because he’s almost essential in breaking Petoskey’s press and putting pressure on their offensive guards. This is a game we must take back when we head to Petoskey later this season.”

News Photo by Owen Kinzey Alpena High School’s Caleb McEwen (24) goes up for the ball against a Petoskey player as Alpena’s Tucker Bright (4) looks on during the Wildcats’ loss to the Northmen on Friday night at Alpena High.

One consistency from the Alpena Wildcats is winning the tip-off and getting a quick basket with the early momentum.

Alpena’s Caleb McEwen tipped the pass straight to Cooper Bright for the score and got Alpena’s offense rolling immediately.

While the offense got started, the defensive prowess appeared early for the Wildcats as they forced the Northmen into 10 turnovers in the first quarter.

Those turnovers accumulated right into points, presenting Alpena with a 14-9 lead after a quarter.

Despite the quick start, the Wildcats’ offense completely dismantled itself in the second.

Petoskey stressed Alpena into several turnovers and only allowed one point the entire quarter.

Oppositely, the Northmen scored a total of 17 points, entirely switching the trajectory of the game.

The one major reason for that massive change: the loss of Alpena’s lengthy forward, Cameron.

Cameron had three fouls at the beginning of the second and was forced to sit the remainder of the half. Losing Cameron meant fewer turnovers were forced on defense and fewer possessions ending in good shots on offense.

Because of that, Alpena went into the break down 26-15.

The start of the third included the reappearance of Cameron and the Wildcats’ offense.

Alpena scored 16 points exiting halftime, with 10 of them coming from Cameron.

Bright and Oliver Duthler also helped score for Alpena, but shutting Petoskey down on defense would be the key to a comeback.

While the defense improved, the Northmen still found 13 points, enough to sustain the lead.

In the fourth quarter, Petoskey had an eight-point lead and needed to close out the game.

An incredible 19-point effort from the Wildcats kept the Northmen in check, but Petoskey was able to hold on despite those efforts.

Petoskey’s Jimmy Marshall fully took over in the fourth, knocking down five shots and finishing the game with 20 points and the win.

“We had a tough whistle tonight, but, even when the calls don’t go your way, you have to fight through it,” Pintar said. “We knew this game would be physical — which it was — but our guys didn’t respond as well as they needed to.”

Alpena plays Sault Ste. Marie on Thursday.

Bright emerged as the Wildcat’s top scorer on the night, collecting a total of 15.

Cameron compiled 10 and was Alpena’s second-leading points scorer.