Arena Football One Week 2 Preview

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Arena Football One Week 2 Preview

March 19, 2025 - Arena Football One (AF1) News Release


Week 2 of the AF1 season features a bout between two of the league's top teams and a game that could have effects on the rest of those teams' season.

Southwest Kansas Storm vs Albany Firebirds

Friday, March 21 7pm EST on VICE TV

The Southwest Kansas Storm are the hottest team in the league. They are 2-0 to start the season with strong wins over the Nashville Kats and Washington Wolfpack. Week 0 against the Kats started off cold and went to halftime with the Storm up 7-6. Obviously having shaken off the rust, the Storm dialed it up in the second half, scoring 33 points. The key player in that game was DB Micheal Lawson. There were hardly any plays that he was not involved in, posting a most impressive line of three interceptions, two pick-sixes, and eight solo tackles.

The Storm's Week 1 game against the Wolfpack was a barn burner. The win was again led by the defense, but with major contribution from QB Jalen Morton. Morton showed off both the arm and the legs. He accounted for over a third of the team's total points as well as more than half of the team's total yards. The Storm are the freight train rolling down the tracks, and with continued performance from Jalen Morton and the defense, it will be tough for any opponent to scratch them.

The Albany Firebirds had a bye week one, making this game their season opener. Albany has been a historically great program with quality players and packed houses. The offseason was great as they were able to hold on to a bulk of their receiving core. Players like Darien Townsend, Marquel Wade, and Isiah Scott were huge contributors to the success the team had last season. They did lose arena football legend Darius Prince who was one of the best receivers in the league-if not the best. However, it is hard to find a better man to fill his place than Duane Brown. Brown was an arena football champion last season with the Billings Outlaws as a rookie. He smoked his new team in that championship game for five touchdowns and 125 yards on only nine receptions.

This game should be a clash of titans who have it all. We have seen the explosiveness of the Storm offense, and we cannot deny how solid the Firebirds are built. We have seen the production from the Storm's defense, and Albany has two of last year's First Team All-Defense winners: Ezekiel Rose and Markus Smith. Even with the powerful Southwest Kansas defense and Albany's first teamers, do not be shocked if this one is a high-scorer.

Oregon Lightning vs Washington Wolfpack

Saturday, March 22 9pm EST on EVERGREENNOW!

This AF1 West matchup is hosted by the Wolfpack at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. Both teams in this neighborly rivalry are looking to recover after some disappointing performances.

The Lightning were faced with a tough matchup in their inaugural game and are in severe need of a win after a 78-36 loss at home. Oregon's defense was just not up to par with the explosiveness of the reigning arena football champions. The Outlaws struck for 25 points in the first quarter and the Lightning defense was completely unable to slow them down. The silver lining was DB Nicholas Brassell who was able to mitigate some damage. The other side of the ball was a bit more consistent. We saw sparks of what the offense led by QB Dalton Cole can do. The offense is streaky. The ball does not always move down field, but when it does it is for 20+ yards. Cole was just 11 for 28 on passing attempts last week, so if the team can work to complete passes at even a slightly higher frequency, the benefits will be exponential.

The Wolfpack ran into the red-hot Storm in their season opener. A lot of the damage was self-inflicted. Between the two QBs, they had four interceptions, two of which were returned for six. The Wolfpack made the QB change in the second quarter which got the engine rolling, making it likely that Adam Kruse will have the keys going into the next game. Getting more reps with the offense this week will help iron out the kinks from the prior week.

This is a game that could be anything, and each team needs a win to boost morale and right the early paths of their seasons. Both teams are coming in under nearly identical circumstances, but how will they separate themselves? It is cliché to say, but the winner will be decided in the practices leading up to it. Whichever squad can take the lessons from last week and apply them will win. Although, you have to give credit to the environment of the fans up in Everett; home field advantage definitely comes into effect there.

You can catch arena action all season on EvergreenNow! and ViceTV.

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Arena Football One Stories from March 19, 2025


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