Firebirds Remain Undefeated, Engulf Kats 71-55
May 10, 2025 - Arena Football One (AF1)
Albany Firebirds News Release
The first game on the Week 9 Arena Football One slate lived up to the hype and then some. The undefeated Albany Firebirds played host to the efficient Nashville Kats in front of a rambunctious crowd on Saturday night. In a rematch of a Week 3 thriller that saw Albany take home the victory, the Kats were out for revenge. Presented exclusively on Vice TV, the Firebirds would move to 8-0, continuing their historic season with a 71-55 win.
BACK AND FORTH FIRST HALF
Albany received the ball to start the first half of play. The Firebirds would bust out some trickeration to open things via a first down on a Sam Castronova reception. Four straight incompletions would lead to a turnover on downs. Nashville would take over on offense, led by Quarterback Tyler Kulka. A connection from Kulka to Wide Receiver Robert Jones Jr. would put Nashville in an excellent position for an early score. Kulka would float a pass to Wide Receiver Antwane Grant as the wideout strolled into the end zone to give the Kats a 7-0 lead. Next, the Firebirds would have prime field position following an outstanding return from Marquel Wade. An over-the-wall, miraculous interception by Kats' Defensive Back Amos Coleman III would give Nashville the ball back on offense. Kulka and company would march down the field, converting short and intermediate passes to set up a first and goal. Albany's defense held steady in the red zone on this drive, as Nashville would settle for a 21-yard field goal. Kicker Gunnar Raborn would convert on the attempt and extend the Kats' lead to 10-0. The next Firebirds possession would start at their own one-yard line. Two plays later, Castronova would connect with Wide Receiver Duane Brown for a 43-yard touchdown. Brown, backflipping after hitting pay dirt, would cut Nashville's lead to 10-7 following the score.
The next Kats possession would be the start of the second quarter of play. Nashville would orchestrate another efficient drive capped off by a 15-yard touchdown pass caught by Wide Receiver Milton Williams III. Nashville would extend their lead 17-7. Raborn would connect on a deuce to make it 19-7 Nashville with 11:49 remaining in the opening half. The ensuing Albany possession saw the Firebirds face a 4th and 13 right around midfield. Wide Receiver Isiah Scott would pick up the first down and extend the drive. Nashville would buckle down and force another fourth-down situation for Albany later in the drive. Castronova would connect with, who else, but Brown for a ten-yard score. The Firebirds would cut into the lead making it 19-14 with 5:22 remaining in the quarter. Nashville would get possession next on offense. Albany's defense swarmed Kulka on this drive with multiple hurries and a key sack on second down. Facing a 4th and 16 from the Nashville one-yard line, Kulka's pass would fall incomplete. Albany would take over with outstanding field position following the turnover on downs. Castronova would take the QB sneak into the end zone giving Albany a 21-19 lead. An onside kick recovered by Williams III would give the Kats excellent field position on their next drive. Wide Receiver Jordan Gandy made the most out of the good starting field position as he hauled in a 13-yard touchdown. The Kats would regain the lead 26-21 with just 47 ticks remaining in the half. Raborn would connect on his second deuce of the night giving Nashville a 28-21 lead. Albany would run their hurry-up offense on the next drive. With the clock working against them, the Firebirds had to move down the field quickly to ensure more points on the board for the offense. Albany would get into the end zone with an eight-yard touchdown reception by Wide Receiver Darien Townsend. A back-and-forth half would end with Kicker Henry Nell connecting on a deuce. Albany would take a 30-28 lead into the locker room.
firebirds' scorching second half
A special teams blunder from Nashville's Coleman III would result in a touchdown by Albany Linebacker Dejon Walden. The fumble recovery would extend Albany's lead to 37-28. The Kats would look to claw their way back into the game on their next offensive possession. Albany Linebacker Trevon Shorts would intercept a Kulka pass and end the drive for Nashville. The Castronova-to-Brown connection continued for Albany on their next drive. The pair would connect in the end zone to give the Firebirds a 44-28 following the Nell extra point. The Kats would cough the football up on first down as Albany Defensive Tackle Harold Love would come away with a strip-sack on Kulka. The Firebirds would need just one play, a Shorts rushing touchdown, to give Albany a 51-28 lead with 8:12 remaining in the third quarter. With their backs up against the wall, Nashville would attempt to rally after 30 straight points from Albany's offense. Kulka would connect with Jones Jr., followed by Williams III, for the touchdown. Nashville would get some much-needed points but would trail Albany 51-35. The Firebirds would again lean on Brown for a long touchdown on the next drive. Castronova would throw a picture-perfect pass to Brown, giving Albany a 58-35 lead. The Kats would continue to crawl back into the game. Kulka led an efficient drive toward the end zone as the third quarter concluded. Facing a 4th down, Albany would force another turnover on downs.
The Firebirds offense would take over with 14:29 to go in regulation. Albany would look to run some clock, keeping the ball on the ground with Fullback Desmond Maxwell. Castronova connected with Brown to extend the drive. Maxwell would cap off the drive with a four-yard scamper to give Albany a 65-35 lead. Next, Nashville would put together a good offensive drive to get points on the board. Capped off by a one-yard rushing touchdown from Fullback Calvin Fance and a successful two-point try, Nashville would trail Albany 65-43. Nashville attempted and converted an onside kick on the next kickoff. Albany would take possession because the ball did not travel ten yards before being recovered by a Nashville player. With backup Quarterback Robert McCoy Jr. now in the game, he connected with Townsend on a juggling touchdown pass. The ball ultimately bounced Albany's way, extending their lead to 71-43. A late touchdown and a deuce from Nashville would put the score at 71-53. Nashville would recover an Albany fumble in the end zone for a safety. The comeback would fall short as Albany would win by a final score of 71-55.
key players for nashville
Tyler Kulka played a good game against the league's top defense. Kulka finished with 332 passing yards and five touchdowns. Nashville's receiving core performed well against a tough Albany secondary. Milton Williams III hauled in two touchdown passes in the loss. Jordan Gandy caught eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Amos Coleman III and Sha'ki Holines combined for ten tackles and an interception. Gunnar Raborn played an excellent game for the Kats. Raborn connected on one field goal, four extra points, and three deuces. Nashville has plenty to work on as the second half of the season continues. The silver lining for the Kats is that two of their three losses have come at the hands of this Firebirds team.
key players for albany
It was another Sam Castronova master class in Week 9. The odds favorite to win MVP at this point in the year delivered 225 passing yards and six total touchdowns in the win. The Real American Beer Player of the Game looked dominant against Nashville. Duane Brown added to his triple-crown numbers with nine receptions for 144 yards and four touchdowns. Isiah Scott and Darien Townsend combined for 95 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Albany's defensive line played a great game. Ezekiel Rose and Harold Love set the tone in the trenches and pressured Nashville for most of the night. Trevon Shorts came away with a key interception that began to turn the tides for the Firebirds. Even with a banged-up secondary, Albany did a great job containing Nashville's receivers all night. Henry Nell had another fantastic game, connecting on nine extra points and one deuce. From top to bottom, this Albany team played smart, collective football. It resulted in an eighth straight win for the Firebirds.
looking ahead
Both of these teams will be off in Week 10. For Albany, they will host the Corpus Christi Tritons in Week 11. As for the Kats, they will welcome the Oregon Lightning to Nashville in Week 11. With the playoffs looming, both squads will look to keep building momentum and earning wins as the 2025 regular season winds down. Looking to bet on Arena Football One? Head to Bettor Edge, the official betting partner of AF1, to get started!
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