Late Game Heroics Push Salina Past Southwest Kansas 65-63
June 8, 2025 - Arena Football One (AF1)
Salina Liberty News Release
Week 13 of the 2025 Arena Football One season kicked off with a bang on Saturday night. The 7-3 Southwest Kansas Storm, holding a firm grasp on the number two seed in the playoffs to begin the night, played host to the 4-5 Salina Liberty. Both teams came into the game with winning streaks, with the Liberty needing to extend theirs to keep their playoff hopes alive. Presented by EvergreenNOW, and emanating from Dodge City, Kansas, the Liberty escaped with a 65-63 victory. To ensure the widest reach possible to AF1 fans, this game was re-broadcasted on VICE TV on Sunday, June 8th at 3:00PM EST. Interested in betting on AF1 football games? Head to Bettor Edge to get started today!
raging storm in first half
Salina Kicker Bailey Hale connected on a deuce to begin the game, giving the Liberty a 2-0 lead. Following the successful two-point play from Salina, the Storm would get the ball on offense. Southwest Kansas would march down the field quickly as Quarterback Jalen Morton connected with Wide receiver Charles Hall IV twice. The Storm would maintain a balanced offense on their opening offensive possession, running the ball on multiple occasions. Morton would cap off a successful first drive with a nine-yard scamper for a touchdown. The point-after try went through the uprights to bring the score to 7-2 early in quarter one.
The Liberty, led by Quarterback Rakeem Cato, would take the field on offense for their first drive of the night. On the first play of Salina's first offensive possession, Storm Defensive Back Michael Lawson would strip the ball away from Running back Tracy Brooks. Lawson would return the fumble recovery for a touchdown, extending the lead to 14-2 Southwest Kansas. Kicker Dillion Burkhard would nail a deuce of his own on the next kickoff, giving the Storm a two-score lead at 16-2. Salina's next possession saw the Liberty continue to heave the ball downfield. Cato would connect with Brooks to push Salina into a 1st and goal scenario. A 4th and goal from the five yard line would result in a touchdown pass from Cato to Wide Receiver Ed Smith Jr. Hale's successful extra point brought the score to 16-9 with roughly four minutes remaining in the opening frame.
Next, the Storm would once again march down the field on offense. Hall IV continued to find space in the defense and exploded for positive yardage. Hall IV hauled in three receptions for 58 yards in the opening quarter of action. Southwest Kansas capped off an impressive drive with a nine-yard strike from Morton to Wide Receiver Demarius Washington. Burkhard's extra point was good, bringing the score to 23-9. With just 37 ticks remaining in the first quarter, Southwest Kansas' defense would come up big once again. A Safety on the opening play of Salina's next drive would push the score to 25-9 in favor of the Storm. Cato was injured on the play, being helped off the field by the trainers.
The second quarter started with another pitch and catch from Morton to Hall IV. A roughing the passer penalty on Salina would set Southwest Kansas up with a red zone opportunity on their next play. Morton would be intercepted in the endzone by Defensive Back Freddie McGee III. With the injury to Cato at the tail end of the first quarter, Salina's backup Quarterback Javin Kilgo was thrust into the game. Kilgo and the offense put together a methodical drive but would be stopped on 4th down by Southwest Kansas. Lawson would get his hands on a Kilgo pass, knocking it away from the intended Liberty receiver.
The Storm's next offensive drive would see Wide Receiver Shiloh Flanagan get in on the action. After two quarterback sneaks from Morton, Burkhard missed a 22-yard field goal, keeping the score at 25-9. The Liberty looked for a score with just under five minutes remaining in the first half of play. Kilgo would connect with Wide Receiver Malik Honeycutt twice on the drive. The second connection resulted in a 30-yard touchdown for Salina, bringing the score to 25-16 following a successful extra point. Southwest Kansas looked to keep moving the ball down the field on offense. A fantastic return by backup Quarterback Jarius Grissom certainly helped their cause. Hall IV again found space on a crossing route, giving the Storm another 1st and goal opportunity. Morton rushed for a one-yard keeper and, following an extra point, made it 32-16 Southwest Kansas. With just 58 seconds remaining in the first half, Salina looked to keep pace with an efficient Storm offense. Kilgo and company drove down the field with a combination of run and pass. The drive was capped off by a six-yard touchdown from Kilgo to Honeycutt. Salina continued to crawl back into the game but trailed by nine as Southwest Kansas clung to a 32-23 lead heading into halftime.
liberty fight back in second half
The Liberty looked determined to bring the game to within one score coming out of the locker room to begin the second half. After moving the ball down the field, Storm Defensive Back Reggie Bracy intercepted Kilgo right around midfield. Southwest Kansas wasted zero time getting the ball into the red zone. Two runs by Morton resulted in six more points for the Storm. Morton would fumble the ball on his second carry, but Grissom hopped on the ball in the end zone for the score. Southwest Kansas trudged ahead 39-23 with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
With the game still within reach, Salina needed points on their next offensive possession. Kilgo connected with Brooks over the middle, resulting in a 36-yard touchdown. The one-play drive saw the Liberty's bell-cow-back keep his team in the game with a huge play. After a successful deuce from Hale, Salina pulled the score to 39-32, trailing by just seven. Southwest Kansas would go four-and-out, clearing the way for the Liberty to tie the game. After two incompletions, Kilgo connected with Honeycutt for another touchdown. Another successful Hale extra point would make it 39 a piece with 4:59 remaining in the third quarter of action. It took just two plays for the Storm to regain the lead. Morton found Hall IV for a passing touchdown to put Southwest Kansas back on top 46-39.
Salina was determined to add more points on the ensuing possession. A tough drive stalled out after a 4th down incompletion. The Storm would add to their lead on the very next play. Following a heave into the end zone from Morton, Hall IV would catch a touchdown pass after a Salina defender tipped the ball into the air. A wild touchdown gave Southwest Kansas a 53-39 lead. As the clock continued to tick down in the fourth quarter, Salina desperately needed more points on the board. Starting at the 20-yard line, the Liberty wasted zero time doing just that. Kilgo connected with Brooks on a beautiful 22-yard touchdown to make it 53-46 with 12:41 remaining in regulation.
The Week 12 Defensive Player of the Week, Liberty Defensive Lineman Torrance Williams, sacked Morton on the first play of Southwest Kansas' next drive. The Storm would answer as Morton connected with Hall IV to extend the drive on a crucial 4th down conversion. After facing another 4th down, the Storm elected to kick a 25-yard field goal. Burkhard ripped it through the crossbars, giving Southwest Kansas a 56-46 lead. 7:35 remained in the final quarter of play as Salina possessed the ball next on offense. Another efficient drive by Kilgo would end with a strike in the corner of the end zone to Smith Jr. This in-state rivalry game continued to have a playoff feel as Salina pulled to within three but still trailed 56-53.
Following another great return by Grissom, the Storm went back to work on offense. Morton-to-Hall IV was alive and well on the drive. The duo connected for a 20-yard score, bringing the score to 63-53. With 2:33 remaining to play, the Liberty needed a quick score to keep the game within reach. Honeycutt would haul in a bullet from Kilgo for a touchdown just two plays into the drive. Following a successful extra point, Salina would be down by three, 63-60. Hale connected on his third deuce of the night, pulling the Liberty within one point of the Storm. Clinging to a 63-62 lead, the Storm would possess the ball on their most important offensive drive of the night. Morton connected with a wide-open Washington around midfield with just 54 seconds to go. The Liberty defense clamped down on Southwest Kansas following the completion. Four straight drop backs from Morton resulted in four incompletions. The turnover on downs gave Salina a chance to take the lead. With 35 ticks remaining, The Liberty went back to work on offense. Following a completion to Honeycutt, Kilgo would force a pass into the end zone. The errant throw would be picked off by Storm Defensive Back Dontra Matthews. After a lengthy review, the Storm interception would come off the board on an illegal defense penalty, paving the way for a last-second field goal attempt by Salina. As time expired, Hale kicked a 22-yard field goal through the uprights. The Salina Liberty took the lead and won the game by a score of 65-63!
key contributors for southwest kansas
Quarterback Jalen Morton continued to prove his case for Arena Football One's 2025 MVP in Week 13. Morton finished the game going 19 of 32, throwing for 316 yards with four touchdown passes and one interception. Morton added two rushing touchdowns to those totals in the loss. Southwest Kansas' leading receiver was Charles Hall IV, who finished with 11 receptions for 221 yards and three touchdowns. His performance in Week 13 was one of the best in the league by a wideout in 2025. The defense was led by Defensive Back Michael Lawson. Lawson came up big all night with seven tackles, capped off by a first quarter fumble recovery for a touchdown. Defenders Keon Clary and Marje Smith added ten combined tackles in the loss. Kicker Dillon Burkhard added one field goal, one deuce, and eight extra points for Southwest Kansas. Head Coach Gary Thomas and his staff called a great game that came down to who had the ball for the final play of the game.
key contributors for salina
Following an injury to Quarterback Rakeem Cato, backup Quarterback Javin Kilgo played a tremendous game for Salina. Kilgo threw for 319 yards and seven touchdowns in relief of Salina's starter. After struggling early on the season for the Liberty, Kilgo turned in his best game of the season when it mattered most. Running back Tracy Brooks and Wide Receiver Malik Honeycutt led the charge offensively for Salina. Brooks turned in ten receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Honeycutt continued his impressive 2025 season with 11 receptions for 132 yards and four touchdowns. Liberty Defensively, Defensive Backs Freddie McGee III and Shaq Bond combined for 14 total tackles and an interception. Defensive Lineman Torrance Williams came up big with two sacks on the night. Kicker Bailey Hale continued an impressive 2025 campaign, adding two deuces, seven extra points, and the game-winning field goal as time expired. Credit also goes to Head Coach Heron O'Neal and the rest of the Liberty coaching staff. His players were prepared and showed that executing when needed is crucial to success in Arena Football One.
important week 14 rematch
As if the drama was not good enough this week, these two franchises will square off again in Week 14. The final regular season game of 2025 will see the now 5-5 Salina Liberty host the 7-4 Southwest Kansas Storm. For Salina, the task at hand is simple. Should Salina win, they would find themselves in the playoffs this year. With just a 14% chance to make the playoffs at the start of Week 12, Salina is on the cusp of securing a spot in this year's playoffs with another win.
Turning to Southwest Kansas, they need some help from fellow Arena Football One teams to secure the number two seed in the 2025 playoff race with this loss. With the Storm already in the playoffs, the battle for a home playoff game now rests in the hands of the Nashville Kats. The Storm must win in Week 14, while Nashville has to drop both of its remaining games to ensure a first-round home playoff game. If Nashville can emerge victorious in Week 13 and Week 14, they will jump the Storm in the standings for the number two seed. Coverage of this massively important Week 14 content between Salina and Southwest Kansas begins at 4:30 MST on VICE TV!
Arena Football One Stories from June 8, 2025
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- Late Game Heroics Push Salina Past Southwest Kansas 65-63 - Salina Liberty
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