Albany Firebirds Team Preview: Who You'll See In The Arena Crown

The Albany Firebirds went through their season without slowing down from their very first snap in the first game. They rolled through the competition, completing the perfect 10-0 regular season. They have leaders all across the board and have had some of the best consistency and the least turnover in the league. From start to finish, let’s take a look at the Albany Firebirds’ Team Preview as they head into the Championship, ready to win the 2025 Arena Crown.

The Offensive Explosion

When I first talked with Head Coach Damon Ware about this team, he had an infectious excitement about this team. As coach and manager, it was clear to me that he had made changes from the previous year to perfect the Firebirds’ team and game. In the prior league, Albany lost in the championship to Billings. Coach Ware echoed the sentiment of unfinished business this season.

However, it wasn’t the drive and determination to win and finish their business of winning a championship that shone the most. It was the pride in the Firebirds’ team. In our very first meeting, he talked about every player on the team and the things they were doing well in practice. Working with some guys he has known, and some new faces, it was impressive to name everybody and something that stood out about them in practice.

The player talk started with quarterback Sam Castronova. Coach Ware and Castronova are no strangers to each other, having worked together and won a Championship together before. Castronova started his arena football career with Coach Ware, and it’s only fitting that they are reunited. Castronova was second in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns. He also finished fourth in rushing yards.

Coach Ware also pointed out their receiving corps. From guys that were there last year, like Darien Townsend, to the return specialist and receiver Marquel Wade. Issiah Scott and newcomer Duane Brown. These receivers put on a show all year, catching passes from Castronova over and over again. Brown finished second in receiving yards, first in receiving yards per game, and first in receiving touchdowns. In this playoff game last week, the receivers all had two receiving touchdowns each.

Coach Ware also talked about the offensive line, which had had some changes since the previous year. The Firebirds brought in some younger guys to compete for positions on the offensive line, and they ended up pushing some of the veterans out of a job because of their performance. The offensive line has done a good job this year protecting Castronova as well as opening holes for fullback Desmond Maxwell to rumble through.

You also can't mention the offense and scoring without talking about kicker Henry Nell. Nell finished fifth in the league in points scored. As a Kicker. The four players ahead of him, including Duane Brown, are all receivers. The next kicker is down at number 15 in points scored. Nell finished the year with just two field goals, but 61 point-after attempts and 15 deuces. Not all of those point-after attempts were worth just one point. In the AF1, a drop kick is worth two points. Nell had multiple two-point drop kick attempts. He also caught a successful two-point conversion.

A Smothering Defense

There was excitement when talking about the defense as well. Starting on the defensive line with Ezekiel Rose. Rose not only lifts the team up on the field, but off the field as well. Sending out inspiration in group messages to his teammates. He’s helped anchor the defensive line all year, along with Harold Love. While they’ve had some turnover on the defensive line, they also have contributors such as Jamall Hickbottom and newcomers Marquise Lawson-Greenwood and Prince Umanmielen. Rose finished second in sacks this year with 12 and first in tackles for losses.

The linebackers have been very impressive as well. Drew Singleton, Dejon Walden, and Trevon Shorts have all made a huge impact on the field. Shorts finished fourth in the league in tackles. Walden finished fifth in sacks this year. Singleton finished second in fumble recoveries, with four. He also finished tied for second in forced fumbles with three. If the defensive line isn’t causing problems for opposing quarterbacks, the linebackers are.

Finally, the final line of defense, the defensive backs, are also stellar. Markus Smith, Mike Lee, Tre Wortham, and newcomer Kyle Chandler have all performed very well all year. Derrick Jones, who is on the injured reserve, also contributed earlier in the year and made a lot of plays. In fact, he’s tied for sixth in interceptions in the league, despite having only played six games. Markus Smith and Mike Lee are also tied for sixth with him. Jadarius Byrd also made plays earlier in the year. Wortham is tied for fifth in pass deflections. Lee is also third on the list in defensive touchdowns.

One Goal Left: The Arena Crown

The star power on this team is unmatched. Which is one of the reasons they’ve had so much success in the Arena, winning all ten games. When it came down to it, the Firebirds really only had two close games. They won 42-34 in Nashville, when some of the team had been dealing with the flu all season. They also won in overtime, 64-58 against Salina in a game where the defense had its only bad game.

The Firebirds outscored their opponents 750 to 320, a 430-point margin. They averaged 75 points per game while allowing an average of only 32 points per game. To say this team dominated the competition all year is underselling it. Now, only one game stands between them and winning the 2025 Arena Crown.

This weekend, on Saturday, June 28^th at 1:00 PM Eastern on Vice TV, the Albany Firebirds will take on the Nashville Kats in their third meeting of the season. I previously mentioned the first game they faced off against each other in Nashville, where the Firebirds won by an eight-point margin of 42-34. The second time they played each other was over a month ago on May 10^th, where Albany won 71-55 in Albany.

It's a different team they face now. A team that’s dealt with a lot of injuries. However, that didn’t stop the Nashville Kats from beating the Southwest Kansas Storm in the playoffs last weekend. At the end of the day, both teams know they’re coming into this game 0-0, and anybody could win it. However, it’s hard not to think that this Albany Firebirds team is a team of destiny, with how they performed all season.

One other thing you can’t forget to mention when talking about the Albany Firebirds is the fans. They show up to every single home game and are loud and into the game. They pack the arena and seem to do it like no other team. Albany breathes Arena ball, and it shows up when the Arena gets loud. I’ve talked to multiple Firebirds players, and all of them have mentioned the community that the fans have built for the players. From weekly bags to embracing them almost as if they are family, the fans are all in on this Firebirds team.

Finally, the guy I’ve already mentioned at the head of it all, coach Damon Ware. Ware has a lot of Arena Football experience. He knows what it takes to win a Championship, given that he did it just a couple of years ago with the Albany Empire. He also knows what it’s like to lose a Championship like last year. This is important fuel for his mission of unfinished business this year. All eyes will be on Albany to see if they can finish the business in their home-field arena at MVP Stadium. Tune in Saturday, you won’t want to miss it.