Arena Football One: Week 12 Preview

by Cody Zeeb

Salina Liberty's Real American Beer Player of the Week Malik Honeycutt snags a 1 handed catch

Week 12 of AF1 action has three games loaded up on the docket. Once again, every game has massive implications in shaping the playoff picture. Just two spots remain in the 2025 AF1 playoffs, and five teams are still vying for them. 

 The Albany Firebirds, who remain undefeated, locked up the top spot a few weeks back, and they find themselves on a bye this week. The Southwest Kansas Storm took care of business against Washington last week and punched their postseason ticket. As fate would have it, they are also on a bye in Week 12. That leaves our six other teams battling it out, five of them with playoff hopes still fully alive. It’ll start Saturday in Salina. Sunday's double header will feature games in Billings and Corpus Christi. Let’s take a look at each matchup and its playoff implications. 

Washington Wolfpack At Salina Liberty 

Saturday, May 31st 7:30 p.m. ET EVERGREENNOW

The Wolfpack are doing the Kansas two-step. They played in Dodge City last week against the Storm. This week it’s on to Salina. Washington has been eliminated and are looking to play spoiler to Salina who has won three of their last four games, taking the Firebirds to overtime in the other one. Salina sits just outside of the playoffs at 3-5. 


It’s been a tough season for the Wolfpack, who are coming off a 63-7 drubbing in Dodge City. They have dropped four straight games after starting the year 2-4. There’s no doubt Head Coach JR Wells will have his team prepared for this game, and hoping to play the spoiler role they thrived in last season. 


Salina is coming off a big win over the Billings Outlaws, whom they took down 60-41 last week at home. That win kept their playoff hopes alive, marking their third win in four games after a 0-4 start to the year. Quarterback Rakeem Cato brought a massive spark to not only the Liberty offense but the entire team. They’ve shown they can compete with anyone, even the league-leading Firebirds. If Salina can make the playoffs, they’ll be dangerous. But up first, take care of the Washington Wolfpack. 


Oregon Lightning at Billings Outlaws 

Sunday, June 1st 6:00 p.m. ET VICETV

This game features two teams that are still very much in it and desperately need wins. Oregon at 4-6 sits just one spot outside of the fourth and final seed right now. Billings isn’t far behind with a record of 3-6. This is a rematch of a Week 1 game that went the Outlaws' way in convincing fashion, 78-36. These teams look drastically different in Week 12 than they did 11 weeks ago. They’ll play each other this week in Billings and end the year in Week 14 with a matchup in Redmond. 


After losing their first two games of the year, the Lightning quickly turned things around and looked like a new team. They shocked the Storm on a Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired in Dodge City. They were riding a three-game win streak going into Nashville last week, but just couldn’t keep pace with the Lightning, who beat them 50-36. If they want to make the playoffs, they have two huge matchups with the Outlaws, along with a Week 13 date with the Tritons of Corpus Christi. 


Disappointing is a bit of an understatement for how the Billings Outlaws' season has been in 2025 after dropping another game to the Salina Liberty last week. Despite being just 3-6 now, the Outlaws still have a viable path to grabbing one of the final two spots in the playoffs. “Do your job, that is everything the rest of the year. Don’t do more than your job. Just do what you are supposed to do.” That is what Billings Head Coach Cedric Walker is telling his team this week. A win over the Lightning would vault the Outlaws above them in the standings, and with Corpus and Nashville playing each other, it’s not time to hit the panic button just yet in Billings. 


Nashville Kats at Corpus Christi Tritons 

Sunday, june 1st 6:00 p.m. ET EVERGREENNOW

The final game on the schedule runs concurrently with the Oregon at Billings game on Sunday, so plan accordingly! Of all the games, this one has the biggest immediate impact at the top of the standings. The old cliche “if the playoffs started today,” both of these teams are in with the final two spots. A win in this Week 12 game will go a long way toward helping vault either of these teams into the playoffs. It’ll be the first matchup between these two teams in the 2025 season. Similar to the Billings/Oregon matchup, they’ll also face off to end the season in Nashville in Week 14. 


Nashville started the year 0-2, but come into this game winners of four of their last five games. They found their feet as the season got going behind quarterback Tyler Kulka. The Kats took care of business last week when the Oregon Lightning came to town. Kats Head Coach Darren Arbet said the team is taking things “One practice at a time. One day at a time. [We are] fighting to make no mistakes and to play a perfect game.” Nashville controls its own destiny on this road to the playoffs, and it all starts this week in Corpus Christi. 


The Corpus Christi Tritons are leaning heavily on their 3-0 start to the season as they cling to the final playoff berth entering Week 12. They came out of the gates swinging and looked like one of the best teams in the league. After a few speed bumps, it’s been a tough last three games for the team from Corpus Christi. It didn't help when two of those three games were against the Albany Firebirds. The Tritons held their own last week in the first half against the Firebirds before ultimately losing 64-27. They also control their own fate, and a win streak starts with one. Is this the week the Tritons find themselves back on top?