Arena Football One: Week 7 Preview

by Cody Zeeb

We’ve had six extraordinary weeks of Arena Football One action, and Week 7 will be no exception. There are four great matchups on the docket featuring all eight AF1 teams. When the final whistle blows Saturday night in Dodge City, it’ll mark the halfway point in the inaugural AF1 season.

Salina Liberty (1-4) at Billings Outlaws (2-2)

Friday, April 25th, 8:00 P.M. ET Live on  VICETV


The Salina Liberty made a change at quarterback last week, switching to veteran Rakeem Cato. They instantly saw results, snagging their first victory of the season. Now, Coach Cedric Walker of the Billings Outlaws has said that they’ll make a quarterback change of their own this week. 


This game will be a pivotal point in the season for both teams. For Salina, at 1-4 and being close to winning in three of those losses, was the quarterback the only answer they needed to start a winning streak? For Billings, the defending champions, they have fallen to 2-2, but both losses were to an Albany team that’s clearly the best in the league so far. This will be an exciting battle in Billings. 


Players To Watch:


It’ll no doubt be the quarterbacks who are the story of this game. Can Rakeem Cato replicate last week’s performance and lead the Liberty to another win? Who will Billings start at quarterback? At the time of this publication, Danny Southwick is the only other listed quarterback on the team, unless Coach Walker has a trick up his sleeve. Can Southwick be the spark the Outlaws need? 


Albany Firebirds (5-0) at Corpus Christi Tritons (3-1)

Friday, April 25th, 8:00 P.M. ET Live on EVERGREENNOW


Break out the second TV as the Firebirds and Tritons clash in Corpus Christi. These teams sit first and second in the AF1 standings. Albany, the only undefeated team in the league, just won back-to-back games over their rivals, the Billings Outlaws. The Tritons just suffered their first loss of the season to a very tough Southwest Kansas Storm team on a hook and ladder on the final play of the game. 


This one is lining up to be the game of the week. Albany has clearly been the best team in this inaugural season, dispatching their opponents by an average of 33.2 points per game. Corpus won their first three games, but both opponents rank at the bottom of the league’s power rankings. It was a close one, but they fell last week to a good Storm team in Week 6. This is a can’t-miss matchup on EvergreenNOW.

Players To Watch:


Duane Brown is coming off a huge game for the Firebirds. The wide receiver caught nine passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns against the Outlaws in Week 6. Fred Payton Jr, the quarterback for the Tritons, continues to blossom more each week. Last week against the Storm, he racked up 240 all-purpose yards and was responsible for four touchdowns, two on the ground and two through the air. 


Washington Wolfpack (1-4) at Oregon Lightning (1-4)

Friday, April 25th, 9:30 P.M. ET Live on EVERGREENNOW


Friday’s action ends with a West Coast nightcap. Two teams that have been struggling are looking to right the ship in this one. It’s a rematch of a Week 2 thriller that saw the Wolfpack down 22-0 at halftime come all the way back and beat the Lightning 35-28. 


Both teams have struggled out of the gates and each enters this one with a record of 1-4. This is another critical game where a win bringing you back to 2-4 at the halfway mark of the season could go a long way toward keeping the postseason dreams alive for either team. Washington released quarterback Ed Crouch who had been the teams starter, leaving Adam Krause and Rodney Raines on the roster.


Players To Watch:


Defensive back Caleb Brown #54 is one to keep an eye on for the Wolfpack this week. In their week two meeting, he snagged an interception and gathered five tackles. On the Oregon side, the quarterback Dalton Cole threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns in their first meeting. Can he duplicate that performance this week? 


Nashville Kats (2-2) at Southwest Kansas Storm (4-2)

Saturday, April 26th, 7:00 P.M. ET Live on EVERGREENNOW


The action continues Saturday night. The Nashville Kats will head to Dodge City, Kansas, where the Southwest Kansas Storm awaits. The Kats sit right in the middle of the league with a split record and look to build off a dominating win over Washington last week. The Storm looks to quiet the doubters who kept them below the team they beat in the power rankings. If you think this team isn’t leaning into the underdog role, they are. 


This is also a rematch of the Week 0 game, the first game in AF1 history. The Storm set the tone for the season with a 40-26 win at home, forcing seven turnovers in the game. They’ll look to replicate that performance while the Kats look to clean it up and get revenge. The Game of the Week is set up to deliver great action on EvergreenNOW. 


Players To Watch:

For the Kats, their fullback Carlton Brown made a big impact in their Week 6 win over the Washington Wolfpack. The back rushed for two touchdowns, while grabbing an additional one through the air. For the Storm, its quarterback Jalen Morton who’s building a strong case to be the league MVP. He leads the league in total passing yards, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns while ranking second in passing yards per game and passing touchdowns.