Nashville Kats Advance to Arena Crown 2025, Defeat Southwest Kansas Storm 48-43

The quest for Arena Crown 2025 continued on Sunday afternoon as the two seed Nashville Kats played host to the three seed Southwest Kansas Storm. The second matchup in the opening round of the 2025 Arena Football One playoffs would be full of fireworks and hard-hitting action. In front of a sold-out crowd in Clarksville, TN, the home team took home a thrilling 48 to 43 victory. Led by fantastic coaching from Arena Hall of Famer Darren Arbet and his staff, Nashville played another efficient game in all three phases.

first half defensive battle

After the Storm deferred to the second half, Kats Wide Receiver Robert Jones Jr. would usher Nashville to midfield after an excellent kick return to start the game. After a couple of short gains and a defensive offsides penalty, an intentional grounding call against the Kats would back them up. An unsuccessful 4th and 15 attempt would give Southwest Kansas the ball on offense. The Storm’s first offensive possession would also bring up a fourth-down situation. After three straight incompletions, Storm Quarterback Jalen Morton did not connect with his intended receiver, giving Nashville the ball via turnover. It would be back-to-back four-and-outs to open the game.

A physical matchup continued as Nashville’s second possession saw Quarterback Tyler Kulka get pressured all drive long. Wide Receiver Antwane Grant caught a great screen pass to extend the drive for the Kats. Offensive Lineman Payton Muljo would haul in a 16-yard “Big-Man” touchdown to break things open in Clarksville. A successful Gunnar Raborn extra point would give the Kats a 7-0 lead. Southwest Kansas’ second offense drive would start with a 24-yard scramble by Morton. The next play would be a 21-yard touchdown pass from Morton to Wide Receiver Demarius Washington. A missed extra point would give the Kats a one-point lead with 2:32 remaining in the first quarter. Nashville’s next offensive possession would start from their own two-yard line. After three straight incomplete passes, the opening frame of action came to a close.

The first play of the second quarter was a quick strike to Wide Receiver Nih-Jer Jackson. The next play was another bullet, this time to Wide Receiver Jordon Gandy for a 20-yard touchdown. A blocked extra point would bring the score to 13-6 in favor of the Kats. Southwest Kansas would start with excellent field position after the ensuing Nashville kickoff hit the scoreboard. A pass interference penalty gave the Storm a prime opportunity for some points on the drive. Morton and the offense marched down the field, but a holding call would back them up. Nashville’s defense would force another turnover on downs on the next play.

The Kats would take over on offense. Short, accurate throws from Kulka would give Nashville the necessary momentum needed. After getting stopped at the one-yard line, Fullback Calvin Fance capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown. Nashville would extend their lead to 20-6 with 2:38 remaining in the second quarter. A Raborn deuce would push the lead to 22-6. The Storm desperately needed to add points to their score as the first half winded down. The fifth holding call of the day for the Storm would back them up deep in their own territory. Morton and company moved the chains with successful completions to multiple receivers. The drive would be capped off by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Morton to Jarius Grissom. A failed two-point conversion would bring the score to 22-12 with just 13 ticks remaining in the half. The first 30 minutes of play would end with the score remaining 22-12 as Southwest Kansas would start on offense in the second half.

nail-biting finish in clarksville

Southwest Kansas opened the second half with a 23-yard strike to Wide Receiver Charles Hall IV. The next play would be a 12-yard touchdown from Morton to Washington. Washington’s second touchdown grab of the day brought the Storm to within three. With a slim 22-19 lead, the Kats took the field for their first drive of the second half. After a false start backed up the offense, Jackson hauled in a 46-yard heave from Kulka for six. The Kats took a 29-19 lead in front of the raucous home crowd. Trailing by 10 in the third quarter, Southwest Kansas looked for a score of their own. Hall IV hauled in a fantastic, diving grab to move the sticks for the Storm. Fourth and goal for the Storm would set up a successful 18-yard field goal by Kicker Dillon Burkhard.

Hanging onto a 29-22 lead, Kulka immediately connected on a pass to Jackson over the middle. Kulka would find Wide Receiver Antwane Grant for a seven-yard touchdown two plays later. Nashville would extend their lead to 35-22 with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter. Following a great return by Grissom, the Storm got another chance on offense. As the final seconds of the third quarter ticked away, Hall IV would bring in another completion from Morton. As the Storm’s drive leaked into the final quarter, Washington would catch his third touchdown of the day. Following the touchdown, Washington would be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for an excessive celebration. Back to a one-score game, Nashville led 35-29 with just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation. 

A one-play drive from the Kats would see a Kulka-to-Jackson touchdown. A wide-open receiver for the Kats would extend their lead to 42-29. As the minutes continued to come off the clock, Southwest Kansas remained calm, cool, and collected. Hall IV continued to shred the Kats’ secondary, catching multiple passes on the drive. Morton threw a rocket to none other than Hall IV for a 14-yard touchdown, bringing the away team to within six points of the lead. Leading 42-36, the Kats searched for another score in the final quarter of action. Following a tremendous return by Grant, Nashville went back to work on offense. Nashville began to run out the clock, capped off by a three-yard rushing touchdown by Fance. After the missed extra point, Nashville clung to a 48-36 lead.

Southwest Kansas engineered a great drive to put points on the board yet again. Hall IV showed his receiving prowess with his second touchdown of the game. The Storm would pull the game to 48-43. The ensuing onside kick would be recovered by Nashville, paving the way for the Kats to run the clock out. They did just that as Nashville punched their ticket to Arena Crown 2025! 

standouts for southwest kansas

Quarterback Jalen Morton had a great game for the Storm. Morton finished the game going 20 of 37 with 296 passing yards and six touchdowns. Wide Receiver Demarius Washington gave Nashville fits as he finished with eight receptions, 119 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Fellow receiver Charles Hall IV also had another fantastic game for the Storm. He finished with two touchdowns and 145 receiving yards. The Storm offensive line showed why they were among the best in the league, with just one sack allowed. Defensive Backs Michael Lawson and Keon Clary combined for 18 total tackles and one pass breakup. Defensive Tackle Joe Golden provided consistent pressure all game long, notching the only sack of the night for the Storm. Kicker Dillon Burkhard added four extra points and one field goal in the game. One of the takeaways for the Storm were penalties, eleven of them to be exact. Injuries plagued the Storm leading up to the game. All in all, it was a great game for Southwest Kansas, and Head Coach Gary Thomas should be proud of the way his team played despite the loss.  

standouts for nashville

Just like in the regular season, Nashville’s offense flowed beautifully with Quarterback Tyler Kulka’s efficiency and decisiveness. Kulka threw just three incompletions in the game, finishing with 250 passing yards and five touchdowns. Fullback Calvin Fance added two key touchdowns on the ground while grinding out the clock on the last drive of the game. Wide Receiver Nih-Jer Jackson hauled in two touchdowns and continues to be one of the best late-season additions across Arena Football One. Wide Receivers Antwane Grant and Jordon Gandy added a touchdown each on the night. Defensively, the trio of Defensive Backs Shaun Lewis, Kenny Veal, and DJ Maxwell Jr. made plays all game long for the Kats. The threesome finished with a combined 19 tackles and four passes defensed. Nashville Kicker Gunnar Raborn finished the game with four extra points and a deuce. Head Coach Darren Arbet advances to Arena Crown 2025 after a 0-2 start. The Arena Hall of Fame coach assembled a great roster and a knowledgeable, hard-working coaching staff. A rock-solid ownership group with a rabid fanbase has helped the Kats who have officially punched their ticket to Arena Crown 2025. 

arena crown 2025

The moment that all Arena Football One fans have been waiting for. Arena Crown 2025 is set! Saturday, June 28, 2025, will be a historic one for the league. The undefeated Albany Firebirds will host the ever-resilient Nashville Kats at MVP Arena in New York. Two great AF1 franchises will battle for one elusive Arena Crown. Both teams will trot out potential Coach of the Year candidates, but only one will wear the Arena Crown when the clock hits 0:00 next weekend. Coverage of the final game of the inaugural Arena Football One season begins at 1:00 PM EST exclusively on VICE TV. Interested in betting on AF1 action? Head to Bettor Edge to get started now!