Kats Disperse the Wolfpack 68-20

Angel of the Winds Arena in Washington was buzzing with excitement ahead of Arena Football One’s first game of Week 6.  The visiting Nashville Kats clawed their way to victory in The Den as they handed the Wolfpack the loss 68-20. An excellent gameplan by Head Coach Darren Arbet put his team in position to win. Looking to bet on Arena Football One in 2025? Head to BettorEdge to learn more!

nashville control things early on

Washington started with the ball first on offense. Nashville clamped down on defense on the opening drive forcing a missed field goal. Nashville Quarterback Tyler Kulka got the start for the Kats. Wide Receiver Robert Jones, Jr. ripped off a huge run to extend the opening drive for his team. Two plays later, Wide Receiver Antwane Grant hauled in a TD pass from Kulka. The Kats would take an early 6-0 lead. Washington missed another field goal on their second drive. Nashville would possess the ball for the remainder of the first quarter. The last play of the opening 15 minutes would see the Kats miss on a 31-yard field goal. Washington’s third drive of the game saw Nashville engulf Wolfpack Quarterback Ed Crouch. Another missed field goal resulted in Defensive Back Amos Coleman III returning the ball for a touchdown. Following the extra point, the Kats extended their lead 13-0.  A big connection from Crouch to Fullback Chei Hill extended the third drive for the Wolfpack. Two plays later, Crouch would connect with Wide Receiver Jalon Minney for the score. The Wolfpack would close the gap 13-7 with 9:22 remaining in the first half.

Nashville possessed the ball next on offense. They would continue to dink and dunk their way down the field. Kulka continued to connect with Grant to move the ball down the field. Down at the one-yard line, the Kats pushed their way into the end zone via a QB Sneak to extend the lead to 19-7. Washington would be backed up deep in their own territory to begin the next drive. Nashville Defensive Back Derrick “DJ” Maxwell Jr. came away with a big interception to stop the drive for the Wolfpack. Once again Washington’s defensive line came up big. Defensive Tackle Antonio Simely sacked Kulka and it would be a turnover on downs for the Kats. With under a minute left to play in the half, Wide Receiver Ledarian McAllister would haul in a short pass from Crouch for a touchdown. With just four ticks remaining in the half, the Wolfpack denied the Kats a score in the endzone. A gigantic fourth down, goal-line stand ended the half. Nashville took a 19-14 lead into the locker room.

kats continue to pour it on

The Kats took possession of the ball to begin the second half. Kulka would heave the ball to Fullback Carlton Brown who would race down the field for the touchdown. Nashville would extend their lead 25-14 in a hurry. Washington would start backed up in their own territory to begin the next drive. Once again we saw Hill get fantastic yardage after the catch to extend a Wolfpack drive. Crouch would connect with McAllister on an insane, scramble-drill-heave for a first down. After further review due to a Nashville challenge, the talented Wolfpack quarterback incidentally hit the dasher boards before throwing the ball and the play would be nullified. 4th and 33 saw Washington turn the ball over on downs. A quick drive saw Kulka connect with Brown on another touchdown pass, extending the lead 32-14. Washington would not be able to answer and turned the ball over on downs on the following drive. 

The next Kats offensive drive would see Grant make an incredible catch against the boards for a touchdown. Nashville further extended their lead to 39-14. The Wolfpack were unable to convert on fourth down and it resulted in a turnover. Next, Nashville would get another chance to pile on the points. Brown would take a handoff from Kulka and trudge his way to pay dirt, extending the lead 46-14. Washington answered right back with a Crouch-to-McAllister passing touchdown. The score sat at 46-20 at this point in the contest. A one-play drive for Nashville saw Kulka throw another touchdown pass. A successful two-point try made it 54-20 in favor of the Kats. Washington would turn the ball over via interception on their next offensive drive. A one-play, 45-yard strike from Kulka to Jones, Jr. further extended the lead to 61-20 with a touch over five minutes left to play. Defensive Back Shaun Lewis picked off Washington yet again on the next possession. Nashville capitalized off the turnover as it resulted in another Jones, Jr. touchdown late in this one. With just 1:12 remaining, the Kats led 68-20. The final play of the game resulted in an interception by Lewis to seal the win for Nashville.

standout players for wASHINGTON

The newly signed Kinney made some big-time plays for the Wolfpack. He even came up with a big, touchdown-saving tackle on special teams. Hill made big-time plays on both sides of the ball. McAllister played well for the Wolfpack, emerging as Crouch’s favorite target throughout. On multiple occasions, Hill had plenty of running room on offense. On defense, Caleb Brown, Jadarius Byrd, and Machiah Lee roamed the secondary all game long. Brown would go down with an injury in the fourth quarter. Washington’s defensive line played extremely sound football as well.

standout players for nashville

Kulka earned his second win of the season and looked equally as impressive in this start as he did in his first. Decisive and accurate when he needed to be, he made the most of the opportunities presented to him, resulting in a five-touchdown game. Kulka and Grant developed great chemistry throughout the game. Grant hauled in multiple touchdown passes from his quarterback. Brown continues to be a touchdown machine, scoring three times in the game. Defensively, Coleman III was everywhere for the Kats. Time and time again, the announcers were mentioning Coleman III on the tackle. As Kats fans have come to expect, the defensive back has become a mainstay on the defensive side of the ball for Nashville. Much like Washington, the Kats’ defensive line came to play in this game. They pressured Crouch throughout the game, and it made a big difference in the second and third level’s production. Lewis came away with three big interceptions to help seal Nashville’s victory. Alexandre and Ezrah Thibodeaux played crucial roles and helped Nashville win the battle in the trenches in this game.

looking ahead

Both teams will be right back in action in Week 7. Nashville looks to get another win as they face the Southwest Kansas Storm on the road. The Storm emerged victorious in Week 0 against the Kats. As for Washington, they will head to Oregon to take on the Lightning. Washington scored 35 unanswered points in a Week 2 win against the Lightning. If you are looking to watch Arena Football One in 2025, be sure to check out our official streaming partners, EvergreenNOW! and Vice TV!