FIREBIRDS DOMINATE IN UNDEFEATED SHOWDOWN VS. BILLINGS

FIREBIRDS DOMINATE IN UNDEFEATED SHOWDOWN VS. BILLINGS

Albany, NY — April 13, 2025

In a battle between two of the AF1’s top teams, the Albany Firebirds sent a clear message to the rest of the league on Sunday: this team is for real.

The Firebirds hosted the Billings Outlaws at MVP Arena in a clash of unbeatens, and from the opening kickoff, it was all Albany. The game opened with a statement—defensive back Tre Wortham jumped a route on fourth down and returned the interception to the one-yard line. Quarterback Sam Castranova punched it in with a powerful QB sneak, giving Albany a quick 7-0 lead.

One play later, Albany struck again. After taking over on downs, Castranova hit Isaiah Scott in the end zone, and just like that, it was 14-0. A rattled Billings squad couldn’t get out of their own way in the first half, with penalties stalling drives and Albany capitalizing at every turn.

Duane Brown hauled in a touchdown pass with 13:17 left in the second quarter, making it 21-0. Though Billings responded with a touchdown of their own from Braden Wingle to JaMarr Moore, Albany’s answer came in electric fashion. Marquel Wade took the ensuing kickoff all the way to the house, reigniting the home crowd.

Then, on the next kickoff, a costly fumble by Billings was recovered in the end zone by Drew Singleton for another Albany touchdown. Suddenly, it was 35-7.

Coach Damon Ware wasn’t done yet—he rolled the dice on an onside kick and the gamble paid off. Though Billings made a rare stop, they could only muster a field goal, heading into halftime trailing 35-10.

The second half opened the same way the first ended: with Albany lighting up the scoreboard. Castranova found Darius Townsend for a 15-yard touchdown, followed by a deuce from kicker Henry Nell to stretch the lead to 43-10. Billings answered with a 45-yard bomb to Jevin Frett, but Castranova and Townsend linked up again shortly after to make it 49-17.

Trevon Shorts joined the scoring with a bruising 9-yard touchdown run in the fourth, before Billings backup QB Danny Southwick hit Moore for a short score. But the final say belonged to Castranova, who capped his incredible day with a 13-yard rushing touchdown, bringing the final score to 62-24 in front of a fired-up Albany crowd.

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Quarterback Sam Castranova was unstoppable, finishing 10-of-19 for 129 yards and 4 passing touchdowns. He added 19 yards and 2 scores on the ground, earning him the Real American Beer Player of the Game honors.

Duane Brown led all receivers with 6 catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, while Jevin Frett paced Billings with 6 catches for 74 yards and a score.

THE REMATCH AWAITS
This matchup isn’t done just yet. The Firebirds and Outlaws meet again next week on Easter Sunday in Billings, Montana. Albany will aim to stay perfect, while Billings will look to bounce back with a vengeance on their home turf.