Firebirds Dominate Tritons in Texas, QB McCoy Throws Seven Touchdowns

Firebirds Dominate Tritons in Texas, McCoy Throws Seven Touchdowns

The Albany Firebirds hit the road for a Friday night matchup against the Corpus Christi Tritons — and they wasted no time making a statement.

The action started immediately, with kicker Henry Nell drilling a deuce on the opening kickoff to put Albany ahead 2-0. It was a sign of things to come for Nell and the Firebirds.

Flawless First Half

The Firebirds' defense set the tone early. Just two plays into Corpus Christi's first possession, Mike Lee forced a fumble, and Albany’s offense quickly capitalized. After a pair of strong receptions by Darien Townsend, Desmond Maxwell punched in a rushing touchdown, and Nell added another deuce on the ensuing kickoff.

The momentum kept building. Following another Tritons fumble on the next snap, quarterback Rob McCoy — who entered the game for starter Sam Castronova — threw his first touchdown pass to Duane Brown, who made an impressive catch while absorbing contact. A mishandled extra point attempt turned into a heads-up two-point conversion pass from McCoy to Nell, who then followed with yet another deuce.

Albany’s defense continued its dominance, forcing another stop to set up McCoy’s second touchdown pass, this time connecting with Darien Townsend to extend the lead to 27-0. Defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose broke through the Tritons' protection to strip-sack quarterback Kyle Cool, with Drew Singletary recovering the ball for a Firebirds touchdown.

With 11 minutes gone in the first quarter, the Firebirds had raced out to a 35-0 advantage.

The Tritons briefly threatened after a big gain to the Firebirds' 12-yard line, but Albany’s defense stood tall once again, forcing a turnover on downs. McCoy capped off the following drive by pitching to Trevon Shorts for another Firebirds touchdown, followed by a two-point drop kick conversion by Nell.

Despite the lopsided score, Tritons quarterback Kyle Cool displayed exceptional toughness, enduring heavy hits before eventually leaving the game with an injury late in the second quarter. Albany entered halftime with a commanding 79-0 lead.

Slower Second Half, Same Outcome

The second half saw a slower pace, but the Firebirds continued to control the game. Lakeith Murray replaced the injured Cool for Corpus Christi and found Moe Strong for a touchdown late in the third quarter — a moment that led to a heartwarming proposal on the field (with a happy "yes").

The celebration was quickly overshadowed when Marquel Wade returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, pushing Albany's lead to 93-12. The Firebirds would find the end zone one more time to cap off a dominant 100-12 victory.

Standout Performances

Even without starting quarterback Sam Castronova playing most of the night, the Firebirds offense fired on all cylinders. Rob McCoy threw an impressive seven touchdown passes. Trevon Shorts ran for two scores. Darien Townsend, Duane Brown (3), Marquel Wade (2), and Jamall Hickbottom all caught touchdowns.

Special teams were just as sharp. Henry Nell had a monster night, hitting five deuces, two extra points, six two-point drop kicks, and adding a two-point conversion reception.

The Firebirds will look to keep the momentum rolling as they continue their 2025 campaign.