Titans stood tall, titans fell, and there was major movement in the standings.
A Titan Stands Tall – Albany vs West Texas
Albany and West Texas engaged in a thrilling battle, a game that will be remembered for its high-scoring intensity. This was the Desert Hawks’ opportunity to avenge their earlier season upset, and they did not hold back. The final score of 143 points, the highest of the season, is a testament to the fierce competition on the field.
This game is added to the list where Albany seems to have a protective bubble around them. They are a premier team and they have earned their flawless 7-0 record. However, they have played many nail-biters, and they seem to come out on top of all of them; it seems like there is a guiding hand ushering them along.
Either way, the Firebirds sit alone at the top of the league. This win propels their image as no-doubters for the playoffs and favorites to make the Arena Bowl.
This game was also another letdown in the saga of the Desert Hawk’s season. In the way, there is a protective bubble over Albany, something destructive is working against West Texas. They fall below .500 to 3-4, but that does not accurately represent how well they have played.
It has nearly always come down to the unusual and sometimes absurd for them to lose. They have two games left to make their season. All they can do is win them both and pray for the playoffs. This could prove difficult with the loss of head coach Chris Siegfried.
A Titan Falls – Billings vs Nashville
Where there used to be two giants, there now sits one less as the Billings Outlaws’ perfect record is scratched by the Nashville Kats. This game was a phenomenal slugfest of two offenses.
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Many people had Billings prematurely scratched in as winners, but what they had not counted on was Randy Hippeard. Hippeard was a top Arena player over his 10 years as a pro (7 years in the Arena).
He had played his last game back in 2019, but when the Kats’ quarterback room was battered, he picked up the phone and answered the call. He lit it up, going for 34 completions and 4 touchdowns.
A Quake in the Standings
There has been some shifting in the standings, and with only three weeks left in the season, it could have playoff implications. The top four remain the same: Firebirds, Outlaws, Liberty, and Predators. The fringe spots, on the other hand, have felt the ripples of this weekend’s games. The Desert Hawks have fallen two spots from 5th to 7th. Taking their spot at 5th is the Southwest Kansas Storm, following their win over the Wichita Regulators.
The Nashville Kats also moved up after upsetting the Outlaws, taking the 6th spot. These three teams are flirting with elimination from the playoffs. They will need things to go very well, if not perfectly, throughout these final weeks of the season.