Firebirds Dominate Second Half to Stay Undefeated with 57-27 Win Over Salina Liberty

Firebirds Dominate Second Half to Stay Undefeated with 57-27 Win Over Salina Liberty

The Albany Firebirds delivered a commanding second-half performance on national television, pulling away from the Salina Liberty in a 57-27 road win on Sunday night’s AF1 Game of the Week on VICE TV.

The game began as a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading scores and momentum in the first half. But after halftime, Albany made key adjustments on both sides of the ball, outscoring Salina 36-7 in the second half to secure a statement win and improve to 2-0 on the season.

Tight First Half in Salina

Salina struck first after stopping Albany’s opening drive, with Javin Kilgo connecting with Edward Smith Jr. for an early touchdown. The Firebirds responded right away, as quarterback Sam Castranova found Duane Brown to tie the game at 7-7.

The rest of the first quarter saw both teams stall on fourth-down attempts, but the momentum began to shift in the second quarter when Albany defensive back Derrick Jones intercepted Kilgo and returned it for a touchdown. Salina answered with a rushing score from Tracey Brooks, but a missed extra point kept the Firebirds in front.

Castranova kept the pressure on, tossing his second touchdown of the night to Darien Townsend. Salina cut the lead to one with another Kilgo touchdown pass just before halftime, sending the game into the break with Albany holding a narrow 21-20 lead.

Second-Half Firebirds Take Over

As they did in Week 1, the Firebirds came out of halftime locked in. Albany’s defense opened the third quarter with back-to-back sacks, then recovered a fumble on a failed Liberty fourth-down conversion.

That turnover set up a Castranova touchdown to Isaiah Scott, and although the extra point was disrupted by a bad snap, the Firebirds never looked back. On the next drive, Trevon Shorts intercepted Kilgo, and Castranova quickly capitalized with his fourth touchdown of the night—again to Duane Brown.

Albany’s defense continued to apply pressure and force mistakes. With just under 11 minutes to play, kicker Henry Nell drilled a 50-yard field goal—an AF1 record—to push the lead to 47-20. Shortly after, Shorts notched his second interception of the game, setting up Castranova’s fifth touchdown, this one to Townsend.

Markus Smith put the exclamation point on the win with a pick-six late in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Robert McCoy Jr. also got in on the action, throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass to Duane Brown in the final minute to seal the 57-27 victory.

Defensive Statement

Albany’s defense continues to dominate in the second half of games. For the second straight week, the unit held its opponent to just seven second-half points. Dejon Walden led the pass rush with two sacks, while Ezekiel Rose added another. Derrick Jones and Markus Smith both returned interceptions for touchdowns, and Trevon Shorts contributed across the board with a pick, a reception, and a rushing attempt.

Castranova Named MVP

Sam Castranova turned in another stellar performance, completing 9 passes for 123 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 40 yards on three carries. He connected with three different receivers for scores and earned Real American Beer MVP honors for his efforts.

Next Up: Billings Comes to Town

Albany now turns its attention to a huge home matchup against the undefeated Billings Outlaws. The two unbeaten teams will clash at MVP Arena on Sunday, April 13 at 7:00 PM ET in what’s sure to be another can’t-miss AF1 Game of the Week on VICE TV.

Get your tickets now and be part of the action as the Firebirds look to protect home turf and stay atop the AF1 standings!