This Cinderella story of a late season push by the Salina Liberty got absolutely SMASHED in the second half of their Round One matchup with the Number One ranked Albany Firebirds. The Number Four Liberty started the game off strong. Before we were even five minutes into the first quarter, both teams had scored.They looked great. Both Albany and Salina operate highly efficient offenses. If they were just going to exchange blows all night, Salina had a chance. They could go back and forth, put up huge numbers and wait. Wait for Albany to make a mistake. So silly.
We’ve talked about Albany’s dominance all season. There’s a reason they’re undefeated. They rarely make mistakes and when they do, they don’t repeat them. Every other team in the AF1 is made up of humans and humans make mistakes. Which leads us to the next factor in Albany’s dominance, they take advantage of your mistakes. You will make them. And Albany will take advantage of them.
Because Albany is still undefeated, we don’t really yet know how to beat them. No one has played a perfect game against them.
When Salina made their first mistake with around nine minutes and 17 seconds left in the first quarter, the Liberty should’ve just used the same strategy I used when my little brother beat me in Madden when we were children. Pretend there’s a glitch and restart the game.
That first quarter mistake was a pick six thrown by Salina QB Javin Kilgo. He had almost thrown a pick on an incredibly similar play in the first drive of the game. Albany made him pay for it the second time he tried it.
The next Liberty mistake was a turnover on downs with 12:42 left in the second quarter. I know what you’re thinking, “Lee, it’s irrational to expect a team to score on every drive.” Sure, but we’re not dealing with a team that achieves at a rational level here. We’re dealing with the Albany Freaking Firebirds, a team that regularly scores on every one of their drives. They beat a team by 86 points this season. They beat another team by 88. They’re a team that finished the season having scored 675 points and only allowed 276.
You can’t not put points on the board if you want to beat Albany.
The crazy thing here is, Albany then turned the ball over on downs themselves. They not only made a mistake but they failed to take advantage of a Salina mistake. This was Salina’s window. THIS was their opportunity to not just get back in this game, but to take it over. The score was 21-16, Albany’s lead.
Instead of finding their glorious moment in the sun though, Salina stumbled again. In the three minute drive that followed Albany’s turnover, Kilgo would be sacked in two consecutive plays. Salina would be whistled for a holding penalty. They were backed up all the way past midfield.
To try and avoid another empty trip down the field, they brought out their phenomenal kicker Bailey Hale. He missed. That’s three mistakes.
In Albany’s first play from scrimmage after taking possession, Castronova hit Townsend for a score:
After Nell’s PAT, 28-16 Albany. Then Albany scored just before halftime:
Then they scored on the first drive after the half:
In fact, after that turnover on downs five minutes into the second quarter, Albany would score on every. Single. Drive.
Salina did not. Kilgo would throw another pick. The Liberty offense would have one more TOD. The Firebirds would capitalize on both of these turnovers with touchdowns.
I don’t mean to be so hard on the Liberty. They didn’t play a bad game. They just made a few mistakes but against the Albany Firebirds that’s a few too many.
Let’s take a more focused look at some key performances in this game.
Albany’s All Stars
MVP Finalist Sam Castronova finished this game 21-33 passing. He had zero turnovers. He threw eight touchdowns and rushed for two more.
The Albany receiver corps pulled off some serious mathematical gymnastics tonight. Every receiver caught two touchdowns. All four of them.
That’s two for Albany’s other MVP Finalist Duane Brown. Two for high flying speedster Darien Townsend:
Two for Marquel Wade:
And two for Isiah Scott:
The Albany defense more than did their part as well. Markus Smith not only had the pick six in the first quarter, he captured Kilgo’s second half pick as well. Ezekiel Rose finished with two sacks. Dejon Walden, Drew Singleton and Jamall Hickbottom all finished with one sack apiece.
Salina Struggles in the End
Despite not coming up with the results that I’m sure he and Liberty fans would’ve hoped for, Javin Kilgo put up some impressive numbers. He finished the game completing 26 of his 36 passes with four touchdowns in the air.
And he added one more on the ground.
Malik Honeycutt was Kilgo’s target of choice tonight. Honeycutt finished with three Touchdown catches.
That’s all from Albany tonight. The Firebirds will now await the winner of tomorrow’s ViceTV Game of the Week between the Number Two Nashville Kats and the Number Three SW Kansas Storm. Kickoff is at 2:30PM PT/5:30PM ET in Nashville.
