The Nashville Kats will return to the Arena Football One championship game after beating the Michigan Arsenal 92-76 in Sunday’s semifinal at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, in front of 3,583 fans. The 92 points were the most scored by an AF1 team this season.
Nashville scored seven touchdowns on its first 10 offensive plays and built an 18-0 lead within the first three and a half minutes, sparked by a 33-yard touchdown from Tyler Kulka to Malik Honeycutt and a Derrick Maxwell Jr. pick-six. The Kats led 54-46 at halftime after a late Michigan touchdown, then pulled away in the third quarter behind a Kyle Kaplan kickoff through the uprights for two points and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Dejon Walden.
Kulka passed for 371 yards and nine touchdowns. Kendyl Williams and BK Smith Jr. each scored four times, and Williams, Smith, and Honeycutt all topped 100 receiving yards. The defense forced three turnovers.
The Kats host Albany in the Arena Crown championship on Saturday, August 8. The Firebirds beat Nashville 60-57 in last year’s title game in Albany. Former Tennessee Titans linebacker Tim Shaw, diagnosed with ALS in 2014, served as an honorary captain alongside co-owners Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Fisher.