KATS TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON SEEKING TO CLINCH AT LEAST AF1 PLAYOFFS NO. 2 SEED

For Immediate Release: July 2, 2026

KATS TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON SEEKING TO CLINCH AT LEAST AF1 PLAYOFFS NO. 2 SEED

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Kats head to the great northwest this Fourth of July Weekend hoping to celebrate with some fireworks of their own.

Last Saturday’s 72-20 home win over the Beaumont Renegades for a league-leading seventh win in a row clinched at least a home game for the Kats (9-1) in the Arena Football One (AF1) playoffs that start July 25-26. 

Sitting atop the league standings, a win Friday night at the Washington Wolfpack will clinch no worse than a No. 2 seed and guarantee a semifinal home playoff game on Aug. 1-2 at F&M Bank Arena in downtown Clarksville. Dates and times have yet to be confirmed.

Kickoff versus Washington is set for 9 p.m. CDT at Angels of the Wind Arena in Everett, Wash. All AF1 games this season can be watched at TheAF1.com — the league’s official website – and at the league’s YouTube channel and Home Team Network.

“It’s not about the No. 1 seed or the No. 2 seed right now,” Kats coach Darren Arbet said. “It’s about us getting better every week. You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse, and we just have to play better.”

 Even with the seven-game winning streak and going 7-0 at home to be leading the league standings, Arbet feels his team has several more gears it can hit.

“I told the team they are talented,” he said. “But they all need to play up to their potential, and we’re not doing that right now. We have a lot of players who just need to be more productive.”

The Washington Wolfpack (5-5) are fifth in the AF1 standings and seeking at least a top six seed to guarantee a playoff berth. They are coming off a 64-36 home loss last Saturday to the Michigan Arsenal.

Previously this season on April 25, the Kats beat the visiting Wolfpack 45-3. The Kats are led by quarterback Tyler Kulka, a Lawrence Tech product who’s twice been named AF1 Offensive Player of the Week this season. Kulka is second in the league in three categories – total passing yards (2,259), touchdown passes (45) and total offensive yards (2,239) – while third in both passing yards per game (225.9) and offensive yards per game (223.9).

Kats wide receiver Malik Honeycutt, a Murray State alum, leads the league in total receiving yards (865), while second in receiving yards per game (95.4) and fourth in receiving TDs (17). Fellow receiver Kendyl Williams leads the league in points scored per game (14.4).

Kats running back Desmond Maxwell, a Western Kentucky product, is tied for first in the league in rushing touchdowns (10) and fifth in total rushing yards (99). Fullback Austin Collier is tied for first in rushing TDs per game (2).

Kats kicker Kyle Kaplan, a Notre Dame College alum, was last week’s AF1 Most Valuable Player and is third in the league in points scored (110) and fifth in points per game (11). He is only kicker in the league to be ranked in the top five in either category.

Defensive back Derrick Jones, a product of Ole Miss, is second in the league in solo tackles (50), while defensive lineman Jaquan Artis, a Lenoir-Rhyne product, is second in sacks (9).

For the regular season, the Kats finished 7-0 at home, including last Saturday’s win over Beaumont. Other home wins include the season opener April 14 versus the Michigan Arsenal (78-40), April 27 over the Washington Wolfpack (45-3), May 9 against the Oregon Lightning (64-21), May 16 versus the Oceanside Bombers (63-49), June 13 versus the Minnesota Monsters (48-32) and June 20 against the Albany Firebirds (78-69).

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