Storm 3-2 Look to Steal Division Win in Corpus Christi

The Southwest Kansas Storm beat division rival Salina Liberty in their house to move to 3-2. Now, they will travel to Corpus Christi to attempt to win a second crucial division win, which is unique in importance. 

Back Story 

After Wichita went dormant until 2026, the AF1 Central Division had just three teams. This caused a schedule change, which landed on the current schedule the league is using. On this schedule, the Storm face their division opponents a total of four times; however, the split is not what you would expect. 

The Storm play Salina three times, and Corpus Christi just once all season. That makes this game against the Tritons extremely important when it comes to playoff seeding. The current schedule ironically has the Storm playing Washington and Billings twice but Division rival Corpus Christi just once.  

Silence the Noise 

The Tritons have been surrounded by a lot of noise regarding their situation but the Storm cannot fall victim to underestimating any opponent, much less one that stands 3-0 currently. A win would go a long way toward securing a playoff spot. As of right now, the Tritons are outscoring opponents 152-70 through three weeks playing Salina twice, and Washington once. Both teams have also fallen to the Storm, but it remains to be seen if the Tritons' offense can fly high against this Storm Front defense, or if the turbulence will knock them off course. 

Match Up of the Game

In this game, it is all about Darius Prince. Prince is likely the top wideout in any arena or indoor football league and the Tritons offense runs through him. Prince leads the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns from any non-quarterback. He currently has 18 receptions, for 249 yards and 5 touchdowns in 3 games. Now make no mistake, shade too much attention to Prince, and players like Arthur Anderson, Jerron McGraw, Moe Strong, and Quintavius Workman will be able to do plenty of damage. 

The bright side for the Storm is they have arguably the best secondary that the Tritons have faced so far this season. Led by Deetray Mathews, and Michael Lawson. However Brian Hughes has left to pursue other opportunities, and the Storm have brought in Reggie Bracy, and Tizell Lewis to try and keep the secondary rolling. Their turnover production might have slowed down but between Mathews and Lawson alone they are credited with 7 interceptions. 

If the secondary can slow down Prince and company, the Tritons will have a tough time at home. The Tritons have rushed for just 25 yards per game, in part because of their success in the passing game. They may be forced to test the ground game in this one. 

Keys to Victory for the Storm 

For the Storm to win this game, there are several keys to victory beyond just slowing down Prince. 

Pressure the passer; one way to slow down a passing attack is putting the quarterback on his back early and often. That's where Nick Evans, Marje Smith, Jackson Flowers, Joe Golden, and Robert Cooper come in. No matter who is on the field they need to collapse the pocket while keeping Payton contained. Payton is an athletic player and should have no issue escaping the pocket if this front four can't keep contain, Payton leads the Tritons in every major rushing category. 

Limit penalties; the Storm have struggled with avoidable penalties that have oftentimes stalled offensive drives or kept the defense on the field for longer than needed. In a game that is sure to be a shoot-out, these mental errors cannot happen and allow the Tritons to sustain drives, or start with a short field. 

Special teams need to be on point; Dillon Burkhard is a solid kicker, but has yet to hit a deuce, and has left 7 points on the field this season in 5 games. Some of this has been due to the long snapping and holder however the unit has room for improvement across the board. The kick return game has been solid but has yet to score a return touchdown since the injury to Daquan Bailey-Brown. The coverage team needs to help limit big plays as well. 

Protect the quarterback; The Storm have allowed three or more sacks in three straight games. This has slowed down what started as a dangerous passing attack and forced Morton to extend plays with his legs more than the staff would like. Morton is a dangerous runner, but there has to be a balance that allows him to avoid unnecessary hits and stay upright more often. If they can limit this Triton pass rush, the Storm offense has all the firepower to go blow for blow in this heavyweight bout. 

Players to Watch

Keep an eye out for Shiloh Flanagan in this game. The Storm offense tends to spread the ball around, and Demaryius Washington is coming off of a 10-reception game against his former team. In this one, Flanagan will be facing a familiar opponent from his time in the AIF last season. The Tritons don't have a single defensive back that stands over 6'1 and they will be facing the twin towers that are Flanagan and Washington. 

Quintavius Workman is a 6'7 225 pound wideout for the Tritons who has come on strong as of late. He is a player who could be a sleeper pick going into this game with bigger names overshadowing him, however he is a matchup nightmare for defensive backs. 

Defensively

On defense, my player to watch is Nick Evans. Since joining the Storm after the collapse of the Predators he quickly became the top pass rusher. He will need to be on point today to fight off a ferocious offensive attack. Evans could turn the tide of this game if he can produce consistent pressure. 

Corpus features several players who have been getting pressure on opposing teams. It's hard to narrow down any one player from that group. Reggie Howard however is a premier pass rusher who has not had the impact the Tritons have expected to this point. Let's hope it stays that way this week. 

Where to Watch 

This game will be broadcast on Evergreen Now beginning at 7 pm CT. You can download Evergreen Now for free.

http://www.evergreennow.tv/events/sw-kansas-storm-vs-corpus-christi-tritons-4-18-25