Storm Clinch First Seed, Set to Face Off with Louisiana in Week 12

The Southwest Kansas Storm are making their way through a season full of firsts for the franchise. First season in the National Arena League. First 8-win Season in Franchise History. Record-setting ticket-sales numbers. First home playoff game in history. However, this past weekend, during a bye week for the Storm, they clinched another first. The First Seed in the 2026 National Arena League playoffs without lifting a finger. 

Heading into week 11, there was just one team remaining with a possibility of surpassing the Storm in the seeding: the Sioux City Bandits, who stood 5-2. That’s when the Omaha Beef team, doing everything in their power to ensure they would even be in the playoffs, went into Sioux City and pulled out a win in an exciting game. This handed Sioux City their third loss of the season, ensuring the best record they could manage would be 7-3. 

This loss by Sioux City subsequently clinched the top seed in the 2026 National Arena League Playoffs for the Storm. This means that, at this point, no matter what happens during the final two games of the season, the Storm will have home-field advantage in the playoffs. 

This marks the first time in franchise history that the Southwest Kansas Storm will host a playoff game, and that is not for lack of playoff trips. 2026 is the 5th season of the Storm’s existence. During that time, they have played arena or indoor football in four different leagues, had three different head coaches, have never had the same starting quarterback for two seasons in a row, and somehow made the playoffs each season of the team’s existence. 

It has not always been pretty. The Storm were officially announced as a Champions Indoor Football League expansion franchise in September of 2021, set to begin play in 2022. They finished their inaugural season 5-5, having changed Head Coaches midseason and still found their way into the playoffs. Unfortunately, it ended with a first-round exit via a 27-21 loss at the hands of the Omaha Beef. 

In 2023, Brandon Venson, returned as the Head Coach after taking over as the interim head coach in 2022. This time, however, the team finished 3-7; even with this record, given the playoff structure, the Storm made it in as the 6th seed. Once again, it ended with a 1-score loss to their opponent. This time, a 40-35 loss to the Gillette Mustangs. 

Fast forward to 2024 and an offseason of change. Following the 2023 season, the Storm hit the reset button on the coaching staff, cleaning house and ultimately hiring former Dodge City Community College Head Coach Gary Thomas. Coach Thomas would assemble a veteran coaching staff with years of experience at the collegiate level with the intentions of competing in the 2024 Champions Indoor Football League season; however, there would never be a 2024 CIF season.

The CIF ended in a split with two groups forming: those that went to the NAL, and those that went to the revived version of the AFL. The ownership groups of the Billings Outlaws & Gillette Mustangs, Salina Liberty, Wichita Regulators, and Southwest Kansas Storm all made the move to the 2024 AFL, although the Mustangs were placed up for sale. 

This meant adapting to a different ruleset than the staff had anticipated, and re-evaluating the way they had planned to build the roster. The league quickly devolved into a mess, but amidst this chaos, the Storm once again found a way into the playoffs. 

This time via a 4-5 record and the 5th seed. While the league began with 16 teams, by the time the playoffs came around, there were just 8 teams remaining, divisions no longer existed, and the top 6 teams made the playoffs. Three seasons, and three first-round exits in the playoffs via one-score losses. This time it came at the hands of the Salina Liberty 41-35. Three seasons, three straight playoff exits on the road via a one-score loss. 

In 2025, things began to change for the Storm. After the debacle that was the AFL, the remaining teams banded together and formed the Arena Football One (AF1). This season went much more smoothly than the 2024 season. For much of the season, the Storm held the second seed, until a late-season loss gave Nashville just enough of an edge in the winning percentage race to host the Storm instead of traveling to Dodge City. 

Ultimately, by the season’s end, the Storm would finish with the second-most wins in the AF1 behind only the eventual champion Albany Firebirds. This, of course, meant they attended the playoffs once again, but it also meant they were tasked with playing against the Nashville Kats on the road. Not an easy task. 

Ultimately, it would spell a fourth straight first-round exit from the playoffs by one score, all of which came on the road. Nashville would pull out a 48-43 victory against the Storm and advance to play Albany in the championship. Ultimately, Albany won the game, completing an undefeated season. 

In four seasons of existence, the Storm sit 0-4 in the playoffs by an average deficit of 5.5 points per game, and in all four of these games, it was a road game. In 2026, with two weeks of the regular season remaining, the Storm have not only guaranteed they will receive one home game in the playoffs, but they have guaranteed home-field advantage throughout. This could prove to be the difference this Storm team has been waiting for.

However, this advantage comes down to the fans. We need every Storm fan possible in attendance for the remaining home games this season, so you can play a part in your team rewriting the franchise record books. 

Although the ticket is punched and the playoffs are guaranteed, the work in the regular season is not done yet. Tonight we face the Louisiana Rouxgaroux. Heading into the bye week, we previewed this match-up; however, Louisiana has made some changes since then. 

The Rouxgaroux have made a series of transactions, including parting ways with one of the players we highlighted as someone the Storm would need to key on. D’Nerius Antoine asked for his release and bid farewell to the Louisiana fans. Before signing with the Omaha Beef, soon after. 

Antoine was just one in a series of moves. In addition to his release, the Rouxgaroux made the following moves:

Released:

Savion Turner

Rodney Timmons

Raphael Turner

Kendrick Tutt

Darrell Wallace

Michael Moton

Greg Thomas Jr. 

Signed:

Devante Carter OL

Quintayvion Taylor 

Dylan Moghaddam K

Monquez Moore DB

Keon Coleman DB

Brian Isaac LB

Javon Ross OL

This is a substantial amount of movement this late in the season, and typically, it takes time for these new players to assimilate and build chemistry. Regardless, Coach Thomas and his staff preach never taking an opponent as a pushover, and they will undoubtedly approach this game the same. The Rouxgaroux, however, are promising a win in Dodge City.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Jalen Morton has been named the starting quarterback for the Columbus Aviators of the United Football League. 

https://x.com/UFLAviators/status/2057624471448519060?s=20

This will mark Morton’s first career start outdoors since graduating from Prairie View A&M. This has been a long time coming for Morton, who has had stints with the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Birmingham Stallions (x2), and now the Columbus Aviators. 

Finally, he will be given an opportunity to prove what he can do with 2 regular-season games remaining and the playoffs on the line. A strong two-game stretch could go a long way toward helping him achieve his ultimate goal, which remains making it back onto an NFL roster and sticking there. In speaking with Morton, he said, “I’m excited. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”

This is a home game for Columbus, kicking off at 2 pm Central Time, and will be broadcast on ABC. Ironically, it comes against the Birmingham Stallions, a team he spent time on as recently as 2025. Let’s all tune in and support Morton and Michael Lawson, who will be active for this game as well. 

Michael Lawson

Michael Lawson played in last week’s game, but it was not a stat-filled outing for him, with just one tackle. He did, however, have 1 punt return for 20 yards on the day. With two more regular seasons to go, and Columbus striving to find some momentum, it should surprise no one if Lawson gets the start in the secondary. Morton and Lawson will not be the only former members of the Storm taking the field outdoors tonight. 

Desmond Bland

Bland has officially made the roster for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. They are on the road playing against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at 3 pm Central Time. Available to watch for free via CFL.ca, Bland could see significant snaps given his ability to play all 5 positions across the offensive line. This is Toronto’s first preseason game of the 2026 season. 

Kevon Latulas 

The St. Louis Battlehawks will play tomorrow night at 6 pm Central Time, available on ESPN2. Latulas has collected a career-high in yards from scrimmage in his third season with the Battlehawks to this point. With 44 carries, 12 receptions, and 6 kick returns, Latulas has managed 419 yards and 1 touchdown.