By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Salina Liberty battled but failed to overcome a slow second half, falling 80-59 to the Albany Firebirds in this year’s AFL semifinal round.
For Salina, an impressive inaugural AFL campaign comes to a close at 7-3, while the Firebirds advance to take on the Billings Outlaws in the Arena Bowl next week.
The first half of this contest was a true back-and-forth affair, as Salina trailed by just two at the end of the first quarter and kept that deficit at the half.
From there, the Firebirds turned up the heat, holding the Liberty to just five third-quarter points and outscoring Salina 36-17 in the second half to pull away and take the victory.
Albany quarterback Jake Medlock put on a clinic, completing 73% of his passes for 269 yards and five touchdown passes, adding 22 yards and two more scores on the ground.
Turnovers would prove to be a key difference in this game as Albany picked off Charles McCullum four times and forced the ball loose twice, with three of those INTs finding the hands of Markus Smith.
In a statement released on social media, head coach Heron O’Neal reflected on a challenging season.
“We overcame a lot of obstacles and made the most of them,” he said. “I’m proud of our organization for standing tall and giving me the tools to devise a plan and continue to be successful on the field. This is a season I’ll never forget, and I want to thank Liberty Nation for always being there for me.”
O’Neal went on to thank ownership, which managed to stay strong in a league that saw eight other teams fold, as well as the players who rode the highs and lows of the league’s turmoil while continuing to play at a high level.
The Firebirds (8-2) will take on the Billings Outlaws (8-1), who defeated Nashville 35-32 on Saturday.
The Arena Bowl will be played in East Rutheford, NJ at 4:30 CST on Friday, July 19.