AAL Championship Preview

This was most fans' preseason picks, but no one could have predicted how dominant Wheeling was going to be outside of Columbus, and how Flawless Columbus was going to look!

Can Wheeling Win at Home, or Will Columbus Complete the Sweep?

As you can see from both… It came down to single scores, and even a single point in the last matchup. Both teams have the tools to win this game, ample coaching to be ready in the moment, and everyone in both camps understands the moment. Wheeling is looking for their first title in the pro ranks since leaving the AAL2 after the 2024 season.

At the same time, Columbus is looking to add to a fairly crowded trophy case. This game means more than you can see on the surface; this is more than pride and more than a trophy. This game decides the balance of the AAL. Is Columbus just that much better at the end? Or does Wheeling show us all that it's any given game?

Not only does it decide balance, but it could be the shift Wheeling needs. This game has very much developed into a rivalry, a very chippy, lightly hateful rivalry. If Wheeling can knock them off, that only grows going into 2027. No matter anyone's opinion, the margin between these two is razor-thin, though there are some keys will decide the game:

Keys to the Game:

Columbus Lions

Columbus, to this point, has only given up one game of 200+ yards on defense, and that total belongs to Wheeling at Wesbanco. If Columbus plans on raising a trophy, they will have to curtail Wheeling's offense, especially the running game that put 100+ yards on them in the first match-up.

This is also helped along by penalties. In the last match-up, the Lions' offense was responsible for a season high 67 yards of fouls, something that can't happen this week. Not only will the defense have to step up, but the passing game against Wheeling will also taken a dip in the last two match-ups. If they can get the ball around early, the game might be decided early on.

-Clean game

-Better Short Yardage and Run Defensive

-Play a Cleaner Game

Wheeling Miners

This is a spot where you can get off to a slow start, and you can't fade late. The last match-up saw several two-score leads for the Miners, but late-game bumpers and a game-sealing interception saw them fade late. This is a spot where you need everything to go perfectly. The running game needs to mirror that of the previous match-up, the passing game will need to be deliberate and get the ball out quickly, and the kicking game needs to be shored up ( as we think it will be).

-Maintain a lead into the fourth 

-Get a defensive stop a half, even better, a Quarter

-Steady pace controlling offense

- Turnover-free

Players to Watch:

Columbus:

#9 Marco Lee FB 

#13 Jesse Reverio 

#10 Cameron Bergeron

Wheeling:

#13 Ranius Daramola 

#5 Raymond Cutts

#6 JT Taylor

Final Thoughts

Well, all roads have led to Wheeling! The AAL and AAL2 will conclude successful seasons this coming Saturday at WesBanco Arena. The Championship game will mark the end of a season that by all accounts has been successful. Every team that began the AAL season finished. We saw mostly competitive arena football, and we are already seeing the results: Two expansion teams, a move up, and maybe more to come?

On July 11th, we have the privilege of watching the Wheeling Miners do all they can to ruin an undefeated season… And the Columbus Lions lay it all on the line for perfection! Join us for the game by clicking here to purchase tickets.