Football is back! Indoors, that is.

The Washington Wolfpack kicked off the 2026 Arena Football One season against its Pacific Northwest rivals, the Oregon Lightning, at Angel Of The Winds Arena on Sunday, April 12. And after splitting games 2-2 last year, the Lightning got the best of the Wolfpack and took a one-game lead in the rivalry with a 33-16 victory.

However, even though the score resulted in the Wolfpack’s first loss of the season, the team displayed a strong performance to begin the year, specifically on defense. After conceding 63 points in the first game last year, Washington nearly halved that number this season. Not only did the Wolfpack not allow any offensive points in the second half, but the team also put the first points on the scoreboard in the first quarter after defensive lineman Mike Fields forced a fumble that linebacker Donte Reed scooped and returned for a touchdown. And, the final score of the game, which occurred in the last seconds, came from defensive back Byron Edwards’ pick six.

Go to www.washingtonwolfpack.com to learn more about the local arena football team.

Click here or watch the full game below on YouTube.