LOWELL, MA – The Massachusetts Pirates' 2025 season featured no shortage of memorable moments. Whether it was outleaping defenders in traffic or making difficult adjustments in the end zone against physical defenders, the Pirates' receiving corps consistently performed in critical situations. After searching through the 16-game season and identifying a plethora of impressive plays, we've compiled a list of the ten best catches from the 2025 season, a collection of moments that showcase the continuous receiver talent the team puts on the field each and every season.
No. 10 - Isaiah Coulter; Leaping Extension (4/27/25 vs. Green Bay Blizzard)
Facing a 3rd & short opportunity in need of an answer against a stout Green Bay Blizzard defense early in the season, the Pirates offense dropped back looking to pass. Quarterback
Kenji Bahar, making a quick read outward of the right hash marks, threw a fastball high and outside of wide receiver Isaiah Coutler's frame. Almost immediately, when breaking out of the top of his route, the former Chicago Bear was targeted and forced to make a quick adjustment, leaping high into the air to make a spectacular catch to keep the chains moving.
No. 9 - Teo Redding; Clears The Wall (6/21/25 vs. Tulsa Oilers)
Searching for an answer in the first quarter following an early Tulsa touchdown, wide receiver
Teo Redding crossed the middle of the field on a short in-breaker and found a soft spot in the Oilers' zone coverage against the right sideline. Bahar, who was forced out of the pocket and had to scramble to his right, faced a linebacker between himself and Redding. Fitting the ball around the defender, Bahar threw it above the sideline wall, where Redding leapt over, falling backwards on the other side to secure the catch.
You'll grow accustomed to hearing Redding's name as you continue reading.
No. 8 - Thomas Owens; Deep Over-The-Shoulder Touchdown (4/27/25 vs. Green Bay Blizzard)
Shortly after Coulter's impressive catch, the Pirates' all-time leading receiver,
Thomas Owens, broke away for a 29-yard touchdown reception against the Blizzard. Beginning the play in the backfield, building momentum before the snap of the football, Owens immediately identified the opposing defensive back to be playing in man coverage. Already in a running motion, the receiver sped past the defender, catching a textbook over-the-shoulder delivery from Bahar as the defensive back fell flat on his chest, trailing behind.
No. 7 - Steven McBride; Extending Over The Wall (7/25/25 vs. Bay Area Panthers)
With a new quarterback under center during the final regular-season matchup of the 2025 season, wide receiver
Steven McBride proved to be a reliable target for rookie
Taulia Tagovailoa. Lining up on the right side of Tagovailoa, the Napoleonville, LA, native ran a quick out route toward the sideline, high-pointing an elevated pass and tipping over the wall as he secured the catch in the laps of fans.
No. 6 - Teo Redding; 49-Yard Touchdown Strike (6/14/25 @ Iowa Barnstormers)
Searching to add to a 17-point lead in the third quarter, Bahar found himself backed up halfway into the opposite end zone, with the center grasping the ball at the one-yard line. Stepping back further into the end zone after the snap, the quarterback took a chance, throwing the full length of the field, connecting with Redding for six, the first 49-yard touchdown reception in the Pirates' franchise history, and a task just a handful of quarterback and receiver duos have accomplished in arena football.
No. 5 - Thomas Owens; High-Point Leaping Touchdown (7/3/25 vs. Iowa Barnstormers)
Owens continues to establish himself on this list, demonstrating his ability to extend and make catches well outside of his frame. With two defenders in the receiver's vicinity and one closing in quickly in an attempt to make a play on the ball in front of Owens, Bahar threw a perfectly placed ball just out of the reach of the defender; Owens did the rest, reaching up well over his head to secure the touchdown catch.
No. 4 - Thomas Owens; Mosses Defender for a Touchdown (6/7/25 @ Fishers Freight)
Similar to the fifth-ranked catch on this list, Owens again had to climb the ladder to secure another mind-boggling reception. Attempting to regain the lead against the Freight in a pivotal game that aided in the mid-season revival of the Pirates' offense, Massachusetts sent Owens and Redding on side-by-side slant routes.
Freeing himself open on a quick inward cut at the top of his route, Owens had room to work with, but Bahar quickly faced pressure from the opposing defensive line. That extra time holding the ball allowed for the defensive back to recover; however, Bahar, under duress, threw to Owens in the back of the end zone, who leapt over the defender in coverage to secure the catch over his head, somehow holding onto the ball, colliding chest-first with the wall for a score.
No. 3 - Teo Redding; High-Point Fade Touchdown (7/12/25 @ Tulsa Oilers)
Looking to take an early lead in what was arguably the most important game of the season for the Pirates in terms of playoff implications, Bahar took a snap in the red zone on 3rd & 8 with Redding dialed up to run a fade outside of the right hash markers.
Tulsa's Cedarius Doss, a physical defensive back, stood in front of Redding, and the two fought through nearly the entirety of the play. Bahar, who saw that the receiver had an outside-step advantage on the defender, lobbed the ball over Doss' reach and into the hands of Redding as he tipped over the sideline wall.
The Oilers' play-by-play announcer labeled it as one of the best catches he's ever seen, except there are two more from this season that top it.
No. 2 - Teo Redding; Knee Catch Touchdown (6/7/25 @ Fishers Freight)
Redding makes his fourth appearance on this list with a completion that was caught using the backside of his left knee. Approaching the end zone from roughly nine yards away, the Pirates were threatening to score on 2nd & 5. Once Bahar threw the ball to Redding, the opposing defender tugged his uniform and pulled the receiver forward, leaving the six-foot-three, 190-pound Redding no choice but to make a mid-air body adjustment and pin the ball to the inside of his knee with his left hand.
"There was no way that was a touchdown," the Fishers Freight play-by-play announcer originally thought after the play. "It wasn't caught."
No. 1 - Teo Redding; Falling One-Handed Touchdown (6/21/25 vs. Tulsa Oilers)
Redding had a career year with the Pirates in 2025, which is a testament to how he was locked into all top-three spots in this list. The Warren, MI, native not only made some of the most exciting plays from this past season but also in franchise history.
30 yards from the end zone, Redding sprang open at the top of his route on a deep post, which Bahar immediately saw, targeting the receiver downfield. Before the ball arrived, the opposing defensive back ill-advisedly pushed Redding's facemask backwards, causing him to fall as he turned his body around to find the ball. As Redding's back collided with the wall in the back of the end zone, the receiver stuck his left arm out, latching onto the ball and quickly pinning it to his chest to secure the most impressive catch of the 2025 season.
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