Battlehawks QB Max Duggan had a touchdown pass and a touchdown run in the teams’ win over Memphis on Sunday. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
| United Football League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Battlehawks (5-2) | 10 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Memphis Showboats (1-6) | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
MEMPHIS, TN — The St. Louis Battlehawks earned their third straight win and moved into a first-place tie with the DC Defenders on Sunday, when they went on the road and defeated the Memphis Showboats, 19-9, in a United Football League game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
St. Louis dominated the action from start-to-finish, as it jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead and never trailed at any point in the game.
Memphis scored a touchdown late in the first half to make the score 10-6, but St. Louis added another one of its own with 45 seconds left to go back up by 10.
Both teams kicked a field goal in the second half, but the Showboats never got closer than seven points the rest of the game.
Battlehawks WR Gary Jennings goes for a catch against a Memphis defender during Sunday’s UFL game in Memphis. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
The Battlehawks were led once again by their defense, which held Memphis to 89 rushing yards, forced two turnovers, and sacked the Showboats quarterback twice. St. Louis also stopped Memphis three times on fourth down conversion attempts. The Battlehawks “D” was stout almost every time it needed to be.
Defensive linemen Isaiah Mack and Travis Feeney both had strong days for the Battlehawks. Both players had seven tackles, with Mack adding a sack and a forced fumble, and Feeney adding a tackle for loss, which occurred on one of those fourth down tries Memphis attempted.
Offensively, St. Louis was led by quarterback Max Duggan, who was making his second start after taking over following the season-ending injury to starter Manny Wilkins.
Duggan completed 15-of-23 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. He also led the Battlehawks with 57 rushing yards, which included the game’s first score — a 7-yard run in the first quarter.
On Memphis’ next drive, the Showboats faced a 4th-and-1 from their own 39 and decided to go for it. The Battlehawks stuffed Memphis’ 4th down rush attempt for no gain and took over possession right there.
St. Louis gained only a few yards on its own drive, but it was enough to get kicker Rodrigo Blankenship close enough to bang home a 53-yard field goal that put the Battlehawks up 10-0.
Battlehawks RB Jacob Saylors runs away from Memphis’ Eric Garror during Sunday’s UFL game in Memphis. (Photo: Terrance Williams)
Memphis scored on a touchdown pass from Dresser Winn to Jonathan Adams with 1:55 left in the half. But St. Louis answered with what proved to be the key drive of the game.
The Battlehawks drove 70 yards in a little more than a minute, capping off an eight-play drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Duggan to Jahcour Pearson. That put St. Louis back up 10 and proved to be all the cushion the Battlehawks would need.
St. Louis is now 5-2 on the season and inching closer to clinching a spot in the the XFL Conference championship game on June 7 or 8. With just three games left in the UFL regular season, a Battlehawks win and a loss by the Arlington Renegades would assure St. Louis a spot in the postseason.
The Battlehawks will go for that win this Saturday, when they will host the USFL-leading and defending UFL champion, Birmingham Stallions. Kickoff at The Dome at America’s Center is set for 12 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on FOX.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Team | Qtr | Clock | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | 1 | 5:56 | TOUCHDOWN – Max Duggan 7 yard run (Jarveon Howard 1-pt run) | 7-0 |
| STL | 1 | 1:57 | FIELD GOAL – Rodrigo Blankenship 53 yard field goal | 10-0 |
| MEM | 2 | 1:55 | TOUCHDOWN – Dresser Winn 5 yard pass to Jonathan Adams (2-pt conversion attempt failed) | 10-6 |
| STL | 2 | 00:45 | TOUCHDOWN – Max Duggan 13 yard pass to Jahcour Pearson (1-pt conversion attempt failed) | 16-6 |
| MEM | 3 | 2:13 | FIELD GOAL – Matt Coghlin 27 yard field goal | 16-9 |
| STL | 4 | 3:01 | FIELD GOAL – Rodrigo Blankenship 44 yard field goal | 19-9 |
2025 ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Houston Roughnecks | TDECU Stadium |  | W 31-6 (1-0) |
| April 6, 2025 (Sunday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | San Antonio Brahmas | The Dome at America’s Center |  | W 26-9 (2-0) |
| April 13, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | DC Defenders | The Dome at America’s Center |  | L 27-15 (2-1) |
| April 19, 2025 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Away | Arlington Renegades | Choctaw Stadium | | L 30-15 (2-2) |
| April 26, 2025 (Saturday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Michigan Panthers | The Dome at America’s Center |  | W 32-27 (3-2) |
| May 2, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | Arlington Renegades | The Dome at America’s Center | | W 12-6 (4-2) |
| May 11, 2025 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Away | Memphis Showboats | Liberty Stadium | | W 19-9 (5-2) |
| May 17, 2025 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Home | Birmingham Stallions | The Dome at America’s Center | | |
| May 23, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Home | San Antonio Brahmas | The Dome at America’s Center | | |
| May 30, 2025 (Friday) | 7 p.m. | Away | DC Defenders | Audi Field | |