Battlehawks LB Tre Wilson (33) brings down D.C.’s Ryquell Armstead during Sunday’s XFL matchup at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy: XFL)
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis (2-1) | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 28 |
| D.C. (3-0) | 14 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 34 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
WASHINGTON, DC — An entertaining matchup between two of the XFL’s unbeaten teams was marred by a full-fledged brawl at the end of the game, when the St. Louis Battlehawks played the D.C. Defenders on Sunday.
St. Louis had just scored with 22 seconds left to pull within six points and decided to attempt a make-it-take-it, fourth-and-15 play to try and give itself a chance to tie or possibly win the game.
The play didn’t work and the Battlehawks were stopped, but after the play several players from both team got into a shoving match that quality escalated into punches being thrown and even a helmet being tossed.
Several players were ejected and the XFL’s newest rivalry was born.
In the end, D.C. held on to win the game 34-28, and maintain its unbeaten record at 3-0. St. Louis suffered its first loss and fell to 2-1.
“That’s not how we want our games to go, not how it ended,” Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said, following the game. “There were a lot of chippyness and smack-talking going on on both sides. These guys work hard and they play hard, and nobody wanted to back down. But what we don’t need is guys throwing punches at each other. Somehow we needed to settle that down.”
The finish wasn’t ideal, but the game itself was a fantastic display by both teams. The Defenders, who are led by former Battlehawks QB Jordan Ta’amu, led throughout and pulled to a 34-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Ta’amu was a key factor in that, after passing for 186 yards and throwing for one touchdown and rushing for another.
But St. Louis QB A.J. McCarron also had a dynamite day, as he threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns. McCarron also threw two interceptions, which led to 11 of D.C.’s points.
Battlehawks receiver Hakeem Butler also had a big day. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder caught nine passes for 105 yards and scored a touchdown. Teammate Darrius Shepherd produced 241 total yards (51 receiving, 190 on kick returns), including a 72-yard kickoff return that helped set up a score that gave St. Louis its first lead at 20-17 midway through the third quarter.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, as the Defenders scored the next 17 points to give themselves a lead the Battlehawks couldn’t overcome.
McCarron threw his fourth touchdown pass with 22 seconds and also converted a two-point conversion to pull St. Louis within a touchdown. But the Battlehawks couldn’t convert the fourth-and-15 play to keep their comeback hopes alive.
That frustration is what many believe set off the melee that happened following that play. Although it did appear it was a D.C. player that threw the first punch, and two of the three players ejected were D.C. players.
The Battlehawks-Defenders rivalry figures to get even more intense when the teams meet again in St. Louis in two weeks. That game will be played at the Dome at America’s Center aka The Battledome, on Saturday, March 18, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
Next week, the Battlehawks will play their 2023 home opener. It will be on Sunday, March 12, against the Arlington Renegades.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m., with the game scheduled to be televised on ESPN2.
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | STL | DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10:31 | DC – Ethan Wolfe 7 yd pass from Jordan Ta’amu (Ethan Wolfe 2-pt pass from Jordan Ta’amu) | 0 | 8 |
| 1st | 9:45 | DC – Michael Joseph 41 yd interception return (2-pt pass failed) | 0 | 14 |
| 1st | 5:33 | STL – Brian Hill 8 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (Darrius Shepherd 2-pt pass from A.J. McCarron) | 8 | 14 |
| 2nd | :03 | STL – Hakeem Butler 1 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (2-pt run failed) | 14 | 14 |
| 3rd | 9:42 | DC – Matthew McCrane 41 yd field goal | 14 | 17 |
| 3rd | 8:26 | STL – Jake Sutherland 23 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (2-pt run failed) | 20 | 17 |
| 3rd | 3:00 | DC – Jordan Ta’amu 2 yd run (Lucky Jackson 2-pt pass from Jordan Ta’amu) | 20 | 25 |
| 4th | 15:00 | DC – Matthew McCrane 35 yd field goal | 20 | 28 |
| 4th | 6:02 | DC – Chris Blair 4 yd pass from D’Eriq King (2-pt pass failed) | 20 | 34 |
| 4th | :22 | STL – Steven Mitchell 2 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (Steven Mitchell 2-pt pass from A.J. McCarron) | 28 | 34 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks Upcoming XFL Football Schedule |
| Sun., March 12 — vs. Arlington Renegades — 3 pm (ESPN2) |
| Sat., March 18 — vs. D.C. Defenders — 6 pm (FX) |
| Sat., March 25 — at Vegas Vipers — 6 pm (FX) |
| Sat., April 1 — at Houston Roughnecks — 2 pm (ESPN2) |
| Sat., April 8 — vs. Vegas Vipers — 12 pm (ESPN) |
| Sun., April 16 — vs. Seattle Sea Dragons — 2 pm (ESPN) |
| Sat., April 22 — vs. Orlando Guardians — 11 am (ESPN) |
| All Battlehawks home games will be played at The Dome at America’s Center. |