Battlehawks DL Kevin Atkins (90) and LB Carson Wells (53) swarm D.C. Defenders RB Abram Smith during Saturday night’s XFL football game in St. Louis. (Photo courtesy: XFL)
| XFL FOOTBALL 2023 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. (5-0) | 0 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 28 |
| St. Louis (3-2) | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 20 |
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
ST. LOUIS, MO — For the first time in team history, the St. Louis Battlehawks sent its fans home disappointed, following a 28-20 home loss to the undefeated D.C. Defenders, Saturday night at the Dome at America’s Center.
The Battlehawks trailed 28-12 with five minutes to go, but gave themselves a chance to rally, thanks to a sensational 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback A.J. McCarron to running back Steven Mitchell, Jr.
McCarron then added a two-point conversion pass to Mitchell, and St. Louis was only behind by eight with just over four minutes to play.
Then, after stopping D.C. on its next drive, the Battlehawks got the ball back with just under two minutes to go. Unfortunately though, that was as close as the home team would get, as McCarron threw an interception with 55 seconds left that allowed the Defenders to seal the win.
McCarron completed 22-of-34 passes, two for touchdowns, but he also had a key lost fumble and the interception that essentially ended the game.
D.C. was led by running back Abram Smith, who rushed for 218 yards, including a 62-yard score in the second quarter, and a 70-yard burst in the third, that helped the Defenders build its 16-point third quarter lead.
The game was also a return to the Dome for Jordan Ta’amu, who was the Battlehawks QB when the club first existed back in 2020, when the XFL season was shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On Saturday, Ta’aum completed 12-of-18 passes and rushed for 23 yards for the Defenders.
Darrius Shepherd set the Battlehawks up with short fields twice, with an 80-yard kickoff return to start the second half and a 52-yard return in the second quarter. The Battlehawks could only turn those opportunities into a field goal and a punt.
The victory raised D.C.’s record to 5-0, and helped it maintain first place in the XFL North Division, while St. Louis fell to 3-2, where it is tied for second place with the Seattle Sea Dragons.
The Battlehawks hold the tiebreaker over the Sea Dragons, after defeating them back in Week 2. That game was played in Seattle. The teams will have a rematch in St. Louis on April 16.
Next week though, the Battlehawks will be on the road, as they take on the Vegas Vipers (1-4), which picked up its first win of the season later Saturday night, by knocking off the winless Orlando Guardians.
The St. Louis at Vegas matchup will take place Saturday, March 25, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
Scoring Summary
| 2ND QUARTER | DC | STL | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 10:02 – FG – Donny Hageman 36 yd field goal | 0 | 3 |
 | 9:22 – TD – Abram Smith 62 yd run (Jordan Ta’amu pass to Josh Hammond for 2-point conversion) | 8 | 3 |
| 1:54 – TD – Abram Smith 5 yd run (2-point run failed) | 14 | 3 |
| 3RD QUARTER | DC | STL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:16 – FG – Donny Hageman 34 yd field goal | 14 | 6 |
| 12:24 – TD – Abram Smith 70 yd run (2-point pass failed) | 20 | 6 |
| 6:20 – TD – George Campbell 5 yd pass from AJ McCarron (2-Point run failed) | 20 | 12 |
| 4TH QUARTER | DC | STL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:16- TD – D’Eriq King 10 yd run (Jordan Ta’amu run for 2-point conversion) | 28 | 12 |
| 4:19 – TD – Steven Mitchell Jr. 50 yd pass from A.J. McCarron (A.J. McCarron pass to Steven Mitchell Jr. for 2-point conversion) | 28 | 20 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks Upcoming XFL Football Schedule |
| 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. |