The St. Louis Battlehawks are 2-1 this season, after last week’s comeback victory over Birmingham. (Photo: Ellie Parker)
St. Louis Battlehawks – Gameday Info
Game No. 4 — St. Louis Battlehawks (2-1) at DC Defenders (2-1)
Date/Time – April 18, 2026 – 11:30 am
Location – Audi Field, Washington, DC
Broadcast – ABC
Radio — KMOX 104.1 FM
Live Stats – UFL Stats Broadcast
WASHINGTON, DC — The second rematch of the best rivalry in the United Football League will go down on Saturday, when the St. Louis Battlehawks travel to the nation’s capital to take on the DC Defenders.
DC defeated St. Louis in the XFL Conference championship game last season on its way to winning the UFL championship, but the Battlehawks won the rematch in this year’s season opener, 16-10, March 28 at The Battledome.
Rematch No. 2 will come on Saturday.
UFL rookie Harrison Frost will start at quarterback for the Battlehawks, Saturday against the DC Defenders. (Photo: Ellie Parker)
The teams will meet with matching 2-1 records. DC has looked fantastic in its back-to-back wins over the Columbus Aviators (44-26) and the Houston Gamblers (45-7), while St. Louis got smoked by the Dallas Renegades (31-15) in Week 2, but put together a thrilling fourth quarter rally to take down the Birmingham Stallions (34-30) last week.
“I couldn’t be more prouder,” Battlehawks head coach Ricky Proehl said. “We started fast. We talked about that all week and how we wanted to get off to a fast start. That’s kind of been our problem so far. Then, we kind of went into a lull and fell behind. But I couldn’t be more proud of a group of men than these guys for how they fought back today.”
Players to Watch: Last week’s Battlehawks comeback was sparked by a change at quarterback and the re-emergence of perhaps the best wide receiver in the league.
St. Louis benched starting quarterback Brandon Silvers and went to UFL rookie Harrison Frost, who threw three touchdown passes to lead the Battlehawks to victory. Superstar WR Hakeem Butler caught one of those touchdown throws — on a 64-yard bomb — that fired up the entire team and the large crowd in the stands.
Tight end Tyler Neville, who has touchdown catches in all three games so far this season, caught the game-winner with just under two minutes left in the game.
It was the St. Louis defense who led the Battlehawks to victory over DC in Week 1. The Battlehawks tied a team record with seven quarterback sacks and pressure Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu all day, which helped force three DC turnovers.
In the last two weeks though, Ta’amu has been much better and more efficient. The Defenders only had two turnovers combined in the two games and have scored over 40 points both times.
Running back Deon Jackson has been a key playmaker for the Defenders as well. He’s scored touchdowns in all three games this season, including three in the win over Columbus.
Against St. Louis in the opener, Jackson had 57 yards on 17 carries and scored the touchdown that gave the Defenders their initial lead.
Battlehawks TE Tyler Neville has scored touchdowns in all three games so far this season. (Photo: Ellie Parker)
Up Next: The Battlehawks will be on the road again next week, with a game in Florida against former head coach Anthony Becht and the undefeated Orlando Storm.
Kickoff for that game next Saturday night is set for 6 p.m., and the matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN.
St. Louis’ next home game is set for Friday, May 8, when the Battlehawks will host Columbus at The Battledome.
2026 ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2026 (Saturday) | 11 am | Home | DC Defenders | The Dome at America’s Center |  | W, 16-10 (1-0) |
| April 7, 2026 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Away | Dallas Renegades | Toyota Stadium / Frisco, TX |  | L, 31-15 (1-1) |
| April 12, 2026 (Sunday) | 2 pm | Home | Birmingham Stallions | The Dome at America’s Center |  | W, 34-30 (2-1) |
| April 18, 2026 (Saturday) | 11:30 am | Away | DC Defenders | Audi Field / Washington, DC | | |
| April 25, 2026 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Away | Orlando Storm | Inter&Co Stadium / Orlando, FL | | |
| April 30, 2026 (Thursday) | 7 pm | Away | Louisville Kings | Lynn Family Stadium / Louisville, KY | | |
| May 8, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Columbus Aviators | The Dome at America’s Center |  | |
| May 16, 2026 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | Houston Gamblers | The Dome at America’s Center | | |
| May 24, 2026 (Sunday) | 6 pm | Away | Houston Gamblers | Shell Energy Stadium / Houston, TX |  | |
| May 29, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Dallas Renegades | The Dome at America’s Center | |
Tough loss today. Team looked like a bunch of rookies.