
On Sunday, May 19, 2024, the St. Louis Battlehawks beat the Washington, D.C. Defenders by a score of 26-21 to improve their regular season record to 6-2 and secure a spot in the inaugural United Football League (UFL) playoffs.
“I love these guys. They do rise up. You know when we have our backs against a wall that’s when they find a way,” St. Louis Battlehawks Head Coach Anthony Becht told ESPN’s Stormy Buonantony after the game.
In a game that featured five lead changes, the road to victory was not linear for the Battlehawks. After leading for much of the second half, the Defenders countered with a 12-play, 73-yard drive that put DC up by one point with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter. However, St. Louis was able to close the game out with a five-play, 55-yard touchdown drive that put the Battlehawks up by five.
Sunday’s result puts St. Louis in the driver’s seat as they push for home field advantage in the 2024 XFL Conference Championship. Meanwhile, the Defenders need a miracle to reach the postseason. In order to grab the final playoff spot in the UFL, the Defenders must win their remaining two games while the San Antonio Brahmas would need to lose the final three games of the season.