Battlehawks dominate Defenders, remain on top XFL Conference

The St. Louis Battlehawks followed up one one-sided win in Week 4 with an even more lopsided lambasting over the DC Defenders, 45-12, on Sunday, April 28, at Audi Field in Washington.

“If you’re a head coach watching all of that for four quarters, you sit back and take it in,” Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said. “I love this team. They deserve to be 4-1.”

Dating back to 2020, if was the first time the Defenders lost a game at home. It was also the Battlehawks’ first win against them.

The Battlehawks enjoy many advantages that separates them from the rest of the XFL Conference. One of them is an offensive line has been together for two seasons straight. The stability of that unit was tested however, when three of them went down due to injury.

“We thought we had to slide one of my tight ends down to play tackle, and we didn’t flinch,” Becht said.

Another advantage is the connection between quarterback AJ McCarron and tight end Hakeem Butler. McCarron completed 14-of-24 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. 147 of those yards, as well as both touchdowns went to Butler.

“Me being the catalyst is cool,” Butler said. “I always believe with the ball in my hands I’ll do great things but also my teammates. There are dudes that don’t get to play who could go to another team and start. Right now, just stacking up wins is telling about where our team is and where we’re headed.”

Butler’s performance on Sunday was extra special for him as it was in front of friends and family by his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.

"I only get to play in this area once a year," Butler said during a mid-game TV interview. "For them to come and be able to watch me, it means a lot." 

McCarron’s 111 completed passes and 10 touchdowns are the most in the UFL so far this season.

“The guy’s a warrior,” Becht said. “This is why he came back – for this game, for the goals we’re trying to reach this season.”

On a defensive side. 12 points is lowest amount allowed by the Battlehawks this season. Linebacker Mike Rose led the team with 11 tackles and one interception, making him the second player in the UFL with multiple INTs. Willie Harvey is 8th in the UFL with 31 tackles. Pita Taumoepenu, a newcomer who was XFL Defensive Player of the Year last year, is tied for third with four sacks.

“I told the team at camp, ‘I’m sick of hearing about the offense. I want this to be the best defense in the league,’” Becht said.

The Battlehawks return home to take on the Houston Roughnecks on Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m.