MaySt. Louis Battlehawks centerback Chris Payton-Jones (3) celebrates his interception. The St. Louis Battlehawks defeated the Arlington Renegades 12-6 in a United Football League game at The Dome at Americas Center in St. Louis on May 2, 2025. Photo by Tim Vizer

It wasn’t pretty, it was so ugly for the St. Louis Battlehawks offense that, normally, when a team only converts 3-13 on third down, most likely it ends in an ugly loss. But thanks to Arlington’s self-inflicted miscues and a Battlehawk defense that was determined to step up their game after giving up over 300 yards the week before against the Michigan Panthers, the team limited Arlington to just 210 total yards, and the Battlehawks recorded a 12-6 win on Friday. Arlington had a chance to take the lead in the game but missed a 44-yard field goal after 12 plays.

On Arlington’s next drive Battlehawks DE Pita Taumopenu recorded a sack and force a fumble by Renegades QB Luis Perez, which was also recovered by Taumopenu. While Arlington’s offense wasn’t in sync, their defense did their job by sacking Battlehawks quarterback Max Duggan 5 times. In St. Louis’s sixth drive, Duggan broke free with a 37-yard scramble at the Arlington 2-yard line. But Arlington’s defense was able to hold the Battlehawks off in the Red Zone, forcing a turnover on downs at the ARL 2 with 5:18 left in the first half. Duggan struggled by completing just 7 of his 19 passes for 93 yards while Jacob Saylors ran for a game-high 57 yards on 14 attempts. Battlehawks defense held Arlington within 6 yards of the Renegades’ endzone, forcing them to punt from the 2-yard line. St. Louis got good field position after a 16-yard punt return by WR Jahcour Pearson, and Max Duggan took full advantage when he connected to WR Hakeem Butler for a 30-yard touchdown reception on the third play of the drive, making the score 6-0.

The Battlehawks Defense continued their dominance on Arlington’s next drive, forcing them into a turnover on downs once again after a sack by DT Isaiah Mack towards the end of the first half. Rodrigo Blankenship made field goals from 49 and 53 yards that extended the lead to 12-6 late in the fourth quarter. Arlington had one more chance to steal a victory late in the fourth quarter, but once again Taumopenu continued his strong showing by forcing another fumble by Perez with Chris Garrett recovering to cement a 12-6 Battlehawks win over the Arlington Renegades. With the victory, the Battlehawks took over sole possession of second place in the XFL Conference and hope to extend their winning streak to 3 games when they go on the road against the Memphis Showboats next Sunday.