Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors (15) tries to escape the grasp of a D.C. player Sunday a The Dome at America’s Center.Dilip Vishwanat/UFL

For the second straight year in a row, the Battlehawks lost XFL Conference Championship Sunday this time to the D.C. Defenders 36-18. Despite have the number 1 rated defense in the league, the Defenders’ running backs Deon Jackson and Abram Smith rushed for a combined 174 yards and three touchdowns in the game, helping the Defenders convert on seven of 11 third downs. The Defenders scored first with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Ta’amu to Seth Williams midway through the first quarter to make it 6-0. They tacked on 14 points in the second quarter with a rushing touchdown from Deon Jackson and a two-point conversion. Throughout much of the first half, the Battlehawks’ offense struggled to get on track until the defense forced a turnover when defensive back Myles Jones intercepted D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, and returned it to the 20-yard line. Then, Battlehawks Running back Jacob Saylors executed a four-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-6.

But after the Battlehawks were able to stop the Defenders deep in their territory, their offense turned the ball right back, and the D.C. extend their lead to 17-6 then force St. Louis to another 3 and out and right before half time, Defender kicker Matt McCrane kicked a 41-yard field to make it 20-6. The Battlehawks Defense had no answer as D.C. made it 26-6 early in the third quarter when Abramn Smith scored on a two-yard run with the PAT failed. Bradon Silver replaced the ineffective Max Duggan, who was sacked 6 times and was 3 of 7 for 29 yards. Silver countered with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Hakeem Butler with 4:08 left to make it 26-12, with a two-point PAT failed. “We couldn’t get a rhythm on offense,” Becht said. “and on defense, we couldn’t get off the field. We couldn’t stop them, which hurts you against a quarterback like Jordan (Ta’amu).”

The Defenders put it out of reach in the 4th quarter with a touchdown run by Deon Jackson, who rushed for 110 yards on 21 carries. Matt McCrane added a field goal midway in the 4th quarter to extend the lead to 36-12. Max Duggan, who returned to action in the fourth quarter after Bradon Silver injured his shoulder, scored a two-yard run with 2:12 left with PAT attempt failed again. The Defender will play against the Michigan Panthers, who defeated the defending UFL Champions Birmingham Stallions 44-29 in St. Louis for the UFL title. As for the Battlehaws there will be a lot of talk on whether it’s time for major changes after another ugly performance in the conference championship. Will they find another quarterback after they let go A.J. McCarron in favor of Manny Wilkins, who was injured early this season? Is it time for the team to move off of coach Anthony Becht, who’s led the team to 3 straight winning seasons but failed to reach the UFL Championship? Becht has done a good job, and the team is still beloved by St. Louis sport fans, but the honeymoon is starting to wane, and after failing to reach the Championship, it might be time for a change to reach to the next level.