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Lifelong Frog
Battlehawks, Defenders set to square off for XFL championship
Story by Pete Hayes, Sports EditorST. LOUIS - The end is drawing near for the 2025 season of spring football. The St. Louis Battlehawks want it to last two more games.
The Battlehawks are a victory away from advancing to the league championship and need to defeat the D.C. Defenders for the second consecutive game to do it.
Four United Football League teams will face off Sunday in the 2025 UFL conference championships. The Battlehawks, with the league's best record at 8-2, will host the 6-4 Defenders at 5 p.m. in the XFL Conference title game at The Dome at America's Center. The game will be televised on Fox.
The Defenders-Battlehawks winner will face to the UFL championship game June 14 in St. Louis and face the winner of the Sunday's first game, which pits 7-3 Birmingham aganst 7-3 Michigan in the USFL Conference championship game at 2 p.m. CT in Birmingham, Alabama. The game will be televised on ABC.
The Battlehawks defeated D.C. 13-8 in Washington in Week 10, while the Defenders downed St. Louis 27-15 in Week 3 in St. Louis.
"This is something we've been working toward for three seasons now," Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said. "We've advanced every year and now we've got to take those steps.
"We know it's gonna be a challenging game. They're gonna bring their 'A' game and we have to bring ours. It's gonna be a four-quarter game and that's what we're expecting.
"It's a two-game season now," Becht said. " I think everybody's dialed in and focused."
Last season, the Battlehawks lost in the semifinal round to the San Antonio Brahmas. The Brahmas were out of the playoffs early this season and finished 12-9..\
The Battlehawks are led by quarterback Max Duggan, who has gone undefeated as a starter this season at 5-0. The Battlehawks also have All-UFL running back Jacob Saylors, second in the league for total rushing yards with 499 yards and in rushing touchdowns wih five.
The St. Louis defense is led by All-UFL selection and star sack leader defensive end Pita Taumoepenu, who finished the regular season with 7.5 sacks.
Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, a fomer Battlehawks signal caller from first season in 2009 in the pre-Covid days, leads the league with 17 passing touchdowns and ranking second in passing yards with 2,155.
On the other side of the ball, the defense has been a force, with four of the team’s seven All-UFL selections coming from the defensive unit. Wide receiver and return specialist Chris Rowland has emerged as a dynamic dual threat, earning All-UFL honors for both offense and special teams.
The fact that St. Louis could makes its way to a first league championship running on it home track is no accident. Anytime a decision has been needed as to the location of a game, St. Louis usually gets the nod, thanks to its overwhelming lead in attendance figures.
The Battlehwks averaged just under 30,000 fans per home ganes this season, slightly down from a year ago, but overwhelmingly more than any other team in either conference of the UFL.
In last season's home opener, the Battlehawks drew more than 40,000 fans, setting the all-time spring pro football attendance mark.
“The crowd is so important," Becht said. "It's such a factor for us when we play.
"We earned the right to have two games at home, which is fantastic."
