APRIL 16, 2023 – The St. Louis Battlehawks’s three-game win streak came to an end Sunday in a 30-12 loss to the Seattle Sea Dragons in front of 33,142 fans at The Dome at America’s Center. The Battlehawks (6-3) and Sea Dragons (6-3) are now tied for second place in the XFL North Division with one game to play
St. Louis took its only lead of the game with 9 minutes, 51 seconds left in the second quarter when WR Darrius Shepherd caught his longest pass of the season, a 42-yard reception from QB A.J. McCarron that put the Battlehawks in front, 9-8. WR Marcell Ateman kickstarted the drive with a 38-yard reception that was also his longest of the season with 12:34 to play in the second quarter. He led all St. Louis receivers with seven catches for a season-high 99 yards. Seattle then responded with a 5-play, 53 yard touchdown drive to take a 14-9 lead with 3:09 left before halftime.
The Sea Dragons extended their lead to 20-9 on their third play of the second half with a 68-yard touchdown pass from QB Ben DiNucci to WR Jahcour Pearson. Battlehawks K Donny Hageman cut the deficit back to eight points with a 54-yard field goal with 3:24 left in the third quarter. It was his second-longest field goal of the season, behind only an XFL-record, 59-yard kick in Week 7 at Houston.
Hageman also delivered the Battlehawks’ first points of the game with a 45-yard field goal with 2:48 left in the first quarter to cut the Sea Dragons’ lead to 8-3 after Seattle scored a touchdown and two-point conversion on its opening drive.
The Sea Dragons scored the final 10 points of the game with a touchdown and one-point conversion with 4:00 left in the fourth quarter and a field goal with five seconds remaining to run their lead from eight points to 18 points.
Seattle will face the Vegas Vipers at home at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 23. The Battlehawks will finish their regular season schedule against the Orlando Guardians at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, April 22 at The Dome at America’s Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.
POSTGAME NOTES
WR Marcell Ateman set season highs with 7 catches and 99 receiving yards, including a 38-yard reception in the second quarter that was his longest of the season.
WR Darrius Shepherd caught his longest pass of the season with a 42-yard touchdown reception with 9:51 left in the second quarter.
Shepherd finished with six catches for 60 yards. His 42 catches for the season tie WR Hakeem Butler for both the team lead and third most in the XFL this season.
WR Gary Jennings rushed for a season-high 35 yards on four carries, including a season-high, 17-yard rush in the third quarter.
LB Travis Feeney recorded his team-leading eighth tackle for loss of the season.
LB Carson Wells had a sack and a team-high two tackles for loss. He ranks second on the team with six tackles for loss on the season.
DB Lukas Denis made his first interception of the season with 5:35 left in the fourth quarter. He also led the team with a season-high 10 tackles.
K Donny Hageman drilled a 54-yard field goal in the third quarter, his second-longest of the season (1st: XFL-record 59 yards in Week 7 at HOU).
The Battlehawks hosted 33,142 fans and hold all four of the top attendance marks in league history. They have averaged 35,622 fans across their four home games.
