First half highlights
The game kicked off with the Battlehawks striking first, as kicker Ramiz Ahmed nailed a 45-yard field goal. However, the Renegades quickly responded when quarterback Austin Reed connected with Emanuel Butler for a 17-yard touchdown, giving Dallas a 7-3 lead. St. Louis fought back, with Luis Perez finding Hakeem Butler for a 56-yard gain, but they settled for another Ahmed field goal, narrowing the gap to 7-6.
The first half was marked by turnovers, including a strip-sack by Steve Linton on Reed, followed by an interception thrown by Perez. Reed rebounded, leading a drive capped by a touchdown pass to Tyler Vaughns, who made a spectacular catch in the end zone. The Renegades took a 13-6 lead into halftime after missing the extra point.
Second half action
The second half began with both teams punting, but Perez eventually led a nine-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to James Bostic, tying the game at 13. The Battlehawks defense then stopped Dallas on fourth-and-one, but the Renegades‘ defense responded with a sack of Perez, forcing St. Louis to punt.
With the game tied at 13 entering the fourth quarter, the tension mounted. The Battlehawks took a brief lead with a 46-yard field goal from Ahmed, making it 16-13. However, Reed orchestrated a crucial drive, highlighted by a 21-yard catch from Vaughns. He capped it off with a touchdown pass to Butler, reclaiming the lead for Dallas at 20-16.
Defensive dominance seals the win
The Renegades defense proved to be the difference-maker, recording seven sacks and forcing three turnovers throughout the game. Demarcus Mitchell and Kevin Strong each contributed two sacks, helping to stifle the Battlehawks offense in the final moments.
As the clock wound down, Dallas sealed the victory with a fourth-down conversion on a jet sweep to Vaughns, effectively ending St. Louis’s hopes. With this win, the Renegades finished the season at 4-6, while the Battlehawks ended their campaign at 6-4, looking ahead to next year with plenty of promise.
