Seattle, WA
Seattle trips up BattleHawks in North showdown
ST. LOUIS – It was like outdated occasions Sunday on the Dome at America’s Middle. Seattle and St. Louis squaring off with playoff implications at stake.
It was an XFL North showdown this time, not the outdated NFC Western Division. And it was the Sea Dragons and the BattleHawks as a substitute of the Seahawks and the outdated St. Louis Rams. However the stakes have been excessive, particularly for the Sea Dragons, whose postseason lives hinged on the result.
That end result went Seattle’s means Sunday, 30-12 earlier than one other massive XFL crowd of 33,142. It means the groups sit tied for the second – and final – XFL North playoff berth at 6-3 behind the 8-1 DC Defenders. They’ve break up the regular-season video games. The BattleHawks gained at Seattle in Week 2.
A win Sunday would have cinched a playoff spot for the BattleHawks. They must wait – and hope the chips fall their means. St. Louis will host Orlando subsequent Saturday within the regular-season finale. Seattle will host the Vegas Vipers Sunday evening within the last recreation of the season, figuring out by then what shall be required for his or her season to proceed.
The second-place finisher – both St. Louis or Seattle – will face North Division winner DC in a semifinal April 30 in DC. The winner of that recreation will transfer on to the XFL championship recreation Could 13 on the Alamodome towards the South Division playoff winner.
If Seattle wins subsequent week, it’s going to end with an similar 3-3 document throughout the division. St. Louis and Seattle have additionally each been swept by the DC Defenders. Energy of victory could be similar if each St. Louis and Seattle win subsequent week as a result of they’d be .500 towards the opposite and 0-2 vs. DC.
Sunday in St. Louis, the Sea Dragons led from the get-go, held a 14-9 halftime benefit and prolonged it within the second half. They even tacked on three factors on the ultimate play of the sport within the type of a 42-yard subject aim.
“It got here right down to who was gonna to be one of the best workforce within the second half,” BattleHawks coach Anthony Becht stated. “We fell quick.”
The Seattle victory was its sixth within the final seven video games and it ended the BattleHawks’ three-game successful streak.
Seattle took an early 9-0 lead when TJ Hammonds ran for a nine-yard landing with 7:35 left within the first quarter and the Sea Dragons transformed a two-point conversion.
St. Louis place kicker Hageman countered together with his workforce’s first factors of the sport with a 45-yard subject aim with 2:48 remaining within the first quarter.
The BattleHawks grabbed a 9-8 lead early within the second quarter. vast receiver Darrius Sheperd caught a 42-yard landing go from St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron with 9:51 remaining earlier than halftime.
St. Louis vast receiver Marcell Ateman had a 38-yard reception to highlights the drive.
Ateman had seven receptions for 99 yards.
Seattle countered with a five-play, 53-yard landing drive to take a 14-9 lead with 3:09 left within the second quarter. Ben DiNucci capped the drive with two-yard TD go Jordan Veasy.
The Sea Dragons prolonged their result in 20-9 on their third play of the second half with a 68-yard landing go from DiNucci to Jahcour Pearson.
Hageman minimize the deficit again to eight factors with a 54-yard subject aim with 3:24 left within the third quarter.
The Sea Dragons scored the ultimate 10 factors of the sport with a landing and one-point conversion with 4:00 left within the fourth quarter and a subject aim with 5 seconds remaining.
DiNucci ran for an eight-yard landing with 4:00 left and the one-point conversion made it 27-12. Then Seattle kicker Dominik Eberle kicked a 36-yard subject aim as time expired, increasing the purpose distinction as a further safeguard within the occasion of a tiebreaker to settle the ultimate playoff place following subsequent weekend’s video games.