In a surprising result, the Arlington Renegades (2-7) played spoiler by knocking off the playoff-bound St. Louis Battlehawks (6-3) by a score of 36-22 on Saturday at Choctaw Stadium.

Fast Start for Arlington
The Renegades got off to a fast start, taking an early 8-0 lead in the first quarter. Quarterback Luis Perez connected with tight end Sal Cannella for a 46-yard touchdown strike. Perez then hit Isaiah Winstead for the two-point conversion.

Back-and-Forth Battle
From there, it was a back-and-forth affair between the two teams. The lead changed hands multiple times, with neither side able to pull away decisively.

St. Louis briefly took a 21-19 advantage in the third quarter on a 5-yard TD scramble by QB Manny Wilkins. But Arlington responded with a TD catch by Seth Green and successful two-point conversion to retake a 27-21 lead heading to the fourth.

Renegades Pull Away Late
The Renegades finally created separation early in the fourth on Jonathan Garibay’s second field goal to make it 30-21. Joe Powell’s 49-yard pick-six with 1:31 left then put the game away at 36-21.

Offensive Outbursts
Both offenses had big games statistically. Perez threw for 259 yards and 3 TDs for Arlington while Wilkins had 179 pass yards, 1 TD and 2 rushing scores for St. Louis.

The Battlehawks’ Jacob Saylors had a huge day with 104 rush yards and a receiving TD, tying the franchise single-game rushing record.

Defensive Playmakers
Defensive players made impact plays as well. Myles Dorn had a forced fumble and interception for the Renegades. Keylon Kennedy returned an interception for a defensive two-point conversion for St. Louis.

Playoff Implications
With the upset loss, St. Louis (6-3) missed a chance to potentially clinch home-field for the XFL Championship game on June 9th against San Antonio.

Arlington (2-7) was already eliminated from playoff contention but played the role of spoiler to close out their season.

The Renegades will wrap up their year at D.C. next Sunday while the Battlehawks host the San Antonio Brahmas (7-2) in a preview of the XFL title tilt.