In a hard-fought battle at Camping World Stadium, the Arlington Renegades (4-4) narrowly defeated the Orlando Guardians (1-7) 18-16 in front of an official attendance of 7,789 spectators. The close game saw both teams exchanging the lead multiple times, with the Renegades ultimately coming out on top.
The Renegades started strong, scoring 9 points in the first quarter, followed by another 3 points in the second. Despite a 6-point surge by the Guardians in the second quarter, the Renegades held onto their lead, entering halftime with a 12-9 advantage. The third quarter saw Arlington putting up another 6 points, while Orlando was unable to respond. The Guardians fought back in the final quarter with a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Renegades’ lead.
Arlington’s new quarterback, Luis Perez, completed 16 out of 25 passes for 190 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt with no touchdowns and no interceptions. On the other hand, Orlando’s Quinten Dormady completed 28 out of 43 passes for 303 yards, averaging 7.0 yards per attempt with one touchdown and two interceptions.
The Renegades’ ground attack was led by Leddie Brown, who rushed for 47 yards on 9 carries, and De’Veon Smith, who added 44 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Orlando’s rushing leader was Dormady, who picked up 17 yards on 5 carries and scored a touchdown.
In the receiving department, Arlington’s Lujuan Winningham caught 2 passes for 62 yards, while Tyler Vaughns contributed with 4 catches for 52 yards. For the Guardians, Eli Rogers had an outstanding performance, hauling in 10 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Arlington’s Darnell Sankey led the team with 8 total tackles, while Shakur Brown and Cre’Von LeBlanc each contributed 7 tackles. Arlington’s defense also recorded two interceptions, with Joe Powell and Willie Taylor making the crucial plays. On the other side, Orlando’s Najeem Hosein had 7 total tackles, while Terrance Plummer and Matt Elam each had 6 tackles.
Arlington’s kicker, Taylor Russolino, had a perfect day, converting 2 field goals from 2 attempts, with a long of 31 yards. Orlando’s Jose Borregales also made his only field goal attempt from 24 yards.
The Renegades will look to build on this win as they push for a playoff spot, while the Guardians will hope to regroup and improve as the season progresses.
XFL Box Score
