In a heart-stopping finish, the D.C. Defenders secured a 29-28 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas at The Alamodome in front of 12,129 spectators. With this result, the Arlington Renegades have booked their spot in the South Division Championship game against the Houston Roughnecks.
The game came down to a missed field goal by John Parker-Romo in the dying seconds. Parker-Romo hit his first attempt, but Defenders head coach Reggie Barlow called a timeout, successfully icing the kicker. On the second attempt, Parker-Romo missed, sealing the Defenders’ win.
The South Division Championship will be played at TDECU Stadium in Houston on Saturday, April 29 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
D.C. Defenders’ quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed 15 of 22 passes for 271 yards, averaging 12.3 yards per pass, with two touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, Ta’amu also rushed for 45 yards on eight carries, scoring a touchdown.
For the San Antonio Brahmas, quarterback Jack Coan completed 34 of 48 passes for 312 yards, averaging 6.5 yards per pass, but was unable to find the end zone. In the rushing department, Jacques Patrick carried the ball 16 times for 41 yards and two touchdowns, while Jonathan Hilliman added another six carries for 13 yards and a touchdown.
D.C. Defenders’ wide receiver Lucky Jackson led the team in receiving with three catches for 84 yards, while Chris Blair made a notable 70-yard reception. Alex Ellis contributed four catches for 25 yards and two touchdowns.
On the Brahmas’ side, wide receiver Landen Akers caught eight passes for 90 yards, followed by T.J. Vasher with five receptions for 57 yards.
On special teams, D.C. Defenders’ kicker Matthew McCrane made both of his field goal attempts, with a long of 49 yards. For the Brahmas, John Parker-Romo made two of his three field goal attempts, with a long of 28 yards.
Both teams put up a strong defensive performance, with D.C. Defenders’ Santos Ramirez leading his team with 10 total tackles, while the Brahmas’ Riko Jeffers topped his team’s chart with nine total tackles.
With the Arlington Renegades set to face the Houston Roughnecks in the South Division Championship, fans can expect another thrilling encounter as both teams battle for a spot in the XFL’s ultimate showdown.
XFL Box Score
