By Michael Heilman
The XFL wrapped up week 2 Sunday with two games. The Dallas Renegades against the Los Angeles Wildcats and St. Louis BattleHawks against the Houston Roughnecks.
Dallas Renegades 25, Los Angeles Wildcats 18
The Los Angeles Wildcats hosted the Dallas Renegades at Dignity Health Sports Park in the first XFL Sunday game. Landry Jones (DAL) and Josh Johnson (LA) made their season debuts.
The game was scoreless in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Los Angeles Wildcats took a 3-0 lead with a 47-yard field goal by Nick Novak. Dallas then tied it up with an Austin MacGinnis 41-yard field goal for a 3-3 game heading into halftime.
Dallas took a 6-3 lead in the third quarter when Austin MacGinnis kicked a 45-yard field goal. Los Angeles would then regain the lead on a Josh Johnson six-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Bruce to make it a 9-6 Wildcats lead. Dallas would take back the lead with a Cameron Artis-Payne 21-yard rushing touchdown to give the Renegades a 12-9 lead. Payne converted the one-point play for a 13-9 Dallas lead. Dallas extended their lead 19-9 as Landry Jones made a short pass to tight end Donald Parham.
Josh Johnson would get the Wildcats back in the game when he threw a 44-yard bomb to Nelson Spruce to cut the Renegades lead 19-15. The Wildcats attempted a three-point play that was successful that had them trailing by one 19-18. However, Dallas running-back Cameron Artis-Payne sealed the win for the Renegades with a 17-yard rushing touchdown giving them a 25-18 win.
Dallas quarterback Landry Jones finished the afternoon going 28 for 40 for 305-yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions and sacked two-times. Donald Parham led the Renegades in receiving yards targeted eleven times with five receptions and one touchdown. Cameron Artis-Payne led the Renegades in rushing for fourteen carries for ninety-nine-yards and two touchdowns.
Los Angeles quarterback Josh Johnson went 18 for 34 for 196-yards and two touchdowns and sacked two-times. Nelson Spruce led the team in receiving yards targeted nine times with six receptions and two touchdowns. Elijah Hood led the Wildcats in rushing with ten carries for thirty-one-yards.
Dallas will travel to Seattle to take on the Dragons Saturday at 5 pm on FOX, and the Wildcats will host the DC Defenders Sunday at 6 pm on FS1.
Houston Roughnecks 28, St. Louis BattleHawks 24
The St. Louis BattleHawks visited the Houston Roughnecks to close out week two at TDECU Stadium.
The Roughnecks took a 3-0 lead on a 44-yard field goal by Sergio Castillo. St. Louis quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu threw a 25-yard short pass to Matt Jones for a touchdown to put the BattleHawks up 6-3. Houston quarterback Phillip Walker made a short pass to Cam Phillips for a seven-yard touchdown to put the Roughnecks up 9-6.
Roughnecks running-back James Butler rushed for a one-yard touchdown run to extend Houston’s lead 15-6. Phillip Walker would connect a nine-yard touchdown pass to Cam Phillips for the second time to make it a 21-6 Roughnecks lead at halftime.
St. Louis started a comeback in the third quarter as Jordan Ta’Amu threw a one-yard touchdown pass to De’Mornay Pierson-El to cut the Roughnecks lead 21-12. Ta’Amu would then rush for a four-yard touchdown to trail by three 21-18. Houston’s Phillip Walker would connect to Cam Phillips for the third time on a two-yard touchdown pass. Walker then rushed for the extra point to put the Roughnecks up 28-18. However, St. Louis’s Jordan Ta’Amu then threw a short pass to L’Damian Washington for thirty-six yards, but the BattleHawks would come up short to the Houston Roughnecks 28-24.
Houston quarterback Phillip Walker finished the day going 20 of 31 for 170-yards and three touchdowns with only one sack. Cam Phillips led the Roughnecks receiving targeted ten times with eight receptions for sixty-three yards and three touchdowns. Running-back James Butler led the Roughnecks in rushing with seven carries for twenty-eight-yards and one touchdown.
St. Louis quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu finished the day going 30 of 37 for 284-yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions, one rushing touchdown and sacked three times. Wide-receiver to L’Damian Washington led the team in receiving yards targeted eight times with six receptions for 77-yards and one touchdown. Washington’s teammate De’Mornay Pierson-El was not far behind in stats targeted eleven times with nine receptions for fifty-yards and one touchdown. Running-back Matt Jones led the team in rushing with sixteen carries for forty-four-yards.
The Roughnecks will hit the road for the first time this season at Raymond James Stadium to take on the Tampa Bay Vipers next Saturday at 2 pm on ABC, and the St. Louis BattleHawks make their home debut at The Dome at America’s Center next Sunday against the New York Guardians at 3 pm on ESPN.
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