The St. Louis Battlehawks completed a furious fourth-quarter comeback Sunday to beat the San
Antonio Brahmas, 18-15, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, to open the 2023 season.
The Battlehawks produced 16 points in the final 1 minute, 25 seconds of the game to erase a
15-3 deficit. QB A.J. McCarron delivered his first touchdown pass of the season to WR Hakeem
Butler to draw the Battlehawks to within six points, 15-9. He then found WR Austin Proehl in
the end zone for a 3-point conversion from the 10-yard line to cut the Brahmas lead to 15-12.
Head coach Anthony Becht then called for a 4th-and-15 attempt from the St. Louis 25-yard line
rather than an onside kick to take advantage of a rule unique to the XFL, and McCarron
connected with Proehl for 22 yards to get the Battlehawks to their own 47-yard line. A 15-yard
roughing the passer penalty and three more McCarron pass completions from put the
Battlehawks 14 yards from the end zone. McCarron again found Proehl on the next play to give
St. Louis the deciding score with 16 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Battlehawks produced 173 total yards of offense in the fourth quarter. McCarron was 11-
of-14 with 133 yards and two touchdowns in the quarter. He finished the game 18-for-27 with
190 yards and two touchdowns. Proehl led the team in receiving with four catches for 49 yards,
including the game-winning touchdown. RB Brian Hill led the rushing attack with 55 yards on six
attempts, including a 40-yard rush on the Battlehawks’ first play of the fourth quarter that was
the longest play of the game for either team.
San Antonio had built its 15-3 lead with three field goals and a touchdown. The Brahmas scored
their only touchdown with 10:42 left in the fourth quarter to complete a 10-play, 63-yard drive
that expanded their lead to 12-3. K Parker Romo put San Antonio up by 12 when converted a
48-yard field goal for his third successful kick of the game and left the Battlehawks with 3:02 to
make their comeback.
The Battlehawks recorded their first points of the season with a 32-yard field goal by K Donny
Hageman with 8:04 left in the first half to tie the game, 3-3. LB Travis Feeney put St. Louis in
position for the field goal when he strip-sacked Brahmas QB Jack Coan. Feeney recovered the
fumble himself and returned it 32 yards to the Brahmas’ 29-yard line.