Battlehawks Weather Late Surge, Hand Storm First Loss
UFL St. Louis Battlehawks

Battlehawks Weather Late Surge, Hand Storm First Loss

Published on April 25, 2026 under United Football League (UFL)
St. Louis Battlehawks News Release


ORLANDO, FL - A tale of two halves defined this one. St. Louis dominated early, building a 25-0 cushion, and held on late as Orlando's furious comeback came up short. The Battlehawks handed the Storm their first loss of the season and moved to 3-2 at the midway point.

This marked the first-ever matchup between former colleagues Anthony Becht and Ricky Proehl, and early on, it was all Proehl.

St. Louis opened with the ball and wasted no time. Harrison Frost came out sharp, hitting Hakeem Butler for 27 yards on third down and Tyler Neville for another 16. Kylin James capped it with a one-yard score, though a missed conversion kept it 6-0. Frost started a perfect 5-for-5 as the offense found early rhythm.

The Battlehawks defense followed suit, turning Orlando over on downs. But the Storm answered right back, Amani Bledsoe, in his first game with Orlando, picked off a tipped pass intended for Jasheen Davis. The recent addition made an immediate impact.

That didn't slow St. Louis for long.

Another fourth down stop, this time highlighted by Michael Ojemudia in the open field, set the tone for a defense that continued to swarm. Blake Jackson kept the drive alive with a diving third-down grab, but it was James Bostic who stole the moment, climbing over defenders for a highlight-reel touchdown in the back of the end zone. Another missed try made it 12-0.

St. Louis kept stacking points. With the starting kicker sidelined, punter Ryan Sanborn stepped in and delivered from 36 yards to push the lead to 15-0.

Orlando couldn't respond. Jashaun Corbin coughed it up, just their second turnover all season, and Trey Dean III recovered. Even when Frost was picked off by former Battlehawk Nate Meadors, the Storm couldn't capitalize, punting it back late in the half.

Sanborn added one more from 40 yards, sending St. Louis into the break up 18-0.

It was Orlando's worst half of the season with just 29 total yards and no points.

The second half didn't start any better. Another turnover on downs set up St. Louis again, and Jarveon Howard ripped off a 31-yard run before Frost punched it in himself from three yards out. 25-0.

Then, finally, Orlando woke up.

After a late hit led to an ejection, Elijhah Badger responded with authority with three catches on the drive, including a four-yard touchdown to get the Storm on the board.

The defense followed with a stop, and special teams flipped the game. Konner Fox blocked the punt, setting Orlando up at the one, and Elijah Dotson finished it off. Just like that, it was a game.

A 14-point third quarter brought the crowd to life.

But the comeback stalled at key moments. Michael Lantz missed from 56 yards, keeping it an 11-point deficit. Orlando's defense continued to give them chances, but time became the enemy.

A long 7:03 drive ended in just a 32-yard field goal with under nine minutes left. The Storm converted their first 4th-and-12 of the season by any UFL team as Jack Plummer found Sam Wiglusz, but the Storm couldn't finish the job.

Facing 4th-and-13 with the game on the line, Orlando came up short. St. Louis slammed the door.

The Orlando Storm went just 3-of-14 on third down, and their sluggish first half told the story.

The Battlehawks head into a short week, traveling to Louisville for the Derby Classic on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET on FS1.

Check out the St. Louis Battlehawks Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Football League Stories from April 25, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central