By RJ “The Bullish Brahma” Reid
Introduction
It is the XFL Championship Game between the San Antonio Brahmas and the Saint Louis Battlehawks. Here’s what you need to know:
When?
Sunday, June 9, 2025 @ 6:00PM CT.
Where?
The Dome at America’s Center, Saint Louis, Missouri.
Gameday Weather
The game is being played indoors, but for those looking at tailgating, the weather report looks favorable. The forecast calls for 80 degrees, partly cloudy with a 15% chance of rain and 15 mile per hour winds.
History
The Battlehawks lead the regular season series 3-0. This is the first matchup between the two teams in the playoffs.
Keys to Victory
-The obvious issue facing San Antonio right now is the kicking game. Ryan Santoso is struggling and cost the Brahmas the opportunity to host the playoff game this week. His last made field goal was 9:16 left in 2nd quarter against Arlington, a 26-yard attempt. Since then, he missed two straight in that game (a 48 and a 38-yard attempt), missed a 53-yard attempt against Birmingham, and the two against St. Louis, a 59-yard and a 51-yard attempt. One could argue that you look at the distance on these misses, only the two against the Renegades are widely considered to be chip shots, especially the 38-yard attempt. However, every attempt has been indoors, so weather cannot play a factor, and looking around the rest of the United Football League (UFL), you see other kickers regularly make 50+ yard attempts. The first miss against the Battlehawks was blocked, so you really can’t blame him for that. The second kick may have been blocked, but officially, it was recorded as a miss. Before the game-winning attempt, Saint Louis called a timeout to freeze Santoso, and he missed that kick as well. San Antonio needs to address this issue and address it quickly. Whether that is working with Santoso and getting him out of his own head, or brining in another kicker to replace him, right now, fans do not want the fate of the game resting on the leg of Ryan Santoso.
-The Brahmas backfield has been banged up, and they only had one running back in action against Saint Louis, Morgan Ellison. Pooka Williams filled in on running back duties, but he is a wide receiver. Despite this, the Brahmas still had their chance to win this game. The hope is that both John Lovett and Anthony McFarland will be ready to go for this game. If they are, the Brahmas will have a more balanced attack on offense, really taking pressure off the quarterback.
-Speaking of quarterback, there are questions surrounding this position as well. Who is going to play? Is Chase Garbers healthy enough to suit up? If he is, do you trust him to be able to play at his best? Do you start Quinten Dormady? He filled in admirably after Garbers went down. If Dormady does start, the biggest key for him is that he needs to protect ball. He is turnover prone, but he did not have a turnover last week, and that needs to continue. The Brahmas had two turnovers last week, and thankfully for them, neither one really hurt them. However, this is the playoffs, and the Brahmas need to play perfectly.
Predictions
I was on vacation last week, and did not make any predictions for Week 10, so let’s look at how my predictions from Week 9 fared:
-The Brahmas will rush for more yards than the Stallions.
Correct. San Antonio rushed for 127 yards and Birmingham rushed for 78 yards.
-The Brahmas will record 3 sacks.
Correct. They had 3 sacks.
-The Brahmas will score on their opening drive.
Incorrect. They had a turnover on their first possession.
-The Brahmas will convert on all their extra point attempts.
Incorrect. They were 0-3.
Week 9 results: 2-2.
Overall results: 10-27.
And now my predictions for this week. I hope I won’t “steer” you wrong:
-Quinten Dormady will throw for two touchdowns.
-The Brahmas will gain more than 100 yards of rushing.
-Tavante Beckett will lead the team in tackling.
-The Brahmas will play in Saint Louis for the third straight week as they will win this game.
Final Thoughts
There is something about the Saint Louis Battlehawks that the San Antonio Brahmas cannot seem to overcome. From the very first game last year when the Battlehawks scored two touchdowns in under two minutes to come from behind and win, to last week, where the Brahmas had three chances to win at the end of the game, San Antonio has saw victory slip through their fingers over and over against Saint Louis. This is the playoffs, where the past does not matter. Overall, the Brahmas have been the better team, but luck has been with the Battlehawks so far. Will Lady Luck continue to favor the Battlehawks, or will the Brahmas finally be able to overcome their mishaps and end the Battlehawks’ hope of playing at home for the championship? We will find out this Sunday.