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From NFL quarterback to UFL coach, all part of the journey for Battlehawks' Bruce Gradkowski (5/3/24)Back in 2006, Anthony Becht caught only one touchdown pass as the tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The lone touchdown pass was thrown to him by rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski in a 20-17 home win over Washington on Nov. 19, 2006. 18 years later, Becht is in his second year as the head coach of the St. Louis Battlehawks, and Gradkowski is now his offensive coordinator...
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Battlehawks dominate Defenders, remain on top XFL Conference (4/30/24)The St. Louis Battlehawks followed up one one-sided win in Week 4 with an even more lopsided lambasting over the DC Defenders, 45-12, on Sunday, April 28, at Audi Field in Washington. “If you’re a head coach watching all of that for four quarters, you sit back and take it in,” Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said. “I love this team. They deserve to be 4-1.”...
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SEMO's Ryan Flournoy's road to NFL Draft ends with Dallas Cowboys (4/27/24)
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LB O'Reilly thriving with Battlehawks after long layoff (4/26/24)As the NFL Draft reaches its waning rounds this weekend, the realization to many former college football players that the dream of playing in the league is out of reach. Some will sign as undrafted free agents in long shot hopes of making an NFL team’s roster in September. But with studies showing that less than 2% of college players make it to the NFL, those players are more likely to leave with the jersey on their backs...
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Trust key to A.J. McCarron’s success in St. Louis (4/23/24)In the decade spent seeing A.J. McCarron playing quarterback in the NFL, has he ever earned the reputation of one who could scramble or break off a run? The answer is likely no, but in the UFL, as a full-time starter, McCarron has been showing off the wheels lately and it’s led to him powering the St. Louis Battlehawks past the Memphis Showboats 32-17 on Saturday, April 20, in St. Louis...
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COLUMN: Coyotes' end signals concerning era in sports (4/19/24)St. Louis native Clayton Keller was only a teenager when the Rams left the Show Me State after 20 years for greener pastures in Southern California. Nearly a decade later, he was a part of another franchise finale. Keller and the Arizona Coyotes played their final game in Arizona, winning 5-2 over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, April 17, at Mullet Arena in Tempe, Arizona...
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COLUMN: St. Louis is the center of the spring football universe (4/17/24)With half the UFL owned by FOX, the league is really nothing more than television product helping football starved fans to get through the weekend from March to June. After all, the USFL started playing all their games in one location and expanded in four locations. It’s also no wonder that three of those four hosting spots came with the merger...
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Durant’s path to the Battlehawks ‘a fun journey’ (4/12/24)It took three seasons and three different versions of spring football, but Mataeo Durant made Battlehawks history. Prior to St. Louis’ 27-24 win over the Arlington Renegades this past weekend, the Battlehawks never had a 100-yard rushing game. Not during the pre-pandemic XFL 2.0, nor the Rock-solid XFL 3.0...
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St. Louis City plays FC Dallas to scoreless draw (4/8/24)ST. LOUIS — Maarten Paes saved seven shots for FC Dallas and Roman Bürki notched five for St. Louis City as the two clubs played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night. Dallas (1-4-1) played without a couple of key players on offense — Asier Illarreamendi and Jesús Ferreira, who are both out with muscle injuries. The tie ends a four-match losing streak that tied a club record...
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Battlehawks dethroned XFL champs, set attendance records in UFL home opener (4/7/24)St. Louis Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht asked all week for 40,000 fans to pack the “Battledome” for the UFL home opener. And he got it. The Battlehawks established a new modern spring football attendance record on Saturday, April 6, as they defeated the XFL champion Arlington Renegades 27-24 in front of 40,317 fans. The previous mark of 38,310 was set in last year’s home opener against Renegades on March 12, 2023...
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James Naile off to a strong start in KBO (4/4/24)Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher James Naile has arrived in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with a bang, delivering two stellar performances for the KIA Tigers. In his March 27 debut against the Lotte Giants, Naile held opponents scoreless for six innings. He allowed just five hits while striking out seven and walking none, showcasing impressive control and an ability to limit baserunners. The Tigers capitalized on his efficiency, cruising to an 8-2 victory...
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Battlehawks LB Harvey, Rose thrive in continuity (4/4/24)Even on a new and improved St. Louis Battlehawks defense, the main standout from the opening week of the UFL season is someone who has been there from the beginning. Linebacker Willie Harvey totaled seven tackles, including five solo, to lead the defense in the Battlehawks 18-16 road loss against the Michigan Panthers on Saturday, March 30, in Detroit...
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COLUMN: Blues must catch Kings to make playoffs (4/2/24)I have seen plenty of incredible finishes to hockey games so far in the 2023-24 St. Louis Blues season but nothing like how Monday's home game against the Edmonton Oilers. Within mere seconds, Brandon Saad went from sitting on the bench to scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give the Blues the 3-2 victory. It was his 25th goal of the season, a total he hasn't amassed since scoring a career-high 31 goals for Columbus in 2015-16.
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Long field goal stuns Battlehawks in UFL opener (4/1/24)After a back-and-forth affair in which defense dominated the night, a 64-yard field goal from Jake Bates is what it took for the Michigan Panthers to beat the St. Louis Battlehawks 18-16 on Saturday, March 30, in Detroit. “Give them credit,” Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht said. ...
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St. Louis City suffers first loss of season at Real Salt Lake (3/31/24)SANDY, Utah (AP) — Cristian Arango scored three goals from the 70th minute on and Real Salt Lake rallied for 3-1 victory over St. Louis City on Saturday night, handing the defending Western Conference regular-season champions their first loss of the season...
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COLUMN: The good, the bad and the ugly from Opening Day (3/29/24)After spending months in hibernation and the past month thawing out in jealousy watching our favorite baseball teams play preseason games under the sun in Arizona and Florida, baseball is finally back. Opening Day on Thursday, March 28, felt like an unofficial holiday, as it always does. When you win the first game, it feels like an omen for a successful future. The same goes for the opposite direction after a loss...
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Battlehawks put retooled pass rush to the test at Michigan (3/29/24)Two things needed to happen over the offseason for the St. Louis Battlehawks to come back with improved or sustained playoff prospects. They needed AJ McCarron to remain at quarterback and improve the defense.
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As Nathan Walker scraps, Blues show fight in win over Flames (3/29/24)The St. Louis Blues put out the Calgary Flames 5-3 on Thursday, March 28, in St. Louis. It was a game in which the player of the night neither looked for the net nor stood in front of it.
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St. Louis Battlehawks begin UFL season in Michigan (3/27/24)A new season in a newly formed league begins for the St. Louis Battlehawks. The Battlehawks finalized their 50-man roster in time for the regular season to begin on Saturday, March 30 against the Michigan Panthers at 3 p.m. at Ford Field in Detroit. The game can be viewed on FOX...
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COLUMN: Blues gain a point, lose ground entering season's final stretch (3/26/24)The St. Louis Blues gained a point but also fell a point back in the wild card chase after falling to the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in overtime on Monday, March 25, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The Blues have 10 games left to make up a five-point deficit between them and either the Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings, who are tied for both the third spot in the Pacific Division and the second wild card spot. With six home games left, the playoff atmosphere came early...
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St. Louis City remains unbeaten after drawn out draw with DC (3/24/24)I have never seen so many people mad at a man named “Bono” since iPhone users received a free U2 album 10 years ago. Of the four St. Louis City (1-0-4) matches that ended in a draw so far this MLS season, Saturday’s 2-2 tie with DC United (1-1-3) at CITYPARK was the longest, lasting 105 minutes...
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COLUMN: Blues still surviving in playoff push (3/14/24)After defeating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 at home on Wednesday, March 13, the St. Louis Blues now sit six points behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Six points may seem like a lot, but it’s the equivalent of the St. Louis Cardinals being three games back in the wild-card hunt...
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Otto Porter Jr., NBA Champion, announces retirement (3/12/24)SIKESTON — Otto Porter Jr., the former Scott County Central standout who became an NBA champion, announced his retirement. “For the past 11 years, I had the chance to live my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. That dream was capped by winning an NBA Championship! Unfortunately, my body is not allowing me to play at the level that I expect of myself, and I have therefore decided to retire," stated Porter...
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St. Louis City draws at Austin 2-2 (3/10/24)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Célio Pompeu scored in the third minute of second-half stoppage time and St. Louis City rallied for a 2-2 draw with Austin FC on Sunday night. Pompeu, who had one goal in 26 appearances last season, has scored twice in three matches for St. Louis City (1-0-2) this season. Tomas Totland had an assist on the equalizer...
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Charleston native James Naile prepares for Korean Baseball debut with KIA Tigers (3/8/24)Fresh off a lucrative offseason deal, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher James Naile is in the final stages of preparation for his highly anticipated debut with the KIA Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Joining one of the league's most decorated franchises, Naile is focused on securing a starting rotation spot and contributing to the Tigers' championship legacy...