Playing through worry of father’s illness, Hill’s interception sparked BattleHawks
Baffled by the athleticism of Seattle quarterback BJ Daniels, the St. Louis BattleHawks desperately needed somebody to make a play late in the second half Saturday at the Dome at America’s Center.
And safety Will Hill III answered the call.
Playing with the news his father suffered an aneurysm Friday, Hill put an end to a potential game-tying scoring drive with an interception with just over four minutes remaining and the BattleHawks held on a for a 23-16 win.
Playing before another huge home crowd of 27,527, the BattleHawks (3-1), getting a touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu to De’Mornay Pierson-El and a touchdown run by Keith Ford, built a 17-3 lead at halftime.
But when Daniels took over for starting quarterback Brandon Silvers in the second half, it changed complexion and momentum of the game.
A former South Florida University standout, Daniels accounted for 184 yards of offense and directed two touchdown drives as the Dragons cut their deficit to 20-16 early in the fourth quarter.
Following BattleHawks kicker Taylor Russalino’s third field goal which increased the lead to 23-16, Seattle got the ball back with eight minutes left.
But on a third and long from the St. Louis 47-yard line, Daniels’ pass intended for Austin Proehl was overthrown and picked off by Hill.
“We awarded Will a game ball after the game. I’m sure he was playing with a heavy heart with the knowledge about his dad. But he went out today and just played well and gave a tremendous effort,” BattleHawks coach Jonathan Hayes said.
“I thought we played well and controlled the time of possession in the first half. They (Seattle) only had the ball for seven minutes. But when they changed quarterbacks, it changed things around. It took us a while to adjust but when we were able to force him (Daniels) to throw the football, I thought we got the control back.”
Another big day for Ta’amu
With his parents visiting and among the over 27,000 fans on hand Saturday, BattleHawks quarterback Jordan Ta’amu continued to show why he is among the top players in the XFL.
The former University of Mississippi quarterback finished 20-of-27 for 264 yards and a touchdown. He also led the team with 63 yards rushing on 12 attempts.
But even Ta’Amu was impressed and maybe a little nervous as Daniels, a former seventh round draft choice of the San Francisco 49’ers, rallied the Dragons.
“He’s active and difficult to contain outside the pocket,” Ta’Amu said. “But I was confident our defense would rise up and make plays in the end. Will (Hill) made a great play. The ball was just overthrown.
“The first half we moved the football. We got a little stagnant in the third quarter. But we were able to get a couple of first downs late and run out the clock.”
On the road again
Leading the East Division, the BattleHawks are on the road the next two weeks, with games at Washington DC on March 8 and Tampa Bay on March 14. St. Louis returns home March 21 to host the Los Angeles Wildcats.
Washington, one of the preseason favorites, is 2-1 and a very good football team according to Hayes.
“They remind me of us,” Hayes said. “They are balanced, they are big and they run a lot of different formations. I told the team to enjoy this win, be smart and come ready to get after it next week.”
This story was originally published February 29, 2020 at 11:34 PM.
