Gamblers Hand Battlehawks First Home Loss, 23-16, as Dekkers Throws Two TDs in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Battlehawks had a playoff berth within reach, a three-game winning streak and a perfect record at The Dome at America's Center. The Houston Gamblers took the last two away on Saturday afternoon. Hunter Dekkers threw two touchdown passes, Kary Vincent Jr. returned an interception for a score, and Houston held on for a 23-16 win as time expired with St. Louis at the Gamblers' 2-yard line.

The loss was the Battlehawks' first at home this season and dropped them to 5-3 in front of 21,609 fans. Houston, which arrived at 2-5, improved to 3-5 and kept its own postseason hopes alive with two weeks left in the regular season.

Fourteen Points in Under Two Minutes

St. Louis struck first. Sean Fesch's 50-yard punt return set up a 32-yard Ramiz Ahmed field goal, and the Battlehawks led 3-0 less than five minutes in. Houston, starting Dekkers at quarterback after his status had been in question entering the game, answered with a drive that ended in a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jontre Kirklin.

Then the game tilted. Less than two minutes later, Vincent jumped a Luis Perez throw and returned it for a touchdown, and the Gamblers led 14-3 at the end of one quarter. It was the kind of swing a home team rarely recovers from in this league, and St. Louis spent the rest of the afternoon trying.

Red Zone Trouble

Ahmed kicked a 44-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but the Battlehawks kept stalling when they got close. American Football International reported that St. Louis went 1-for-6 on third down and 0-for-3 in the red zone in the first half, with eight penalties and 123 yards of offense.

Dekkers made them pay. With 3:26 left in the half he found Lawrence Keys III for a 35-yard touchdown, and Houston led 20-6. Tyler Hawkins intercepted Dekkers late in the half, and Ahmed's 25-yard field goal with 18 seconds left made it 20-9 at the break. American Football International called it the largest halftime deficit the Battlehawks had faced at home.

A Comeback Two Yards Short

The third quarter offered St. Louis little relief. Ahmed missed a 29-yard attempt, John Hoyland hit from 37 yards for the Gamblers, and Houston took a 23-9 lead into the fourth.

The Battlehawks finally found the end zone with 10:36 to play. A 29-yard catch-and-run by Blake Jackson set up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Perez to Tyler Neville, and it was a one-score game at 23-16. Pita Taumoepenu then recorded his second sack of the day to force a Houston three-and-out.

St. Louis got its final chance needing a touchdown and a conversion. Perez hit Steven McBride for a 33-yard gain, but a holding penalty left the Battlehawks facing fourth-and-19. A Houston defensive holding call kept the drive alive, according to American Football International, but the clock ran out with the ball at the Houston 2-yard line.

The Numbers

Dekkers was efficient rather than spectacular, finishing 15 of 22 for 155 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Jalen Moreno-Cropper led Houston with five catches for 52 yards, and Ameer Speed paced the Gamblers' defense with nine tackles. Perez threw for 308 yards on 26-of-47 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions, and McBride went over 100 receiving yards. Taumoepenu finished with seven tackles and two sacks.

The afternoon carried a cost beyond the standings. Battlehawks head coach Ricky Proehl said afterward that Neville suffered a season-ending injury in the game, according to The Linden Link.

What They Said

Proehl pointed to the fight his team showed late. "This team never quits, and they believe in themselves," he said, according to The Linden Link. Gamblers head coach Kevin Sumlin framed the win as proof his team still belongs in the race: "Yeah, I mean everybody has a chance still and we're playing top end of the league right now."

Dekkers had praise for the quarterback on the other sideline. "He's a good quarterback, it's cool to watch him," he said of Perez, according to The Linden Link. "It's just a good football team overall."

What's Next

The two teams will not have to wait long for a rematch. St. Louis travels to Shell Energy Stadium to face the Gamblers again on Sunday, May 24, on ESPN2, still chasing the playoff berth that slipped past on Saturday. For Houston, a second straight win over one of the league's best teams would turn a late-season surprise into a real push.

Photo Credit: JP House/Undrafted