The DC Defenders are headed back to the UFL Championship and this time, they’ll play for a title on their home field.
After finishing the regular season with a 5-5 record, the Defenders pulled off a postseason upset on Sunday, defeating the top-seeded Orlando Storm 28-22 and securing a spot in the league’s championship game.
“God is beyond amazing… these guys showed a lot of grit, a lot of resiliency,” said Defenders head coach Shannon Harris. “These last few weeks that we’ve played have been tough, grinded out games. But we just knew that if we just [had to eliminate] our mistakes and give ourselves a chance to get to the end of the game. We felt really good about winning the game.”
Orlando entered the postseason with an 8-2 record as the No. 1 seed, having swept the Defenders in the regular season, 27-19 in Orlando in week nine and 29-23 in D.C. in week 10.
Those victories came for the Storm against a Defenders team that was without starting quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who was ruled out with a season-ending injury after week eight. But with a championship berth on the line, the Defenders managed to flip the script when it mattered most.
“In D.C. it’s a winning tradition and two games doesn’t disrupt that. So we knew our culture,” said Defenders’ defensive tackle Casey Rogers. “We knew that with Coach Blake Williams our goal is to physically assault, mentally assault the quarterback within the rules of the game… Once that whistle blew it was a brand new game, those two games didn’t matter it was playoffs, this is game seven mentality. It was fun, it was cool to see things [go our way] but that’s a test for us. I mean we dropped four but like I said [it’s a winning tradition].”
The Defenders are set to host the Louisville Kings on Saturday, June 13 at Audi Field for this year’s UFL United Bowl Championship game. The Kings defeated the St. Louis Battlehawks on Sunday 29-20 for a chance to take on the defending UFL Champions in this year’s title game.
“These guys could have easily quit and folded the tent,” said Coach Harris. “But we continued to challenge each other, we continued to stay together, and you know, continued to pray together. And so these guys did a great job of that.”
Championship Game a Homecoming for Former Howard University Standout
This year’s UFL Championship is a full-circle moment not only for the Defenders but for the entire District. Former Howard University standout Ian Wheeler is set to return to Audi Field, this time on one of the league’s biggest stages, with a chance to compete for a UFL Championship.
Wheeler played a pivotal role in helping the Kings punch in their ticket to the championship faceoff, delivering a game-changing touchdown in a 29-20 upset victory over the Battlehawks.
With less than four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Louisville trailed 20-18 before Wheeler took a handoff on the right side and burst through the defense for a 51-yard touchdown run. His touchdown proved to be the game-winner, that is sending the Kings to the nation’s capital this weekend.
Wheeler has been key for Louisville and one of the most productive running backs in the UFL. He finished the season with 370 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, ranking fourth among the league in rushing.
“Ian Wheeler. He should be on an NFL team this fall,” former NFL quarterback Kurt Benker said on X formerly known as Twitter. “He’s been balling all year.”
The DC Defenders will take on the Louisville Kings in the UFL United Bowl Championship on Saturday June 13 at Audi Field. Kickoff is set for 3pm and fans can tune in on ABC.
