Audi Field—-The Arlington Renegades’ recent struggles in closing out tight games persisted on Saturday, as they dropped a 33-30 decision to the DC Defenders — their fourth straight loss. Despite a valiant effort, Arlington once again fell short in the final moments, squandering a chance to pull off a late road victory.
Early on, the Renegades found themselves in a 12-point hole, but quarterback Luis Perez helped engineer a comeback before halftime. His connection with wideout Tyler Vaughns for a spectacular one-handed 5-yard touchdown catch brought Arlington within four points heading into the break.
The Renegades remained within striking distance throughout, though DC quarterback Jordan Ta’amu proved to be a consistent problem. He racked up 261 total yards and threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes, keeping the Defenders a step ahead.
Still, Arlington wasn’t done. Trailing 33-23 in the fourth quarter, the Renegades responded with a determined 10-play, 65-yard drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Holton Ahlers. A successful one-point conversion narrowed the gap to three with under four minutes remaining.
The Renegades defense rose to the occasion, forcing a quick three-and-out and giving the offense another shot with 2:14 to play. Perez marched the team 42 yards on seven plays, pushing deep into DC territory. But with the game on the line, Arlington opted for a bold fake spike instead of setting up a game-tying field goal. The gamble backfired — Perez’s pass was picked off by Defenders cornerback Deandre Baker, who sealed the win for DC.
Perez finished the game with 350 yards on 32-of-46 passing, adding two touchdowns and one interception. Sal Canella and Deontay Burnett led all Renegade receivers, combining for 128 yards.
Now sitting at 3-5 overall (2-3 in league play), the Renegades will look to rebound next Saturday when they travel to face the Memphis Showboats at 11 a.m. in Tennessee.
