2026 Derby Classic: Kings and Battlehawks To Kick Off Derby Weekend in Louisville
by Ethan Berch
ARLINGTON, TX – April 28, 2026 – The Louisville Kings and St. Louis Battlehawks have the opportunity to kick off derby weekend with a Thursday night clash at Lynn Family Field. Both teams enter red hot, fresh off massive upset victories and primed to put on a show on the national stage.
Storylines to watch:
St. Louis Battlehawks
The Battlehawks are coming off an impressive upset win over the Orlando Storm, handing them their first loss of the season. They now sit at 3-2 and currently hold a postseason spot as the second half of the season begins.
St. Louis’ offense has leaned on its rushing attack to move the football this year. Fresh off a 140-yard rushing performance against Orlando, the expectation is they will try to do the same against Louisville. The Kings have struggled against the run this season, allowing well over 100 rushing yards per game.
Jarveon Howard remains the lead back for the Battlehawks, averaging 48.2 rushing yards per game, second best in the UFL. Despite not finding the end zone yet this season, he has been one of the league’s most explosive runners and continues to generate chunk plays.
Head coach Ricky Proehl will hope that run game can once again dictate tempo on Thursday night.
Proehl also emphasized getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers. Star receiver Hakeem Butler is second in the league with 358 receiving yards, and his 27.5 yards per catch is what truly separates him from the rest of the UFL field.
Butler had just three catches for 47 yards last week, but he remains the definition of a game changer. Getting him more involved is critical.
St. Louis isn’t a volume passing team, they’re an explosive passing team.
The most dangerous part of this Battlehawks team is still the defense. They have allowed just 261.0 yards per game, the best mark in the UFL. They have also surrendered only 23.0 points per game, fourth best in the league.
That unit is defined by its front seven. St. Louis is second in the UFL with 12 sacks, led by Carlos Davis with 3.5, sixth most in the league. He headlines a deep pressure group that will look to force mistakes against an inconsistent Louisville offense.
Louisville Kings
After opening the season 0-3, the Kings have responded with two straight wins and are fresh off a blowout upset over Dallas. Their 47 points were the second most scored in UFL history and they are one game back from a postseason spot at the midway point of the season.
Against one of the league’s top pass rushes, the priority from the opening snap will be protecting quarterback Chandler Rogers. Rogers made his first start last week and delivered an efficient performance. He avoided turnovers, threw for 150 yards on 72 percent passing, and added 22 rushing yards.
With pressure expected all night, protecting Rogers, and Rogers protecting the football, is one of the biggest swing factors in this matchup. If Louisville cannot do that, St. Louis’ defense can short-circuit the entire offense.
The Kings also found something last week they had been missing all season: a run game. After averaging just 40 rushing yards per game through four weeks, Louisville exploded for 147 against Dallas. Ian Wheeler led the way with four touchdowns, becoming the first player in the UFL to hit that mark this season.
Still, running the ball will be much tougher against St. Louis’ front seven, one of the best groups in the league.
Louisville’s defense also shined in Week Five. It has become a disruptive group capable of flipping both field position and momentum.
Up front, the Kings lead the league in tackles for loss. Cam Gill remains the UFL leader in both sacks and tackles for loss for a second straight week. Gill and Louisville’s front seven will look to keep St. Louis behind the chains and live in the backfield.
Last week, the secondary finally showed its ceiling. Louisville intercepted league-leading quarterback Austin Reed four times and returned two of them for touchdowns. The defense completely took over the game and powered the upset.
Now they get another opportunity against Harrison Frost, who has thrown five interceptions this season, second most in the UFL. He now faces a Kings defense playing with confidence and hunting the football.
As Louisville returns home on the biggest weekend of the year in the city, many expect an electric atmosphere. There should be a legitimate home-field advantage at Lynn Family Field on Thursday night.
X-Factor:
Which defense shines brightest under the lights? Both units have already shown they can completely take over games.
The winner of this matchup will likely come down to which defense creates more takeaways, and which quarterback, Harrison Frost or Chandler Rogers, handles the moment best.