It feels so good to be back, doesn’t it Birmingham? Our hometown Stallions are once again playing in the USFL championship game. This year’s showdown takes place this Saturday, July 1st, at 8pm in the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Birmingham punched in their ticket to the biggest game of the year by stomping on the New Orleans Breakers for a 47 - 25 point South Division Championship game that took place in the Magic City’s Protective Stadium on June 25th. The Stallions will now take on the North’s champion team - the Pittsburgh Maulers - for the right to claim the 2023 season title. The game can be watched on NBC and Peacock.
Birmingham is on a hot streak, but it feels like that’s been the case for the majority of the team since the beginning of the inaugural 2022 season. The team had a 9-1 record before winning last year’s playoffs and entered this year’s postseason with 8 wins and 2 losses. The playoff victory over the Breakers is the Stallions’ sixth win in a row and the team’s enthusiasm to be on the gridiron competing with each other can be seen by all who watch them play.
The Stallions were down to the Breakers for much of the first quarter, but quarterback Alex McGough and his arsenal of offensive collaborators found the endzone often after the first touchdown connection with Jayce Sternberger sparked things off. Davion Davis would go on to receive the next two touchdown passes to give the Stallions a more comfortable lead, which was further extended with a rushing touchdown from running back C.J. Marable. McGough would run it in himself for the next TD in the third quarter, which gave the Stallions a more comfortable 34 - 7 lead.
The defense shined as well for the Stallions. Brian Allen had two interceptions, and a line featuring the return of Scooby Wright applied pressure - and hits - on the Breakers all night long. The tem now faces a tough Pittsburgh team that bested the Michigan Panthers in an overtime North division matchup that was a defensive showcase. It won’t be an easy matchup for the Stallions, but we do have an all-star roster led by Coach of the Year Skip Holtz. Be sure to turn in the Saturday to root for our hometown heroes.
Giddy up, Stallions!
Cover image from Birmingham Stallions
