United Bowl III Preview: DC Defenders Look to Repeat Against Surging Louisville Kings

Written by Noah Ploff. Pictures by Noah Ploff.

It’s just about that time. We’re one day away from the third ever United Bowl. The two teams fighting for that coveted championship this year are the Louisville Kings, and the defending champions, the DC Defenders.

DC Defenders Look to Finish a Turbulent Season on Top

The DC Defenders definitely haven’t had an easy or normal season by any means. They started the season picking up exactly where they left off after winning the championship last season, attaining a record of 5-1 through their first six games. Everything seemed to start to go downhill from there, starting with their star quarterback Jordan Ta’amu suffering an injury early into their week 8 game against the Louisville Kings. Coach Shannon Harris experimented with a few quarterbacks before settling on 27-year-old Jason Bean after back to back losses to the Orlando Storm in weeks 9 and 10. DC was able to overcome their defeats against the Storm and defeated them 28-22 in the semifinals in Daytona, Florida.

Louisville Kings Enter Hot After Slow Start

The Louisville Kings didn’t enjoy a wealth of wins to start the season like the Defenders did, losing their first three games, before winning six of their last seven and finishing with a record of 6-4.

Quarterback Changes Shaped Both Teams’ Seasons

The Kings also juggled between a few quarterbacks, including the now DC Defender starting quarterback Jason Bean. Louisville also settled on their starting quarterback, leaning on 24-year-old Chandler Rogers to get them their first UFL Championship.

Defenses Could Decide the Championship

Both of these teams have solid defenses that will definitely come into play over the course of the game. The Defenders’ defense was tremendous in the first half of their playoff game against the Storm, before cooling down a bit in the second half, but holding on long enough to secure the victory. The Kings’ defense had a bit of an opposite game, starting off a bit colder, and then shutting down the Battlehawks offense, only allowing three total points in the second half.

Can DC Protect Home Field?

This looks to be a very competitive game, with two good all-around teams looking to lift the United Bowl Trophy. DC will look to take advantage of playing at home, and the Kings will look to charge into Audi Field and upset the Defenders, sending their fans back home to Louisville happy.

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