A team whose record is South of .500 is the South Division champion in the XFL.
The Arlington Renegades came into Saturday’s playoff game with the Houston Roughnecks at 4-6 and losers of 4 of 5.
They had lost to the Roughnecks twice in the regular season.
In this third version of the XFL, the third time proved to be the charm for Bob Stoops and his Renegades.
Led by quarterback Luis Perez, the Renegades downed Houston 26-11 and will face the winner of Sunday’s North Division title clash between the Seattle Sea Dragons and D.C. Defenders.
The Renegades scored a season-high in points in the victory and held Houston to fewer points than any team Arlington had faced in the 2022 season.
Perez, who went to Arlington from Las Vegas during the season in the league’s first trade, was 19-of-27 for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns.
JaVonta Payton had 5 catches for 121 yards and a pair of scores for the Renegades.
FIRST TD 🤩😤 pic.twitter.com/eZbji4WlqO
— Arlington Renegades (@XFLRenegades) April 29, 2023
PAYTON SAID LETS RUN THAT BACKKKKK 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BnVODOCufG
— Arlington Renegades (@XFLRenegades) April 29, 2023
AND ANOTHA ONE 😤 pic.twitter.com/YkhB7fgHxe
— Arlington Renegades (@XFLRenegades) April 30, 2023
De’Veon Smith rushed 24 times for 94 yards.
Houston started 4-0, lost three straight, and then won its final three games to capture the South regular-season title.
It didn’t matter in the South title game as Arlington was the better team and will be the division’s representative on May 13 in the championship clash at the Alamodome.