The St. Louis Battlehawks picked up a crucial victory, but head coach Ricky Proehl wasn't celebrating too hard in his postgame press conference. Despite the win that keeps St. Louis in playoff contention, Proehl repeatedly hammered home one message: his team needs to learn how to finish games.
"I'm a little bit disappointed in the end of the game, offensively and defensively," Proehl said. "We need to work on finishing though, running the football. So we got some things to clean up and work on."
Fourth Quarter Fade Becomes Pattern
The Battlehawks came out firing on all cylinders, building an early lead with strong offensive execution and defensive stops. But that fourth quarter collapse has become a troubling trend for St. Louis.
Quarterback Luis Perez echoed his coach's concerns about the team's inability to put games away. "I feel like we played 3 pretty good quarters. That 4th quarter was not to our standard, and we just got to make sure we play all 4 quarters," Perez said.
"There's really no 4-minute in this game. You know, anybody can come back in the game, so we got to make sure you put teams away, not be as conservative, and make sure we're executing at the highest level." - Luis Perez
Luis Adapts to Complex System
Perez continues to find his footing in what Proehl admits is a demanding offensive scheme. The veteran quarterback managed the game well despite being relatively new to the system.
"This specific system is a little different than I've been used to," Perez acknowledged. "But, you know, AJ and Coach Pearl have done a great job catching me up to speed."
Proehl praised his quarterback's quick adaptation. "I'm very pleased with Luis's performance tonight. He did a great job getting in this week, had a good week of practice, and I can really see him just continuing to get better with that relationship with the wideouts."
Kylen Steps Up With Backfield Depleted
With injuries ravaging the running back room, Kylen seized his opportunity and made some crucial plays. The third-string back hadn't seen much action until injuries to other players opened the door.
"Kylen's been the third guy and he hasn't gotten a lot of opportunities," Proehl explained. "But I really emphasize training camp during and in season of just seizing your moment when it comes. When his number was called, he made 2 huge— I mean, the one run was unbelievable."
The coach kept four running backs specifically for situations like this. "This is a physical game. Guys get hurt, guys get injured, they're out 1, 2, 3 weeks. Raji got hurt. And now Kivon got hurt last week and Jarvion's been the workhorse and Kylan has come in and just makes us look good."
Home Crowd and Greatest Show Connections
Playing at home continues to energize both Perez and the team. The quarterback, who previously faced St. Louis fans as an opponent, now gets to experience their support firsthand.
"The best fan base in spring football, right? And I'm just glad they're cheering for me now instead of against me," Perez said. "Great crowd, great atmosphere. Excited to finish out here, two more home games."
The night held special meaning with former Rams coach Dick Vermeil and other Greatest Show on Turf alumni in attendance. It was also Proehl's first bobblehead night as head coach.
"It was great to get a win in front of Coach and all my teammates," Proehl said. "That's Coach Vermeil and the culture that he built here and that's something that I'm trying to bring to our football team is just the selfless playing for each other."
The victory also came after St. Louis was named Missouri's official professional football team, adding another layer of significance to the win. While Proehl admitted he wasn't aware of the designation, he expressed honor at leading the team representing the state.
For St. Louis, the win keeps them in the playoff hunt, but Proehl's message was clear: they need to play complete games if they want to make a serious run at the championship.