The Boston Renegades finished their regular season 6-0 after defeating their archrivals the D.C. Divas on Saturday. Running Back Katie Falkowski #20 rushed for 3 touchdowns and Defensive End Donny Fournier #70 returned an interception for a touchdown en route to a 60-28 victory. Adrienne Smith #10 captured the all-time receiving yards record in the Women’s Football Alliance. 

A Running Start

Boston decisively rolled up three touchdowns in the first quarter to take control of the game. Running Back Ruth Matta #22 opened the scoring, followed by Wide Receiver Renate Meckl #6 and Fullback Tytti Kuusinen #46. Sarah Tully #11 connected on all three PAT kicks, and finished the game a perfect 4-for-4. Fellow kicker Allie Guimaraes #79 chipped in two PATs.

In the second quarter, Wide Receiver Smith reached the end zone before the D.C. Divas’ Lexie Floor pulled in a touchdown pass from Amanda Congialdi as the clock expired. D’Ajah Scott made a two-point reception to make the score 27-8 at halftime.

Cruise Control

Matta (97 yards) and Kuusinen (141 yards) continued their streak of combining for big yardage. But it was their fellow rusher Katie Falkowski who put on a scoring display to keep Boston ahead. Falkowski notched three touchdowns in the second half to go with her 82 yards. It was the first hat trick of her career.

At 3:19 in the third quarter, Smith made a catch that would make history. On the five-yard touchdown reception, Smith set a new all-time record for receiving yards in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA). Entering the game, Smith needed 19 more yards to surpass Jeanette Gray of the Chicago Force (5,092) on the WFA’s all-time receiving yards list. The record had stood for five years.

Driving It Home

The Divas eventually found their own rhythm in the passing game in the third quarter. Congialdi connected again with Floor on a 46-yard touchdown. And in the final period, D.C. receiver Shaquanda Gainey caught 49-yard and 17-yard touchdown passes.

But Congialdi did throw one costly interception. The D.C. quarterback was hit by Boston Linebacker Solina Pascual #40 as she threw, causing an errant pass that landed in the hands of Defensive End Donny Fournier. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year returned the interception for a touchdown in the final minute of the contest. 

The Road To Canton

For the second year in a row, the WFA Pro National Championship Game will take place at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls. Slated for Sunday, July 10 at 1 PM, the title game will be broadcasted live on ESPN2.

The undefeated Renegades begin their playoff march on Saturday, June 11 at Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere. As the top-ranked team in the conference, Boston will have home field advantage throughout the postseason.  They do not know yet who their first opponent will be; the team will enjoy a bye while the final week of the regular season is played on May 28th.