During his three seasons in the NFL, former Enterprise High School standout T.J. Barnes was the biggest player in the league. On Saturday in the first game of the XFL’s comeback season, Barnes was a big man again.

With 12 seconds to play, Vegas quarterback Luis Perez threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cinque Sweeting to pull the Vipers within two points of the Arlington Renegades.

Vegas had the choice of taking its conversion snap from the 2-yard line to try for 1 point, the 5-yard line to try for 2 points or the 10-yard line to try for 3 points. The Vipers chose to try to tie the game.

But Barnes sacked Perez on the conversion attempt to seal the Renegades’ 22-20 victory.

Barnes’ weight is down to 358 pounds after he weighed “about 420″ at Thanksgiving, he said, before getting in shape for the XFL opportunity.

“December was hell for me,” Barnes said.

In the other games on the first weekend of the XFL’s 2023 season:

· Orlando lost four turnovers and Houston quarterback Brandon Silvers threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns in the Roughnecks’ 33-12 victory over the Guardians on Saturday.

· St. Louis quarterback AJ McCarron threw two touchdown passes in the final 85 seconds to rally the Battlehawks to an 18-15 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas on Sunday.

· Seattle took its final two snaps of the game at the D.C. 1-yard line but didn’t score on either as the Defenders held on for a 22-18 victory over the Sea Dragons on Sunday night.

During Week 1 of the XFL’s 2023 season, 24 players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field:

Arlington Renegades 22, Vegas Vipers 20

· Renegades defensive lineman T.J. Barnes (Enterprise) made one tackle.

· Sal Cannella (Auburn) started at tight end for the Renegades. The All-USFL tight end last season with the New Orleans Breakers, Cannella led Arlington with seven receptions for 70 yards in his XFL debut.

· Quinterrius Eatmon (Vigor) started at right offensive tackle for the Vipers.

· Vipers offensive lineman Antonio Garcia (Troy) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Mike Horton (Auburn) started at right guard for the Renegades.

· Renegades defensive lineman Davonte Lambert (Auburn) made two tackles.

· Vipers defensive back Maurice Smith (Alabama) is on the injured list and not eligible to play.

Houston Roughnecks 33, Orlando Guardians 12

· Ja’Chai Baker (South Alabama) started at left offensive tackle for the Guardians.

· Guardians defensive end Nick Coe (Auburn) tied for the team lead with six tackles.

· Javaris Davis (Auburn) started at cornerback for the Guardians.

· Trevon Sanders (Troy) started at nose guard for the Guardians.

· Brandon Silvers (Gulf Shores, Troy) started at quarterback for the Roughnecks. The XFL veteran completed 26-of-42 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Silvers threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jontre Kirklin as Houston tied the score at 6-6 in the first quarter and a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deontay Burnett as the Roughnecks took a 12-6 lead in the second quarter.

· Maurice Smitherman (Minor) is on the injured list and not eligible to play.

· Guardians linebacker Erroll Thompson (Florence) made two tackles.

· Guardians defensive back Dee Virgin (West Alabama) is on the injured list and not eligible to play.

· Roughnecks offensive lineman John Yarbrough (Homewood) played but did not record any stats.

St. Louis Battlehawks 18, San Antonio Brahmas 15

· Ben Davis (Gordo, Alabama) started at linebacker for the Brahmas. Davis recorded one tackle for loss.

· AJ McCarron (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama) started at quarterback for the Battlehawks. McCarron completed 18-of-27 passes for 190 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and ran four times for 12 yards. McCarron threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Hakeem Butler followed by a 3-point conversion pass to wide receiver Austin Proehl as St. Louis cut the lead to 15-12 with 1:25 to play. Then McCarron threw 22 yards to Proehl when the Battlehawks chose to take a fourth-and-15 snap instead of trying on onside kick. Retaining possession allowed McCarron to put St. Louis ahead with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Proehl with 16 seconds remaining.

· Battlehawks running back Kareem Walker (South Alabama) netted 1 yard on two rushing attempts and caught a 4-yard pass.

· Battlehawks offensive lineman Dallas Warmack (Alabama) played but did not record any stats.

D.C. Defenders 22, Seattle Sea Dragons 18

· Defenders tight end Trae Barry (Spanish Fort, Jacksonville State) did not record any stats.

· Defenders linebacker Jamal Brooks (Bessemer City, South Alabama) made five tackles, recorded one sack and registered one tackle for loss. On Seattle’s final snap of the game at the D.C. 1-yard line with 19 seconds to play, Brooks caused Sea Dragons quarterback Ben DiNucci to fumble, and he recovered the loose football to seal the Defenders’ victory.

· Sea Dragons long snapper Thomas Fletcher (Alabama) handled the snapping duties for Seattle.

· Offensive lineman Chris Owens (Alabama) started at right guard for the Sea Dragons.

· Sea Dragons wide receiver Kelvin McKnight (Samford) caught four passes for 19 yards, returned four punts for 19 yards and ran back four kickoffs for 105 yards.

· Sea Dragons wide receiver Jordan Veasy (Gadsden City) caught two passes for 22 yards.

· Sea Dragons wide receiver Damion Willis (Troy) caught a 3-yard pass.

· Defenders nose tackle Gabe Wright (Auburn) did not record any stats.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.