The D.C. Defenders stopped a 2-point conversion attempt with 31 seconds to play to defeat the Seattle Sea Dragons 34-33 on Sunday night and secure a spot in the XFL playoffs.

The game capped the XFL’s Week 8 schedule. In the other Week 8 games:

· Even though quarterback AJ McCarron missed the game with a shoulder injury, the St. Louis Battlehawks beat the Vegas Vipers 21-17 on Saturday in the first overtime game of the season. In the best-of-three 2-point attempts, St. Louis converted on its first two while stopping Vegas twice. Battlehawks backup QB Nick Tiano and punter Sterling Hofrichter threw touchdown passes, with Hofrichter’s going for 64 yards with 4:55 left in the fourth quarter.

· In a game that featured eight turnovers, including a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by Arlington, the Renegades defeated the Orlando Guardians 18-16 on Saturday. After a touchdown with 3:54 to play, Orlando ran in a 1-point conversion instead of attempting a 3-point play to tie. The Guardians then lost a fumble on their final possession.

· Only one of the six overtime plays reached the end zone, and because Houston scored it, the Roughnecks defeated the San Antonio Brahmas 17-15 on Sunday. The Brahmas lost after scoring nine points in the final 67 seconds to send the game into overtime. Houston also secured a spot in the playoffs.

D.C. quarterback Jordan Ta’amu completed 17-of-26 passes for 247 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, and Seattle quarterback Ben DiNucci completed 28-of-42 passes for 301 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. As the teams combined for 30 points in the fourth quarter, each quarterback threw two TD passes, and DiNucci had a 3-point conversion in the final period.

Led by former Alabama State wide receiver and head coach Reggie Barlow, the Defenders lifted their record to a league-best 7-1 with two games remaining in the regular season. At 6-2, the Battlehawks remaining in the running for the North Division title. But by stopping the Sea Dragons’ five-game winning streak and dropping Seattle to 5-3 in completing a sweep of the teams’ two-game season series, D.C. clinched one of the division’s two postseason positions.

During Week 8, 24 players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field:

St. Louis Battlehawks 21, Vegas Vipers 17 (OT)

· Vipers offensive lineman Quinterrius Eatmon (Vigor) was designated as a game-day inactive. Vegas’ regular right offensive tackle had missed practice time with an illness.

· Battlehawks quarterback AJ McCarron (St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive. St. Louis’ No. 1 QB did not play because of a shoulder injury.

· Maurice Smith (Alabama) started at safety for the Vipers. Smith made four tackles, shared a sack and intercepted a pass. Smith’s interception came with St. Louis at the Vegas 38-yard line in the fourth quarter with Vipers leading 11-8.

· Vipers defensive back Stephen Roberts (Auburn) made three tackles.

· Battlehawks running back Kareem Walker (South Alabama) did not record any stats.

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

Arlington Renegades 18, Orlando Guardians 16

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

· Sal Cannella (Auburn) started at tight end for the Renegades. Arlington’s leading receiver this season, Cannella was not targeted in Saturday’s game.

· Guardians defensive lineman Nick Coe (Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Renegades cornerback Javaris Davis (Auburn) made one tackle.

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

· Renegades defensive lineman Davonte Lambert (Auburn) shared a sack.

· Trevon Sanders (Troy) started at nose tackle for the Guardians. Sanders made three tackles.

· Guardians linebacker Erroll Thompson (Florence) made two tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

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

Houston Roughnecks 17, San Antonio Brahmas 15 (OT)

· Brahmas offensive lineman Ja’Chai Baker (South Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Brahmas linebacker Ben Davis (Gordo, Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Brandon Silvers (Gulf Shores, Troy) started at quarterback for the Roughnecks. Silvers completed 17-of-36 passes for 146 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Silvers threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deontay Burnett to cap Houston’s first possession and a 5-yard TD pass to tight end Garrett Owens on the Roughnecks’ second snap of the second half. Silvers returned to the lineup after missing last week’s game because of a triceps injury.

· Roughnecks offensive tackle John Yarbrough (Homewood) did not record any stats.

D.C. Defenders 34, Seattle Sea Dragons 33

· Defenders long snapper/tight end Trae Barry (Spanish Fort, Jacksonville State) handled the snaps on three punts.

· Defenders linebacker Jamal Brooks (Bessemer City, South Alabama) made one tackle.

· Sea Dragons long snapper Thomas Fletcher (Alabama) handled the snaps on five punts and one field-goal attempt.

· Defenders offensive lineman Antonio Garcia (Troy) did not record any stats.

· Chris Owens (Alabama) started at left guard for the Sea Dragons.

· Sea Dragons wide receiver Kelvin McKnight (Samford) returned three punts for 17 yards and six kickoffs for 135 yards.

· Sea Dragons wide receiver Jordan Veasy (Gadsden City) did not record any stats.

· Sea Dragons wide receiver Damion Willis (Troy) caught three passes for 12 yards.

· Defenders defensive tackle Gabe Wright (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

In Week 9:

· The Vipers visit the Roughnecks at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, with ABC televising the game.

· The Guardians visit the Brahmas at 6 p.m. Saturday, with ESPN2 televising the game.

· The Renegades visit the Defenders at 11 a.m. Sunday, with ESPN televising the game.

· The Sea Dragons visit the Battlehawks at 2 p.m. Sunday, with ESPN televising the game.

St. Louis and Arlington would secure the remaining playoff positions by winning in Week 9.

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