Ranking the ArenaBowls, #1: ArenaBowl XXIV

ArenaBowl XXIV featured the Arizona Rattlers and Jacksonville Sharks. The game was played at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ.

Arizona got on the board first when fullback Odie Armstrong rushed from two yards out. Jacksonville scored when quarterback Aaron Garcia threw a 41 yard touchdown to Jomo Wilson. Unfortunately, the extra point was no good, so Arizona maintained a 7-6 lead.

They expanded their lead when Nick Davila connected with Kerry Reed for a touchdown. Garcia threw a touchdown to Jeron Harvey to close the gap to 14-12 at the end of the first quarter.

The Sharks took their first lead of the game when Wilson recovered an Arizona fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Following the Rattlers scoring to re-take the lead, the Sharks scored the next 14 points to open up a 32-21 lead with 2:54 left in the first half.

Arizona scored 14 consecutive points of their own to take a 35-32 lead at halftime.

After the two teams exchanged one score apiece in the third quarter, Armstrong rushed for a one-yard touchdown and the Rattlers led 49-38 in the fourth. Jacksonville didn’t go down that easy.

It was back and forth the rest of the way. With 12 seconds left, Davila and Reed hooked up for a 12-yard touchdown. It looked as if the Rattlers were going to win another title.

However, Garcia threw a pass into the end zone as time expired in the game and it landed in Harvey’s hands. The Sharks won ArenaBowl XXIV, 73-70, with a touchdown as time expired.

The multiple comebacks in this game, as well as the most exciting finish in ArenaBowl history, is why this game winds up as the top ArenaBowl game on our list.

Jacksonville Sharks Sign Defensive Back Eddie Davis III

The Jacksonville Sharks have announced that they have signed defensive back Eddie Davis III. He spent the 2017 season, the National Arena League’s first, with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. Despite playing only four games, he recorded 14 tackles and an outstanding seven interceptions.

Davis now joins a Sharks team that relied on their defense to help them win the National Arena League title over the Jacksonville Sharks. After losing Marvin Ross to the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Sharks defense didn’t play as dominant. They found themselves winning much closer games and eventually losing their first game in the regular season finale.

Ross has since returned to the team. Should he make another move, however, at least they will have another star in Davis who has shown he knows how to read the quarterback’s eyes.

His top performance in 2017 was against the High Country Grizzlies. He recorded three interceptions in a blowout win.

The Sharks are the defending NAL champions. They defeated the Columbus Lions in the inaugural NAL title game back in July 10.

Davis is a big addition to this defense, but they aren’t the favorite to win the title in 2018. Columbus and Lehigh Valley continue to add talent to their teams, plus there are several new expansion teams on the way.

John Gregory Steps Down as National Arena League Commissioner; Chris Siegfried Named New Commissioner

In a surprising turn of events, the founder and commissioner of the National Arena League, John Gregory, has stepped down. Chris Siegfried has been named the new commissioner of the NAL.

“I have been proud to be the Commissioner of the NAL and am proud of the accomplishments made by the League in its inaugural season,” Gregory said. “This was accomplished because of the dedication and commitment made by the owners, managers, coaches and players.  Thank you for allowing me to have been a part of it.”

Siegfried may be the new commissioner, but he’s not new to the NAL. He served as the Director of Football Operations during the 2017 season. He also spent 12 years as an arena football coach.

“I am thrilled to be named as the new Commissioner of the National Arena League,” Siegfried said. “We started something great in 2017, and look to take the league to new heights in our second season of play. There should be some exciting announcements made here over the course of the next couple weeks that are made possible by the efforts of all our league members and staff.”

The Jacksonville Sharks defeated the Columbus Lions to win the first ever NAL title game back on July 10 Several teams are expected to be announced as NAL expansion teams over the next couple weeks. The 2018 schedule will follow suit.

Ranking the ArenaBowls, #17: ArenaBowl XXVIII

The Jacksonville Sharks were not supposed to be in ArenaBowl XXVII. After starting 0-4, then 1-5, then losing to Portland to drop to 7-7, the Sharks had to squeak to win 36-33 at home against three-win New Orleans to secure a playoff spot. The San Jose SaberCats, however, were exactly where they needed to be. After starting the season 11-0 and locking up the division, then being upset by Los Angeles, only to win their last six games to finish with the best record in league history and clinch home field.

Both teams had comfortable conference semifinal wins, with Jacksonville upsetting Orlando and San Jose crushing Portland. The next week, both teams needed last-second plays to reach the ArenaBowl. The SaberCats won on a controversial call with eight seconds left, and the Sharks won thanks to a late stop inside the final 30 seconds.

The first bit of drama was where the game would be played. San Jose, thanks to their 17-1 record, had home field. However, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was on a 10-day run at the SAP Center, thus moving both the National Conference Championship game and the ArenaBowl. Like the conference title game, Stockton, CA was decided as the official site in the final days before kickoff.

As with the Soul, Jacksonville hung tough to start the game. Tommy Grady matched Erik Meyer pass for pass, and held the upper hand in the stat books (four touchdowns to Meyer’s three in total) thanks to finding number one target Joe Hills in the end zone four times in the first half. In what was shaping to be the greatest upset in league history, the Sharks led the 19-1 SaberCats 33-27 at the half.

However, unlike the Week 4 matchup where San Jose had to wait until the fourth quarter to pull away, the defense and special teams clamped down to start the second half. Throughout the third and early fourth quarters, the SaberCats went on a 34-0 run thanks in part to a David Hyland pick-six and a kickoff recovery off the net. Grady lost his touch from the first half, holding on to the ball too long and missing open receivers downfield, grinding the offense to a halt. By the time Jacksonville started scoring in the fourth quarter, the game was long gone.

San Jose became the first team to win 20 games in a season, and head coach Darren Arbet won his fourth title in his hometown. The game proved bittersweet for both teams, as it turned out to be the SaberCats’ their final season of existence. The team ceased operations less than three months later. For Jacksonville, head coach Les Moss wouldn’t get back to the big game for one more shot, as Jacksonville fired him the following year after a 5-9 start. The Sharks then left the league altogether following the 2016 season.