Jacksonville Sharks 2018 Season Preview

The Jacksonville Sharks won the inaugural National Arena League (NAL) title game, defeating the Columbus Lions on July 10, 2017 to capture the title.

They will be looking to solidify themselves as the team to beat in the league by becoming the first back-to-back champions in league history. They will also have a stronger team than they did when they lost just one game last season.

Quarterback Tommy Grady broke his foot a few weeks into the season and was done for the year. Damien Fleming stepped in and carried the team the rest of the way, but he is no Grady. Unfortunately, Grady has joined the Albany Empire. He may return to Jacksonville, but if he doesn’t, it could be a problem for Jacksonville.

The good news is that running back Derrick Ross will be returning. The future arena football hall of famer rushed for 521 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2017, which was dominant over all other running backs. He will be a key to their success, as he always been.

Their defense also has spiked up. In the secondary, Marvin Ross will be returning to the team. Ross had two stints with the Sharks in 2017, recording nine interceptions.

The only real problem for Jacksonville, outside of Grady leaving, is that they will be missing several key receivers from last season. Thyron Lewis is with the Atlanta Havoc of the American Arena League (AAL) and Mo Williams is a free agent and isn’t expected to re-sign with the Sharks.

They did sign the team’s all-time leading receiver Jerome Harvey, but it’s been a while since he’s played. No one is sure how he’ll perform in his return. The other wide receivers on the team are rookies.

Jacksonville’s road to repeat begins this Saturday when they travel to Greensboro, NC to take on the expansion franchise Carolina Cobras. That Cobras team is a forced to be reckoned with. They have several players from the Wichita Falls Nighthawks, including 2016 and 2017 Indoor Football League MVP quarterback Charles McCullum.

The second NAL season will run from April 7 to Aug. 25. The regular season ends Aug. 7. Postseason play begins the weekend of Aug. 14 with four quarterfinal games followed by two semifinal games. National Arena Bowl II, the name for the league’s title game, will be played on Saturday, Aug. 25.

Ranking the ArenaBowls, #9: ArenaBowl XXVI

The Arizona Rattlers and Philadelphia Soul met in ArenaBowl XXVI one year after meeting in ArenaBowl XXV. Arizona won the first meeting by a final score of 72-54. They were looking for a repeat while Philadelphia was looking for revenge.

Arizona scored first when Nick Davila threw an eight yard touchdown to Maurice Purify. Philadelphia tied the game when Dan Raudabaugh found Ryan McDaniel from 15 yards. The game was tied at seven at the end of one.

Davila’s second touchdown pass went to Rod Windsor to give Arizona a 14-7 lead. Derrick Ross rushed for a one-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14. After both teams scored again, Arizona kicked a 18 yard field goal with 26 seconds left to give them a 24-21 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, the Souk took their first lead when Raudabaugh connected with McDaniel for a second time. Arizona took the lead back with a touchdown from Davila from Kerry Reed. They took their 31-27 lead into the final quarter.

Arizona pulled away in the fourth quarter when Davila and Windsor connected on another touchdown to expand their lead to 38-27. The Soul were not able to overcome it and Arizona went on to win by a final score of 48-39.

Windsor (10 receptions, 245 yards, two touchdowns) went on to win the offensive player of the game. Mauric(nine tackles) was named the game’s defensive player of the game.

Jacksonville Sharks Defeat Columbus Lions 27-21 to Win National Arena League Title

The Jacksonville Sharks hosted the Columbus Lions in the National Arena League title game on Monday night. This was the third meeting between the two teams.

Jacksonville scored first with a one-yard rushing touchdown from Derrick Ross. After three combined turnovers, the Sharks held their 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The next score came 10 minutes into the second quarter. Damien Fleming threw a backward pass to Maurice Williams, who threw a touchdown pass to Moqut Ruffins. The extra point was no good, and the Sharks lead was 13-0.

Jacksonville was looking to go up 20-0 before the end of the half, but Kyle Griswould recorded his 11th interception of the season, intercepting a Fleming pass in the end zone with just nine seconds left in the half. The Sharks would keep their 13-0 lead at halftime.

Columbus got on the board with a deep touchdown pass from Mason Espinosa to Tristan Purifoy. Jacksonville would strike back with three minutes left in the third with a touchdown from Jason Boltus to Williams.

With three minutes left and the Sharks leading 27-21, Boltus threw an interception in the end zone and the Lions had the ball at the one minute warning. With four seconds left, Espinosa fumbled the snap and Jacksonville recovered to clinch a 27-21 victory in the National Arena League title game.

Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Quarterback Warren Smith, Jr Wins National Arena League MVP

Lehigh Valley Steelhawks quarterback Warren Smith Jr has won the 2017 National Arena League MVP. The star quarterback has thrown for 1,953 yards and 56 touchdowns.

Those numbers, like Derrick Ross in rushing, dominates all other opponents. The 1,953 passing yards are 342 yards more than the next best guy, Columbus Lions quarterback Darren Daniel. The 56 touchdown passes are also 18 more than Daniel, also the second best in that category.

Smith had many offensive weapons to help him reach the stats that he got. Darius Prince, Brandon Renford, Warren Oliver, Jr all were big contributions to getting Smith to his league-leading performance.

Unfortunately for Smith and the Steelhawks, they couldn’t cap off the incredible season with a championship. After riding a six-game win steak, they blew a 22-point lead in the NAL semifinals and lost to the Lions, 52-50. In an interview with Inside the Arena, Smith said he didn’t care about winning the NAL MVP title. Now, he’s got the award in his hands.

The Jacksonville Sharks and Columbus Lions will face off in the first ever National Arena League title game tomorrow night, July 10. Columbus will be looking to win their third title in three years in a third league. Jacksonville will be looking for their first title since winning ArenaBowl XXIV in 2011.