Sharks Heroes Unite, Fall Short at Home Against Predators

(photo credit: Jacksonville Sharks/Twitter)

It's not often you see Spiderman and Superman in the same room together, let alone joining forces. However, in the Arena Football League universe, anything can happen. The Jacksonville Sharks (1-2) needed every ounce of their power on Monday night, but still couldn't defeat their arch nemesis, the Orlando Predators (3-0), as the Sharks dropped their home opener 63-56.

The game was right in Jacksonville's hands, tied at 56 with 42 seconds left, and the ball on the Orlando 13 after recovering an onside kick. All they had to do was to hand the ball off to the best fullback in league history, force the defense to take their timeouts, and win with an extremely reliable kicker. Instead, they gambled on the pass. Tommy Grady dropped back a little slower than usual with pressure in his face, and Terrance Taylor forced and recovered a low-hanging ball for a fumble.

QB Randy Hippeard found Greg Carr for a 33-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-6, and Orlando found themselves in the lead. When Jacksonville got the ball back, Joe Hills put on his red cape to make two big catches to get to the Orlando 10, but two plays later, Preds DB Varmah Sonie had the kryptonite to send the home crowd away empty-handed.

The only highlights of the first quarter were defensive, as Sharks LB Alvin Ray Jackson opened the game with an interception, then recovered a fumble on the next defensive series to keep the game scoreless. The flood gates opened in the second quarter, as the next five consecutive possessions would end in touchdowns. With 45 seconds left in the first half, the Sharks found themselves with a precarious 20-14 lead thanks to Marco Capozzoli's first miss of any kind this season (the first extra point of the night following a Derrick Ross score).

As the teams went onside frequently in the hopes of stealing a possession, the strategy began to backfire. Larry Brackins recovered a Jacksonville onside kick and returned it 12 yards for an easy touchdown, then Derrick Ross scored on a 10-yard run thanks to another failure to retake the lead seconds later.

Not to be outdone, the defense came back in full force to end the first half. Alvin Ray Jackson got to Preds QB Randy Hippeard just enough to disrupt a throw and cause a fumble, which he then recovered and ran 21 yards for a touchdown. After replays showed it may have been an incomplete pass, the referee ruled that Hippeard threw with an empty hand, and the touchdown stood to give the Sharks an apparent 34-21 halftime advantage.

When Greg Reid intercepted Hippeard on the very next play from scrimmage, the crowd thought he ended the half just two yards shy of another pick-six. However, the referee again decided fate by ruling Reid down by contact, giving Jacksonville the ball and three seconds left. Marco Capozzoli lined up for a 35-yard field goal, but missed wide right, and Brandon Thompkins took the ball and ran back 54 yards to give Orlando a touchdown and momentum, cutting the deficit to 34-28.

As the second half wore on, the game got tighter and chippier, as both teams were flagged for more and more unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Jacksonville seemed to keep the cooler heads on defense, but couldn't get off the field without surrendering points, as Randy Hippeard started the third quarter with a touchdown sneak on 3rd down, and the 4th quarter with a scramble to convert 4th-and-7, which led to another score. The good news was that Orlando had the same problem.

As Tiger Jones, who had a pass broken up when a third defender came in at the last second after double coverage, converted a 4th-and-7 with a catch of his own to set up a Joe Hills score in between.

With the fourth quarter winding down and trailing by a single point, the Sharks started to get more aggressive. Roger Jackson didn't need any spiderwebs to elude two potentially venomous Predators to get to the Orlando 4-yard line, but a holding penalty on Derrick Ross made the fans' senses tingle instead. After Joe Hills bailed the team out with two big catches, Ross earned his penance by sneaking in from a yard out to put Jacksonville up by five.

Then, what was a normal extra point became a fake attempt, and LaRoche Jackson added a little Action of his own to score and increase the lead to seven with just under five minutes to go. Brandon Carr and Joe Hills each caught touchdowns over the next three minutes to set up the thrilling finish.

Aside from the sack, QB Tommy Grady had a good night from the Sharks' pocket, completing 29 of 40 passes for 289 yards and four scores. On the other end, Randy Hippeard faired almost as well, completing 26 of his 37 attempts for 296 yards, four scores of his own, and two picks.

Superman and Spiderman combined to be 1-2 in catches on the night (Hills 11, Jackson 10), 1-3 in yards (Hills 124, Jackson 87), and Hills hauled in three touchdown catches. Brandon Thompkins and Greg Carr continued to shine for Orlando, with Thompkins catching 9 balls for 83 yards and a score, and Carr following right behind with 8 catches, but for 108 yards and a TD.

The rushing battle was an interesting one, as Derrick Ross outdueled Hippeard, beating him in carries (8-6), yards (19-12), and touchdowns (3-2).

On defense, Alvin Ray Jackson was the bell cow with 5.5 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. Greg Reid, however, did lead the Sharks in tackles with seven to go along with his pick, and Anthony Degrate, Khreem Smith, and Dexter Jackson all recorded at least a half sack.

While Orlando DB Varmah Solie had a game-high 10 tackles, Terrence Taylor was the only Predator to finish with a sack, but one of five to register at least a half tackle for loss.

Things don't get any easier for Jacksonville, as they face not only a quick turnaround, but another unbeaten team in the Arizona Rattlers, as Veterans Memorial Arena will see the British Invasion happen all over again on Saturday, April 23. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.