Gladiators Come Back to Defeat Sharks Again, 48-47

(photo credit: Jacksonville Sharks/Twitter)

The Jacksonville Sharks (5-7) had an ideal situation: first and goal at the Cleveland Gladiators' (7-6) three-yard line, 15 seconds left, a time out in your pocket, needing only a field goal to win the game. Then, sadly an all too familiar outcome. Play clock winding down, confusion on the play, a rush, panic, and a fumbled snap. That's what happened to close out a 48-47 loss on Saturday.

The game didn't start out doom and gloom for the white-clad Sharks at home. In fact, it was yet another back and forth game, especially at the outset. Both teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter, highlighted by a 42-yard bomb from Tommy Grady to Joe Hills.

However, some of the cracks showed on special teams, as Gladiators kicker Adrian Trevino missed an extra point, only for Jacksonville to follow up with a botched snap, leaving the game tied at 13 early in the second quarter.

Both defensive lines started to get pressure as the game wore on, and Cleveland QB Arvell Nelson needed to scramble for his life to extend time and try to find open receivers. Most of the time it didn't work, but when it did, yards came in chunks.

On the Gladiators' first drive of the second quarter, Nelson completed two passes of at least 11 yards, and scrambled for a five-yard run. However, linebacker Keon Lyn forced a fumble, which Cleveland wide receiver Quentin Sims quickly recovered to salvage the drive. A drive that ended with a David Hyland interception on fourth down.

Jacksonville didn't have the ball for long, as Tommy Grady, who spent most of the night dropping further and further back and pumping the ball before throwing, got sacked by defensive end Abe Konowa near the goal line. Grady fumbled, and Joe Phinisee scooped up the ball and scored to give the Gladiators a 20-13 lead.

The next drive ended in another turnover, this one a Marvin Ross interception off Grady, which led to a 33-yard touchdown pass from Arvell Nelson to Collin Taylor. Suddenly, a back and forth game turned into a two-score lead for Cleveland at 27-13.

Just as quickly as the lead appeared, it disappeared. The Sharks drove down the field into the GEICO™ Blue Zone, and the Gladiators helped them out with two penalties to set up first downs when they got there. Superman Hills nearly flew over the boards to make a catch, and the deficit was suddenly seven.

With 34 seconds left, the fear was Jacksonville scored too soon. But, when a Cleveland drive stalled and turned into a 27-yard field goal attempt, the 10,645 fans in attendance breathed a sigh of relief. The sighs turned to cheers as the kick went wide right, and the Sharks had the ball near midfield thanks to a penalty. The one untimed down was just enough for Tommy Grady to find Hills for a 29-yard strike to bring his team within one at the half thanks to another missed extra point.

The momentum carried over to the second half, which started with another touchdown pass, this time from Grady to Reggie Gray. Jacksonville nearly got a shot at double dipping when David Hyland forced and recovered a Larry Beavers fumble on the kickoff, but an offside penalty on Joe Hills erased the turnover, giving Cleveland second life. The defense still responded, thanks to a sack, another fumble (recovered by the Gladiators) and a Keon Lyn breakup of a fourth down pass from Arvell Nelson to Beavers.

As the teams started to trade scores again that turnover held up, as the closest Cleveland could get was 13 points away. But, after a London Crawford touchdown run made the score 47-34 with just under eight minutes left, the Gladiators turned the tables. Jacksonville slowly switched to a zone defense, and receivers like Collin Taylor and Devin Wilson found the holes they needed.

Wilson connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass to get within six, and Cleveland recovered the ensuing onside kick to try all over again. Between a mix of exploiting the zone and using the sidelines with precision, Cleveland drove down the field and Devin Wilson scored again from four yards away to set up the final drive.

The fatal drive started well, thanks to a 16-yard pass from Grady to Superman Hills, and stayed well thanks to a personal foul penalty on Gladiators defensive back Demar Robinson. However, the Sharks opted for a short pass to Reggie Gray to get to the five-yard line, and despite a holding penalty on Cleveland, the rest was history.

Despite the sacks and fumbles, when Tommy Grady got the ball out of his hands, it was effective. He completed 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards and six scores to go along with the interception, while Arvell Nelson completed 23 of his 38 attempts for 301 yards and five scores with his pick.

Nelson also used his legs, running eight times for 28 yards and a score. Derrick Ross, on the other hand, had a quieter night, carrying the ball only three times for 23 yards.

Joe Hills and Collin Taylor were the star receivers on the night, as they ranked in the top three in catches, yards, and touchdowns. Hills led the way in all three categories (14/157/5) with Taylor not far behind (8/134/2). Devin Wilson did sneak in to finish second in touchdowns with three from six catches for 76 yards.

Marvin Ross had a game-high 8.5 tackles, while Hyland led the Sharks with six to go along with his fumble and interception. Collin Keoshian, Randy Colling, and Abe Konowa all registered a sack for Cleveland.

Jacksonville now sits through the bye week with a sour taste in their mouths and some possible introspection before heading west for a two-game road trip. The final of five consecutive nationally televised games will be Saturday, July 9 at 9:30 p.m. as the Sharks go into the Snake Pit to take on the Arizona Rattlers before going to Portland to face the Steel on July 16 at 10 p.m. ET.