Preds fall to Sharks in first round of playoffs, 55-33
Saturday August 15, 2015
ORLANDO – August 15, 2015 – The last time Jacksonville visited Amway Center, the Sharks held Orlando scoreless for the first quarter and led 14-0. Back on August 1, it didn’t matter, as the Predators overcame that deficit and won the Arena Football League South Division title.
In Saturday night’s divisional round playoff game, it was déjà vu all over again. Orlando (12-7) trailed 14-0 after the first quarter. But that’s where the similarities ended.
This time, Jacksonville (11-8) had an answer every time the Predators looked to flip the script. The Sharks went on to a 55-33 victory, advancing to the American Conference Championship game and ending the Predators season.
“We started slow. That’s something you can’t do in the playoffs,” Orlando head coach Rob Keefe said. “To get out again, into a terrible hole against a good team in Jacksonville, we just couldn’t make that up. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the only two times we didn’t score were against Jacksonville. Statistics don’t lie. We struggled against Jacksonville because they are a very physical defense. They imposed their will on us in the first quarter.”
Two second-quarter turnovers hurt the Predators. Down 14-7, Orlando recovered a Jacksonville fumble. The Predators were driving looking to tie the game. But a bad handoff between Hippeard and fullback Joe Simons became an Orlando turnover. Jacksonville capitalized with a Tommy Grady-to-Joe Hills TD pass. With less than one minute left in the first half, the Sharks’ Alvin Jackson made a diving interception of Hippeard. Two plays later Grady and Hills connected again. What could have been a 14-14 tie in the second quarter became a 35-14 lead for Jacksonville at intermission.
Orlando scored on the opening possession of the third quarter. Hippeard found Brackins for a four-yard scoring strike to make it 35-20 midway through the third quarter. The Predators defense came up big with less than five minutes left in the third, forcing a turnover on downs. Less than two minutes later, Hippeard found Kendal Thompkins in the seam for a 14-yard TD to make it 35-27.
“We had a good third quarter,” Keefe said. “The momentum was swinging back in our favor. We were able to close it to eight at the end of the third quarter.”
Once again, the Sharks staved off the Predators’ attempt at a rally.
Jacksonville’s Hills hauled in his third touchdown of the night to open the fourth quarter and push Jacksonville back on top 42-27. A crazy interception, with Hippeard’s long pass hitting off the top of the wall and Greg Reid catching the carom, gave the ball back to the Sharks. Six plays later, Derrick Ross plunged over the goal line for a Jacksonville TD to push the Sharks’ lead back to three possessions, 48-27.
“Again, the wheels fell off and all the momentum swung back to them,” Keefe said.
Ross added another score with less than five minutes left to ice Jacksonville’s victory, pushing the Sharks’ edge to 55-27. Greg Carr caught a touchdown pass from Hippeard with no time left on the clock to account for the final score.
Keefe said he was disappointed for the fans tonight, but said it was a successful season as a whole.
“It stunk for the fans there (at the end),” he said. “But hopefully they had an enjoyable season. I wanted to give them two more games, obviously. We won the South Division back-to-back for the first time in a very long time. But the goals are higher now. Hopefully, the fans enjoyed themselves.”
Notes:
· Hippeard passed for 287 yards and five scores, but threw two uncharacteristic interceptions. After setting a single-season AFL record for completion percentage, Hippeard was just 25-of-46 passing against the Sharks.
· Jacksonville was 8-of-8 in the red zone, while Orlando was just 2-of-4.
· The Predators were playing without defensive lineman Austin Brown and kicker Mark Lewis. Brown is getting an opportunity with an NFL team this week, while Lewis was out with an injury suffered in last week’s win over Tampa Bay.
RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jacksonville QB Tommy Grady
RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jacksonville LB Alvin Ray Jackson
J.LEWIS SMALL PLAYMAKER OF THE GAME
Jacksonville WR London Crawford
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE GAME
Diving interception by Jacksonville LB Alvin Ray Jackson (Q2 | 0:13)
AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME
Interception off the wall by Jacksonville DB Greg Reid (Q4 | 12:45)
ABOUT THE ORLANDO PREDATORS
The 2015 South Division Champion Orlando Predators are in their 24th season as Central Florida’s most exciting and innovative professional sports franchise. Proud members of the Arena Football League, the Predators have achieved unprecedented success on the field. Orlando has advanced to the AFL playoffs a league-leading 22 times in their history while securing seven conference championships, including two ArenaBowl Championship victories in 1998 and 2000.
