Nobody Beat's Aaron's! Sharks Win ArenaBowl XXIV
Adam Markowitz
Saturday August 13, 2011
QB Aaron Garcia has his storybook ending after all. The quarterback for the Jacksonville Sharks called his own number on the final play of ArenaBowl XXIV and came up with the biggest play in his storied career. Thanks to WR Jeron Harvey's 10-yard TD reception with no time remaining, the Sharks beat the host Arizona Rattlers to claim ArenaBowl XXIV by a 73-70 score in front of 14,320 at the US Airways Center.
For Garcia, this was absolutely the way to go out. On what likely amounted to be the last play of his Hall of Fame career, he scrambled out of the pocket and found Harvey in the corner of the end zone to hush what was a raucous crowd just seconds before. It was his eighth TD pass in the game. He threw for 402 yards, an ArenaBowl record, and he walked away with the MVP award.
This absolutely was a classic duel that was arguably the best game in the history of the AFL. Jacksonville was the first team to take the upper hand in this one, taking a 32-21 lead in the first half. Garcia was hot as could be, completing 12 of his first 14 passes for 191 yards and three scores to give the Sharks the lead. However, the team was stopped on its next four possessions, including a stretch where Garcia threw seven straight incomplete passes.
Arizona took its biggest lead early in the fourth quarter when FB Odie Armstrong plunged into the end zone from a yard out for his third TD of the game. That gave the Ratts a 49-38 advantage.
What ensued after that was absolutely epic. Jacksonville scored with just under 10 minutes to play to cut the lead to four points, and then it got an INT from Defensive Player of the Game DB Micheaux Robinson to turn the tide back in its way. The Sharks scored shortly thereafter on a FB Kirby Griffin TD run to take their first lead since early in the second half.
QB Nick Davila, who had a fantastic game for the Rattlers, hooked up with WR Jason Geathers for the strike that gave them the lead at 56-53, but Garcia wouldn't be denied, throwing a 45 yard TD pass to Harvey to take the lead back at the one minute warning.
And then the onside kick game began...
Arizona scored on WR Chris Jackson's 5-yard TD pass to make the score 63-60, then Garcia found WR Jomo Wilson from 11 yards out on a crucial 3rd down to go back ahead by four. Head Coach Les Moss elected to kick the ball deep instead of posting yet another onsider, and it had appeared that the move backfired. WR Kerry Reed scored with 21 seconds left to set up Garcia's drama.
After two shaky incomplete passes, Garcia made himself a hero.
The 63 points scored in the fourth quarter was an ArenaBowl record, as were the 143 points scored, eclipsing the last ArenaBowl in this building, a 69-62 win for the San Jose SaberCats.
Jackson won Offensive Player of the Game honors by catching 10 passes for 136 yards and three TDs. Geathers also had over 100 yards receiving, as he had seven grabs for 109 yards and a pair of TDs. Davila ended with 338 yards and eight scores, earning Nifty Playmaker of the Game honors.
DB Virgil Gray had 125 return yards, but he also had two crucial fumbles in the first half, his first two fumbles of the entire season.
For Jacksonville, OL/DL Josh Holman won Ironman of the Game honors. Wilson had nine catches for 138 yards and two scores. Harvey had nine catches for 115 yards and three TDs. WR Jeff Hughley had 84 receiving yards and 108 more via kick returns.
Upon the decision of Commissioner Jerry B. Kurz, ArenaFan.com was the only media outlet at ArenaBowl XXIV that was not granted on-field or locker room access to the players. We apologize for not being able to provide postgame comments from the players and coaches to this story.
