Tampa Bay lead evaporates as Sharks beat Storm 54-30

Saturday April 2, 2011

TAMPA -  Veteran Arena Football League quarterback Aaron Garcia passed for six touchdowns as Jacksonville overcame a 21-6 first half deficit against Tampa Bay and the Sharks went on to a 54-30 win Friday night on the Amalie  Motor Oil Field at the St. Pete Time Forum.
 
The 40-year-old Garcia in his 17th AFL season was 12 of 17 and improved that to 21 of 27 for the game. Two touchdown passes to Jeff Hughley and another to Jomo Wilson were included in a 20-0 run from the second to third  periods, overcoming a 24-13 deficit to take a 33-24 lead with 9:08 left in the 3rd period.
 
Tampa’s Grant Gregory, in his first start since the departure of Mike Potts, was 27 of 42 for a game-high 285 yards and four touchdowns.
 
The Storm’s Michael Lindsey, leading the league in kickoff returns, barely got his hands on but a few as the Sharks kicker kept the ball away from the speedster on touchbacks and bounces off the iron.
 
The Storm scored on its first two possessions and built a 14-0 lead in the first period Gregory connected with Whitaker and Amarri Jackson for scores.
 
Tampa Bay finished a 49-yard drive with Gregory hitting Whitaker for 7 yards for a 21-6 margin in the first nine seconds of the second quarter.
 
Gregory, a rookie out of Kansas State, was seven of 10 in the first period and finished the first half  14 of 20 for 178 yards. 
 
 
1st Quarter
TB – Huey Whittaker 4 pass from Grant Gregory (Kyle Chilton kick) 10:49.
TB – Amari Jackson 9 pass from Gregory (Chilton kick) 5:32.
JA – Sale’ Key  5 pass from Aaron Garcia (kick failed) 3:43.
2nd Quarter
TB – Whitaker 7 pass from Gregory (Chilton kick) 14:19.
JA – Kirby Griffen 4 run (Marco Capozzoli kick) 11:59.
TB – FG Chilton 49  8:38.
JA – Jeff Hughley 9 pass from Garcia (Capozzoli kick) 5:09.
JA – Jomo Wilson 12 pass from Garcia (kick failed) 11.3.
3rd Quarter
JA – Hughley 5 pass from Garcia (Capozzoli kick) 8:31.
TB – Hank Edwards 20 pass from Gregory (kick failed) 5:14.
JA – Key 7 pass from Garcia (Capozzoli kick) 2:13.
JA – Griffen 5 run. (Capozzoli kick) 0:00.
4th Quarter
JA – Wilson 25 pass from Garcia (Capozzoli kick) 8:18.