Sharks Rekindle American Conference Championship Match with Soul

Wednesday August 10, 2016

 JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Sharks continue their hot streak against a familiar American Conference rival, the Philadelphia Soul, Sunday, August 14, at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kickoff is set at 6 p.m. ET and broadcasted on ESPN2.

Sunday’s game will be the third time this season the Jacksonville Sharks (8-9) square up against the Philadelphia Soul (13-3) with the series even 1-1. The Sharks first took on the Soul in Week 2 when the Sharks handed Philadelphia their first and largest loss of the season at 41-59. In Week 10, the Soul would travel to Sea Best Field and return the favor winning 56-42. The Soul have an impressive home standing at 7-1 in the season, but the Sharks were able to give Philadelphia a major loss last season to push them to ArenaBowl XXVIII.

Jacksonville come into the American Conference Championship on a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season. Last week, the Sharks traveled to Orlando and defeated the Predators in overtime after a powerful run for two points by Derrick Ross. The Sharks complete offense through the air and on the ground made Jacksonville a threat to all defenses.

Derrick Ross ran the ball twelve times, his game high this season. Ross’ four touchdowns was a statement proving that he is the league’s best and earned Under Armour Offensive Player of the Week for the first round of the playoffs. Tommy Grady and his elite receiving core also registered 334 yards and five touchdowns with Reggie Gray as the leading receiver with 143 yards and two scores. The offensive unit created an impressive 34 first downs and converted on all but one fourth down, numbers the team hopes to continue this Sunday.

Jacksonville’s defense showed its commitment to pressuring quarterbacks recording a sack for the third straight week. The Sharks were able to add turnovers to their stat line recovering a fumble and snagging an interception for a touchdown by Alvin Ray Jackson. The secondary also defended against two crucial passes in order to keep Predators quarterback, Bernard Morris, on his heels.

On the other side, Philadelphia has Dan Raudabaugh under center who has proven to hold strong in the pocket behind an impressive offensive line who has protected him well so far. Raudabaugh has the second best completion percentage and has handled the football efficiently. Running back Jeramie Richardson has done well behind Raudabaugh tied for first in the league with Sharks very own Ross and Mykel Benson from the Arizona Rattlers.

The Soul defense have made a huge impact in the league and were able to pick offenses apart all season long. Jake Metz has ran multiple quarterbacks down this season and leads the league in sacks (8). More pressure is applied with a scary secondary with Tracy Belton and Dwayne Hollis being the lead duo in interceptions (17). With three top three defenders in the league, Philadelphia is prepared to make a defensive stand against the Sharks.

The Sharks have overcame a difficult season this season, but have been on a tear the past three weeks. Even with an impressive matchup against the Soul on Sunday, the Sharks are prepared to repeat their performance from last year and defeat the Soul.

The Sharks look for their fourth win in a row against the Philadelphia Soul and push for game ArenaBowl XXIX. Sunday’s kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on ESPN2.
enter the postseason on back-to-back wins and hope to continue their streak in Orlando. Saturday’s kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and four-time South Division Champions are presented by Sea Best Seafood and play all home games on Sea Best Field at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Season Tickets for the 2017 season are now available, two tickets as low as $99. To reserve your season tickets or for more information, please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.