08/17/2019 9:49 PM -

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks (15-1) defeated the defending champions Carolina Cobras (10-6) 52-48 to claim their second NAL Championship Title.





Quarterback Mike Fafaul started the game for the Sharks tonight after leaving the first playoff game with an injury, yet, he was able to start and perform well for Jacksonville. He finished 15-of-24 for 146 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. When Bane came in, he was 5-of-12 for 26 yards. Wide Receiver Durron Neal finished with the most touchdowns on the Sharks with two. He had eight receptions for 42 yards as well. Devin Wilson had six receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown. Brandon Behr was perfect on PAT’s (6-of-6) and had one deuce.





In the first half, the Sharks were off to a slow start, being down 0-14 early on. Bringing the Sharks back to life, Fafaul was able to air it out to Wilson on a 14-yard-pass. From there, the Sharks were able to score 16 more unanswered points on a blocked kick recovered by Game MVP Chris Gilchrist and a forced fumble from Defensive Lineman Damien Jacobs and the scoop and score from Jack Linebacker Chris Gilchrist. This brought the Sharks up to a 23-14 lead in the second quarter. With just under a minute to go in the first half, the Cobras were able to score a touchdown and was able to stop the Sharks’ offense from scoring. The halftime score was 23-28 with the Sharks trailing by five.





In the second half, the Sharks were down by multiple drives the entire time, but fought hard in the second half. With just 11 seconds left, Fafaul found Neal in the end-zone for the game-winning touchdown. On the Cobras final drive, with just seconds left, they traveled all the way down to the Jacksonville 6-yard-line before being stopped and the clock was at 0, and the Sharks reclaimed their rightful title as the National Arena League Champions. .





About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The 2017 NAL Champions and ArenaBowl XXIV Champions and play all home games at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks Nation Memberships for the 2019 season are now available. Shark Nation Memberships start as low as $75. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on Facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.