Florida Sports Wire

LAS VEGAS  – The Arena Football League has announced its alignment for the 2016 AFL season, featuring two conferences – American and National – based on geographic relationships and historic rivalries. The five-team American Conference will feature the Cleveland Gladiators, Jacksonville Sharks, Orlando Predators, Philadelphia Soul, and Tampa Bay Storm.  The National Conference will consist of four teams, including the Arizona Rattlers, Los Angeles KISS, Portland Thunder, and defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats. The League has also announced that free agency will begin on Thursday, November 5. Players who have not been assigned to a team roster, street free agents, or rookies who did not have their options exercised may then sign a contract with any AFL team.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —  For the second time this month   the Florida State baseball team earned national attention for its 2015-16 recruiting class when it ranked fifth in D1baseball.com’s rankings. This comes after a sixth place ranking by Baseball America that was released on Oct. 13. It also marks the second time in as many seasons that D1baseball.com has ranked the Seminoles recruiting class in the top 20, after tying for 20 th  in the 2014-15 rankings. The Noles’ 2015-16 class includes nine freshmen, two junior college transfers and two collegiate transfers. The four-year transfers were not considered by Baseball America, except when players are leaving programs that have been eliminated. The Florida State signees for 2015 include Dillon Brown (RHP, Mosley HS); Bryan Bussey (C, Walters State Community College); Chase Haney (RHP, Windermere Prep); Matt Henderson (INF, Santa Barbara City College); Tyler Holton (LHP, Lincoln HS); Matt Kinney (LHP, Belmont University); J

EDMONTON, Alberta – A hard-attacking Jacksonville Armada FC appeared on the way to its first road win in club history on Sunday, but a second half stoppage-time goal by FC Edmonton forced the Armada to settle for a 1-1 draw in its final away contest of 2015. The Armada (5W-4D-10L North American Soccer League Fall, 8-7-14 Combined) had a tight hold on possession and created dominating routes to keep the Eddies on their toes for the entire 90 minutes. Forward Jemal Johnson was responsible for Jacksonville’s goal. With goalkeeper David Sierra making his first start since he got the nod Sept. 12  against the New York Cosmos, the Armada came out soaring, keeping the match locked in a stalemate. Eddies’ backup goalkeeper Tyson Farago, who made just his second start of the season, had his hands full with a barrage of shots from the Armada and was forced into some spectacular saves. A visibly frustrated Edmonton dropped down to 10 men when midfielder Ritchie Jones was sent off following

By MIKE BONTS The Jacksonville Sharks announced that fullback Derrick Ross will return to the team, as Ross has been assigned to the Jacksonville roster on a two-year contract. “Our offensive line play was excellent, and nobody can replace 30-plus rushing touchdowns in an Arena Football League season,” Sharks head coach Les Moss said. “Derrick has set the standard of excellence at the fullback position, and we look forward to winning a championship with him. Now we just need to get our offensive line set.” Ross continued to stake his claim as the top rusher in AFL history in 2015, his first season with the Sharks. Starting all 18 regular season games,  Ross led the League with 586 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns on his 147 rushing attempts. Ross scored a touchdown in 15 of the Sharks’ 18 regular season games, and put together 11 multi-score performances. Wide receivers Joe Hills and Tiger Jones will also be back. Hills earned Second Team All-Arena honors during the 2015 se

DES MOINES, Iowa. – Drake scored 14 unanswered fourth quarter points and handed Jacksonville its first loss of the season with a 28-24 score at Drake Stadium. “We didn’t play winning football in a tough environment on the road,” said Head Coach Kerwin Bell. “These guys (Drake) played a really solid football game. Our big issues were turnovers and third downs.” Drake (4-4, 3-2), led by quarterback Andy Rice, amassed 380 yards of offense to Jacksonville’s (6-1, 3-1) 336. The Bulldogs went 11-18 on third down and forced one more turnover than Jacksonville. The winning score for Drake, set up by a Ulysses Bryant fumble, was a 19-yard pass from Rice to Andrew Yarwood with 03:14 remaining in the game. The Dolphins were forced to punt on offense and Rice rushed for a first down on the ensuing possession to give the hosts an upset win. Rice went 24-39 for 267 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target was tight end Eric Saubert, who hauled in three of his scoring passes and totale

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Though it took five sets, the Jacksonville University volleyball team was able to get revenge on rival North Florida in the second round of the River City Rumble. The first set was close throughout, but North Florida was able to take control of the game at 10-9, holding JU off just long enough to win 25-22. There were eight ties and three lead changes in the second set, including when JU took the lead at 21-20, winning the set 25-22. The Dolphins dominated in the third set, winning the first point and never surrendering the lead.  JU took the third set 25-15 to go up 2-1 on the Ospreys. In the fourth UNF got back on track, battling with the Dolphins through seven ties to win the fourth 25-23 with a tandem block by Tessa Alyman and Morgan Van Alstine. The fifth set was reflective of the entire series, tense and close throughout. JU and UNF each took the lead in the final set, but Jacksonville got on a role at 8-8, winning seven of the final eight points to ta

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The North Florida Women's Soccer team fell 2-1 in a nail-biting edition of the annual River City Rumble Friday night at Southern Oak Stadium. The Ospreys (4-11-1, 2-4-1 A-Sun) will now wait and see the results from tomorrow's conference matches to determine where they'll potentially play in the conference tournament. Despite holding the overall shot advantage by a margin of 16-11 and the on-target margin by 8-5, as well as creating multiple chances from set pieces, North Florida dropped a heartbreaker in the annual rivalry match. "I am heartbroken for these kids and they deserved a result tonight. We knew what was at stake and they did everything we asked of them," said coach Robin Confer. "We knew JU was going to be organized and in the second half we were all over them and couldn't equalize. I'm so proud of the effort this team has given and they deserve more." The Dolphins (6-7-2, 4-2-1 A-Sun) opened up with a 1-0

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University’s volleyball team will host Round Two of the River City Rumble in the Historic Swisher Gym on Friday, hoping to even up the season series between JU and North Florida before leaving Jacksonville for a two-week road trip. “Every time we’re at home it’s such an exciting time for us to play in Swisher Gym,” said Head Coach Julie Darty. “It’s the gym we practice in every week, and it’s really nice getting to sleep in our own beds and play in our own gym. We were on the road all preseason, so going back on the road is nothing new for us. But it’s a bonus when we are at home and get to spend some time in our gym.” Jacksonville   Despite five players (Emily Laskelle, Jizzyan Gesualdo, Mayara Prestes, Kelly Koop, and Cristina Finan) each recording a double-double, a JU record for most double-doubles in a match, the Dolphins couldn’t quite beat FGCU, losing in five sets to the Eagles on Saturday. The loss came after a four-set win over Stetson

NEW YORK - Ottawa Fury FC traveled south to Florida on Wednesday night and captured its first silverware when the club defeated Jacksonville Armada FC, 3-1, to clinch the Fall Season Championship with a game to spare in the regular season. Ottawa has lost only once in its last 24 matches dating to May; the loss at home was Jacksonville's first of the Fall Season. In South Florida, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers picked up a precious point in their pursuit of the fourth and final spot in The Championship after a 0-0 draw against the San Antonio Scorpions.  The draw, coupled with Ottawa's victory eliminates FC Edmonton, San Antonio, and Jacksonville from postseason contention. Indy Eleven was eliminated after last weekend's action. Now Carolina, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay are still in the fight for their postseason lives in matches on Saturday in more Week 17 action. With the victory - on second-half goals by Rafael Alves (59th minute), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (62nd) and Andrew W

KENNESAW, Ga. – Jacksonville University's women's soccer team recorded its third consecutive shutout victory Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 decision at Kennesaw State. With 10 points in conference play, Jacksonville (5-7-2, 3-2-1 A-Sun) has clinched a spot in the upcoming Atlantic Sun Championship. First-half opportunities were tough to come by as Kennesaw State outshot the Dolphins, 10-2, in the opening frame. The Owls were in active pursuit of a score but opposition from Jacksonville's backline and keeper Sara Wicks limited the home team to just two attempts on goal. On the other side of the break, the Dolphins' first shot on target resulted in the 1-0 advantage (47:52). Met by a pair of Owl defenders, Marie Weckhurst found Joëlle d'Entremont, playing in the middle, for a quick pass. The speedy senior continued her run down the left flank, d'Entremont made a precise pass through the defense and Weckhurst took a few steps before sending her shot to the right o

NEW YORK -- The Fort Lauderdale Strikers leapfrogged over the Tampa Bay Rowdies and into fourth place in the North American Soccer League (NASL) Combined Standings on Saturday night, erupting for four unanswered goals to defeat the visiting Carolina RailHawks in Week 16 action. FC Edmonton, the only team in the league with only one game to play in the regular season, most likely has seen its window of opportunity close after it failed to overcome 10-man Jacksonville in a game that featured a flurry of second-half goals by both teams. The match ended the Eddies' three-game road swing in which they failed to pick up a single point, probably dooming any postseason aspirations. The Armada FC continued its mastery at home (5-3-0) in the Fall Season. With three games left, Jacksonville has a mathematical chance of taking the final postseason berth, with two of its three remaining games to be played at Community First Park. Jacksonville closes with games against Ottawa, at FC Edmont

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Quarterback Kade Bell tied his career mark with six touchdown passes and running back Ulysses Bryant scored two times to lead Jacksonville (6-0) to a 49-28 win over Edward Waters College (2-6) in the Jacksonville Classic. “Give them (Edward Waters) all the credit. Their coach got their team more ready to play. They were zoned in and focused with a will to win. We sort of took a week off and that’s on me. We got the win, it was an ugly one. We’ve now got to go five weeks and sure we focus in one the opponent no matter who it is and where we are at,” said Head Coach Kerwin Bell. Bryant caught seven passes for 119 yards, tying his career mark in receiving yards, including the game’s final score with 02:01 remaining to seal the victory. He was also the leading rusher with 11 carries for 75 yards. Bell finished the game by going 27-for-46 for 359 yards.  Ray Dukes led the second half comeback attempt for Edward Waters with 121 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –  Looking to build on its best start ever, Jacksonville Head Coach Kerwin Bell wants his team to follow a simple plan- get better each week. “We’re trying to make sure we get better each week and follow the process of how to become a great football team and that is the desire every week to go out Tuesday through Thursday and be the best program in the country in preparation,” said Bell. “If you do that you’ll get better each week. We’re making sure this week that we have that attitude. I really believe that we will be a much better team this Saturday than we were the last five.” Bell has seen that progression each week and is planning on seeing the Dolphins (5-0, 3-0) take their next step Saturday.  This week’s opponent, Edward Waters College, brings a 2-5 record and a five-game losing streak to D.B. Milne Field for a 1 p.m. kickoff. “The new guys on the offensive line and young receivers are starting to mature and they aren’t making silly mistakes. Wee

The Jacksonville Sharks and Arena Football League announced Thursday that Jacksonville will be assigned six players via the Offseason Assignment Process.  The team will add wide receivers Shay Hodge, LaDon Hudson, Roger Jackson and A.C. Leonard, defensive lineman Mark Weivoda, and quarterback Sean Brackett. Leonard is currently on the AFL’s Other League Exempt list, as he had been assigned to the New Orleans VooDoo before signing with the Canadian Football League’s B.C. Lions.   A native of Palatka, Florida, Leonard attended University Christian School in Jacksonville before finishing his collegiate career at Tennessee State.   Hudson has caught 17 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns during his first season in the CFL. Jackson put together a strong rookie season with the New Orleans VooDoo in 2015. Starting all 11 games in which he played, Jackson racked up 74 receptions for 924 yards and 16 touchdowns, ranking second on his team in all three categories. Brackett spent his rook

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is retiring, effective immediately, and an interim head coach will be named Tuesday, The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C., reported Monday.  The 70-year-old Spurrier informed his team of his decision Monday, and quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus is expected to be named the interim head coach, a source told The State.  Spurrier is in his 11th season with the Gamecocks after returning to college football following a stint as a head coach in the NFL.  Spurrier built South Carolina into a national power, and the Gamecocks had three consecutive 11-win seasons from 2011 to 2013.  However, South Carolina won just seven games last year and it is 2-4 this season, including 0-4 in the Southeastern Conference. Spurrier was in danger of having his first losing season since 1987.  Spurrier won the 1996 national championship and six SEC championships during his 12-year stint at Florida.  He left Florida to coach the Washington Redskins but went 12-20 in t

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –  Jacksonville University held a press conference today at the River House on-campus to preview the Jacksonville Classic. Both presidents, athletic directors, head coaches, athletic staff members, local media, and even state representatives were in attendance. Jacksonville and Edward Waters College will play for the second time ever and first time since 2002, a 44-31 JU win, this Saturday at 1 p.m. at D.B. Milne Field. “This city is a beautiful city and is a football town in a football state. There’s no better way to bring two universities and the city together than to play on the gridiron and to showcase our student-athletes. It’s going to be exciting,” said Jacksonville Head Coach Kerwin Bell. Jacksonville accomplished the best start in its program’s history Saturday night with a 41-14 victory over Stetson to improve its record to 5-0 on the season. “This is a wonderful event for our city. We’re delighted this is happening for a whole host of reasons.

CARY, N.C. – The Jacksonville Armada FC had a few stellar scoring chances on Saturday night but could not consistently break through and fell 3-0 to the Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Armada (4-3-9 Fall, 7-6-13 Combined) found it too difficult to penetrate a staunch Carolina RailHawks (4-3-9, 7-8-11) desperate for a win, led by its goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald, who had four key saves.  Carolina appeared to take control from the beginning of the match, applying pressure coming straight out of the gate, leaving the Armada to drop back and defend the attack. Despite the loss, the Armada are still in the hunt for the fourth NASL Championship playoff spot. With four matches remaining, Jacksonville’s optimal shot would be to win its remaining four matches to finish with 39 points in the Combined Standings and get help from other clubs. The Armada returns to Community First Park to take on FC Edmonton at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. Tickets, starting at $12, are still ava

Missed field goals, too many penalties in 16-13 loss By MIKE BONTS The Jacksonville Jaguars have to be kicking themselves after dropping a close overtime game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium. They probably have better luck kicking themselves than winning field goals in the 16-13 loss. The Jaguars (1-3) had a chance to win with one second remaining in the fourth quarter, but rookie Jeff Myers' 53-yard field goal try went wide right, forcing overtime. Then Myers was wide left on a 48-yarder with 8:13 left in OT. In fairness to Myers he was responsible for almost half of the Jaguars scoring against their AFC South rivals. He connected to give Jacksonville a 13-10 halftime lead on a 32-yard kick with four seconds remaining in the second quarter. And was good from 20 yards out in the opening quarter. It was not a good day league wide for kickers. NFL kickers missed 11 field-goal attempts just during the afternoon games alone. "Tha

MACON, Ga. – The Dolphins' Kori Babineaux was named to the Preseason All-Conference team and Jacksonville University was picked to finish fifth and sixth in the conference in the annual preseason release published by the Atlantic Sun on Thursday. “It’s a great honor for Kori,” said Head Coach Tony Jasick. “He did a great job in his first year for us. We’re excited about him and what he can bring to our team as a senior. Hopefully he’ll continue to help us make progress.” Julian DeBose (FGCU), Josh Williams (Lipscomb), Damon Lynn (NJIT), Beau Beech (North Florida), Dallas Moore (North Florida), Yonel Brown (Kennesaw State), Winfield Willis (NJIT), Demarcus Daniels (North Florida), and Chris Davenport (North Florida) joined Babineaux on the preseason All A-Sun squad. The Dolphins were picked to finish fifth in the conference in the coaches poll, and sixth in the media poll. North Florida was picked first in both polls, and FGCU finished second in both polls. From there the p

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Emiliano Grillo and Chez Reavie were deadlocked at 13-under-par heading into the 72nd hole of the Web.com Tour Championship. Both hit the par-4 finishing hole in regulation with Grillo set to putt first.  The 23-year-old from Resistencia, Argentina drained a 25-footer for birdie, carded a final-round 69 and finished at 14-under-par 266.  Reavie stepped up, missed his bid to send the tournament into extra holes and tapped in for par making Grillo the second-youngest winner in Tour Championship history. “I knew that I needed to win,” said Grillo of his clutch effort. “I gave my best out there, and I think the best thing I did all day was making that putt on 18.” Grillo’s first Tour victory was worth $180,000. The first-place check moved him to No. 4 in the final priority rankings. “It's great,” said Grillo, who is set to start his quest for a FedExCup in at the Frys.com Open in California in a little more than a week when the PGA TOUR’s 201