Florida Sports Wire

 JACKSONVILLE, FL- True Vet Solutions, a local veteran-owned company that provides veteran career support and resource services, and the Jacksonville Sharks have reached an agreement on a new title sponsorship.  True Vet Solutions will be the presenting sponsor of the Jacksonville Sharks.  “We are very excited to announce this new deal,” Sharks Senior VP Tim Johnson said. “True Vet Solutions has been a tremendous partner and supporter of the Sharks. True Vet becoming our Title sponsor extends our relationship and we look forward to working with Tracy and his team for years to come.” True Vet Solutions was previously the Sharks' field naming partner.  This year, True Vet is expanding on that partnership to become the title sponsor of the team. “Our mission is to inform, assist, and engage in the efforts to increase the quality of life for those who have served”,  True Vet Solutions Owner Tracy Glover said. “This partnership will help get the word out about our co...

JACKSONVILLE, FL -  The Sharks continue to build their roster for the 2025 season with the signings of DB  Tyrese Ross , DL  Tyquilo Moore  and the re-signing OL  Bryant Nolan Jr. Ross (6'0, 200 lbs) has experie n ced a varied and remarkable college football journey, playing for three universities from 2019 to 2024. His standout season came in 2023 at Samford University, where he tallied 44 total tackles, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery.  Throughout his career, Ross consistently showcased his versatility and ability to adapt, having suited up for Washington State, South Carolina, and Samford. His smooth transitions between these programs, coupled with his success in different defensive systems, highlight his football intelligence and strong work ethic. At each stop, Ross emerged as a defensive leader, gaining the confidence of both his teammates and coaches.  Moore (6'4, 285 lbs) spent his college years at Kansas State though he saw limit...

  JACKSONVILLE -  The Sharks have re-signed two University of Alabama offensive linemen for the 2025 season.  Dominick Jackson  and  Leon Brown  were major components to the latter half of Sharks inaugural IFL season.  Jackson (6 '6, 325 lbs) played at Alabama in 2014 and 2015. Before that, he played JUCO ball for the College of San Mateo in 2013, where he was an outstanding guard.  His performance at San Mateo earned him enough recognition to receive an invitation to the combine as a junior. Jackson later signed with the Commanders as an un-drafted free agent.  Brown (6 '7, 320 lbs) played JUCO ball in New York before making a surprise transfer to Alabama in 2012.  Remarkably, Brown never visited Alabama before confirming his transfer. Legendary Coach Saban expressed his excitement about finally meeting Brown after learning of his decision.  Brown later played in various leagues, including the AAF and AFL until ultimately finding a...

The Indoor Football League is proud to announce the Players of the Week for Week Seven of the 2024 IFL season. Daniel Smith (TUL) is named Offensive Player of the Week, Makel Calhoun (VEG) is named Defensive Player of the Week, and DJ Stubbs (JAX) is named Special Teams Player of the Week.   Daniel Smith, QB, Tulsa Oilers Following a 72-point outing by the Tulsa offense, quarterback Daniel Smith shined brightest. Smith ended the night nearly perfect, completing 14/18 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Smith added another five touchdowns on the ground, as he was responsible for eight of the team's 10 touchdowns. The Tulsa Oilers had a historic victory in Week Seven, earning Daniel Smith Offensive Player of the Week.   Makel Calhoun, LB, Vegas Knight Hawks In a victorious effort against the Duke City Gladiators, linebacker Makel Calhoun had a game-changing performance. Calhoun ended the night with a game-leading eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. As th...

JACKSONVILLE, FL - The Jacksonville Sharks have been steady active this off season in free agency and are keeping things rolling with signing former Auburn Tiger Marcus Bragg (6 '6,260lb).  Bragg came to Auburn as a graduate transfer from Western Kentucky, where he played three seasons. He played in all 14 games during the 2021 campaign recording 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks.  Bragg also played two seasons in the junior college ranks at Mississippi Delta Community College and Arizona Western, recording 35 tackles and two sacks. As a Tiger, Bragg appeared in 11 games registering 16 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack.  He is also cousin to former Auburn wide receiver Ricardo Louis whose most memorable play was a 73-yard touchdown reception against the Georgia Bulldogs in 2013. This play is known as "The Prayer in Jordan-Hare."  The catch enabled the Tigers to win their division, enter the postseason, and make it into a national championship game. ...

  JACKSONVILLE, -  The Jacksonville Sharks will play their 2024 season in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Sharks inaugural IFL season consists of 16 regular season games including eight home and eight away.  All home games are played on True Vet Field at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. Season tickets are now available.   2024 Schedule: Saturday, March 23rd: Sharks @ Massachusetts Pirates  Sunday, March 31st: Sharks @ Vegas Nighthawks  Saturday, April 6th: Sharks vs Bay Area Panthers Saturday, April 20th: Sharks vs Vegas Nighthawks Sunday, April 28th: Sharks @ Arizona Rattlers  Saturday, May 4th: Sharks @ Tulsa Oilers Saturday, May 11th: Sharks @ Frisco Fighters Saturday, May 18th: Sharks vs Sioux Falls Storm  Saturday, June 1st: Sharks vs Arizona Rattlers Saturday, June 8th: Sharks vs Tulsa Oilers Friday, June 14th: Sharks @ Green Bay Blizzards  Saturday, June 22nd: Sharks vs Massachusetts Pirates Saturday, June 29th: Sharks @ Sioux...

JACKSONVILLE ( www.jaxsportsday.com ) -  The Jacksonville Sharks announced the addition of two new partners to the team’s ownership group.   The four time Champion Sharks enter their 14th season and look to continue their winning ways. Tripp Amos and Ramsey Potts will become owners as the Sharks head into their inaugural Indoor Football League (IFL) season.   Amos currently serves as a Consultant to Aflac’s U.S. executive team.  Prior to this, he had a 25-year career with Aflac, serving in various Sales and Leadership positions.  Amos also served as Chairman and CEO of Piedmont Payment Services.   Under his leadership, Piedmont experienced accelerated growth and was named by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America in 2018, 2019, and 2020. He has always had a love for all kinds of football and was a part owner in the Columbus Wardogs af2 arena football team. “Being able to have such accomplished businessmen as...

JACKSONVILLE ( www.jaxsportsday.com ) The Jacksonville Sharks announced the signing of four players as they continue to move through this year's free agency period.  Rookie defensive end Amani Peoples, rookie defensive lineman Ethan Skarmas, offensive lineman Taylor Sanders, and wide receiver Brian Smith.  Amani Peoples, a Florida native hails from the powerhouse high school in south Florida, Miami Northwestern. The former Bull would go on to finish his collegiate career at Bethel College where he was selected as a All-KCAC (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) Honorable Mention selection his senior year (2022).  He collected 21 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks and one forced fumble during his senior season campaign where he helped lead Bethel to a 9-1 record and a conference title.  The Sharks add a fast pass rusher who gives 110% effort every play and the ability to also play a major role in special teams with his speed and athletic ability. Peop...

JACKSONVILLE ( www.floridasportsday.com ) -   The Jacksonville Sharks have officially signed fan favorite wide receiver Kamrin Solomon.  The reigning Offensive Player of the Year was a key piece of the Sharks’ top ranked offense. The two-time NAL Champion (2019,2023) will be returning to Jacksonville for his 4th season bringing veteran leadership along with his explosive plays on the offensive side of the ball.  Solomon played his collegiate ball at Florida Atlantic University and took the NAL by storm last year leading the league with 32 touchdowns and 1907 receiving yards. He averaged over 102 receiving yards a game, proving himself as a stronghold of the offense, even with injuries that plagued the team.  The Mandarin High School alum broke the NAL record for most receptions in a single season with 116 catches. The former record was 104, held by Jarmon Fortson (2018) and Jordan Jolly (2019). Solomon also left his mark in the 2023 NAL Championship Game recordi...

Special to SportsDay JACKSONVILLE ( www.sportsdayjax.com )  The Sharks (4-2) kept their undefeated road record alive against the San Antonio Gunslingers (5-1) on Sunday afternoon. During their first matchup this season, San Antonio took down Jacksonville in overtime at the Tank. The Sharks got revenge, however, dominantly defeating the Gunslingers on their home field.  Jacksonville took control early and never looked back. Marc Orozco started the game with a deuce on the opening kick-off, immediately giving the Sharks a 2-0 lead. In his first game with Jacksonville, Orozco showed his power and precision. Jabari Gorman halted any possible momentum for the Gunslingers with an incredible interception in the endzone later that quarter, which was a massive part of the first half for the Sharks. Tamorrion Terry and Marquel Wade scored in the first, and Jacksonville led 17-6 after one.  The second quarter saw the first of a few touchdowns for both Sam Castronova and Kamrin Solom...

JACKSONVILLE ( wwwsportsdayjax.com ) – Jacksonville has made multiple additions to their roster this week; they first acquired kicker Marc Orozco from Albany and then signed former Shark to a contract, wide receiver and defensive back Erick McIntosh. Orozco has seen limited action in the league, appearing in only nine games since the start of the 2022 season, including just one this year. His skill is evident, however; in that one game, he scored three deuces for Albany.  He was also a member of last season's NAL Championship-winning team. He joins two other champions from last season on the Sharks roster, Sam Castronova and Marquel Wade, who both signed contracts with Jacksonville earlier this month. McIntosh was a member of Jacksonville's inaugural season in the National Arena League in 2017 and part of the first-ever NAL Championship team with the Sharks. 2017 was by far the best season of his career to date. It was a year in which he was named to the All-NAL team, one of f...

By Abigail Rubel JACKSONVILLE (Albany Times Union) - The Albany Empire were outscored 44-13 in the second half and lost 79-34 at the Jacksonville Sharks on Saturday night. The Empire (1-4) scored once in the third quarter on a kickoff return by Maurice Leggett and once in the fourth on a 3-yard rush by Malcom McCoy.  Jacksonville (3-2) scored on all 10 drives, with the Albany defense unable to get a single stop. “It was a poor performance all the way around. Coaching, playing. Everything wasn’t very good,” Albany coach Tom Menas said. Menas, who won back-to-back titles in Albany, resigned on Monday. Former Empire quarterback Sam Castronova made the most of playing the team that suspended and released him, completing 23 of his 26 passes for 282 yards and five touchdowns passing and a rushing for a touchdown before being pulled for the backup in the fourth quarter with the Sharks up 72-34.  His first incompletion came with 14 seconds left in the first half. National Arena League...

JACKSONVILLE ( www.sportsdayjax.com )– The Jacksonville Sharks signed Sam Castronova, second year National Arena League (NAL) quarterback, on Wednesday. Castronova, a Buffalo native, started with the Albany Empire this season before heading south to Jacksonville. Castronova became Albany’s starter mid-season in 2022. He showed his leadership early and, by the end of the summer, helped his team to a championship while also taking home the NAL Championship MVP.  This season, Castronova is second in the league in total passing yards with 724, behind only Jacksonville’s own Conor Blount, who has totaled 886. There are not many lists that are not topped by one of those two players this season. Castronova is averaging over 240 passing yards a game, hopefully bringing in the offense that the 2-2 Sharks need this season. He also has 226 rushing yards, proving he is a threat to run.  He threw 58 touchdowns in 11 games last year, second in the league. He also created offense and touchd...

The Jacksonville Sharks defeated the Fayetteville Mustangs on the road 73-53. The Sharks offense was led by the duo of QB Conor Blount and WR Kamrin Solomon racking up 36 of the Sharks 73 points.  Newly signed Sharks kicker Kevin Didio-Weber made quite the first impression hitting one deuce and two rouge points. Defensively, the Sharks put a stop to Fayetteville’s high power offense, holding Mustang QB Rakeem Cato to only five touchdown passes and 175 yards.  Anthony Johnson started the game off with a bang scoring the first of two rushing touchdowns less than three minutes into the first quarter. Fayetteville responded back quickly putting up their first touchdown in three possessions.The score went back and forth for the remainder of the quarter and ended with the Sharks up 20 to 19.  The second quarter started with a Sharks touchdown and ended with a Mustang touchdown in the last second of the half, tying the game at 34. The Chess match continued into the third quarter...

(Special to SportsDay) This week, the Jacksonville Sharks (1-0) hosted the San Antonio Gunslingers (1-0) as their first home opponent of the 2023 NAL season.  Teams were trading touchdowns for most of the game, leading to a 56-56 tie late in the fourth quarter. Oertime period gave San Antonio a 63-62 win, ruining Jacksonville's homecoming.  The first quarter started with a bang! The opening kickoff return by Karmin Solomon was a good one and set up a quick Sharks touchdown.  Khalil McClain scored both first-quarter touchdowns for Jacksonville—the second of those set up a successful two-point conversion attempt that quarterback Conor Blount completed. Unfortunately, the Gunslingers' offense saw equal success, and the quarter ended at 14-14. Second-quarter touchdowns were scored by Blount, McClain, his third of the game, and Jordus Smith. Smith's score was his first of the season, and it was a beauty as he fell into the crowd, securing the ball for the score.  On the ...

JACKSONVILLE (SportsDay) - The Jacksonville Sharks announced today that former Columbus Lions head coach Jason Gibson will be the Sharks next head coach going into the NAL’s 2023 season.  Gibson spent 16 seasons with the Lions, amassing a 131-73 record as the team’s head coach and general manager. Gibson won three league championships between the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL), Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL), and American Indoor Football League (AIF).  Gibson and the Lions joined the National Arena League in 2017 as a founding member. During his time in the NAL, Gibson became the longest active NAL head coach serving as the head coach of the Lions in every NAL season (2017-2022).  The Lions became the only team in NAL history to make it to the playoffs in every single season of play while also playing in three championship games in five seasons Gibson coached against the Sharks in the NAL’s inaugural Championship game in 2017 where the thrilling game ...

JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Sharks look for a second straight win as the team will open up its 2016 home slate against the in-state rival Orlando Predators on Monday, April 18. Kickoff for “Redneck Night” at Sea Best Field is set for 7 p.m. Monday’s game will be the first of three meetings between Jacksonville (1-1) and Orlando (2-0) this season. The Predators took two of the three regular-season matchups a year ago, but the Sharks won when it mattered most, defeating Orlando by a 55-33 count in the opening round of the playoffs. Last week, the Sharks fired on all cylinders, never trailing en route to a 59-41 victory over the Philadelphia Soul. The game remained close into the third quarter before Jacksonville broke it open by scoring 24 consecutive points. QB Tommy Grady  21 completions for 326 yards and seven touchdowns with no turnovers. With his dominant performance, Grady became the league leader in passing yards with 605 total yards in two games.  Grady’s ch...

JACKSONVILLE – The Arena Football League and the CBS Sports Network have announced the schedule of the 2016 nationally televised games that will air on CBS Sports Network during this upcoming season. CBS Sports will broadcast 17 Arena Football games during the regular season and the 2015 American Conference Champion Jacksonville Sharks will appear in four of them. The Sharks first 2016 appearance on CBS Sports will take place on Monday, April 11th at the Philadelphia Soul. CBS Sports will broadcast at Sea Best Field June 4th at 7 p.m. as the Sharks take on the Soul again. The Sharks vs. rival Orlando Predators at Sea Best Field Saturday, June 18th will also be nationally televised by CBS Sports.  The Sharks last CBS Sports broadcast game of the regular season will be on the road against the Arizona Rattlers Saturday, July 9th at 9:30 p.m. The partnership with CBS Sports continues to allow our fans from around the nation the ability to follow the Sharks during the 2016 season...

JACKSONVILLE – The Arena Football League’s 2015 American Conference Champions Jacksonville Sharks announced the team’s 2016 schedule on Thursday.  This year marks the 29th season of the AFL and the 7th season for the Sharks since they joined the league in 2010. The 2016 schedule fits an April to August window allowing fans to experience football year-round with a new post season format that will result in 4 teams hosting an additional home game.  The Sharks will begin the 2016 season on the road against the Los Angeles KISS Saturday, April 2nd, with the Sharks’ home opener set for Friday, April 15th against in-state rival, the Orlando Predators. The Sharks last appearance against Orlando ended with the Sharks defeating the Predators 55-33 to advance to the American Conference Championship. The season opener against Los Angeles is part of a two-game road trip that will also involve the Philadelphia Soul before the Sharks reach the highly anticipated home match-up against...