Florida Sports Wire

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks defense stood tall on Saturday night, forcing several key stops throughout the course of the game, including a turnover on downs in the final minute to seal a 55-47 victory over the Philadelphia Soul on Sea Best Field at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Jacksonville (3-5) led by a 45-40 count when quarterback Tommy Grady fired a 28-yard touchdown strike to an open Prechae Rodriguez, putting the Sharks up by two scores. But Philadelphia (7-1) answered in just three plays, as Dan Raudabaugh connected with Shaun Kauleinamoku for a 25-yard touchdown with 1:26 left in the game. Nursing a five-point lead, the Sharks got a big boost courtesy of Joe Hills, who high-pointed Philadelphia’s ensuing onside kick, making a recovery that gave Jacksonville the ball with 58 seconds left. But on the ensuing drive, Tommy Grady took a big loss on a sack, bringing the ball back to midfield for a third and 23 situation. After an incompletion, Julian Rauch...

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Sharks will head to the City of Brotherly Love this week for a matchup with the Philadelphia Soul on Sunday, April 12.  Kickoff from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia is set for 4:00 p.m. ET, as the game will be broadcast live online via ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app. Jacksonville (0-2) heads into this week in search of its first win of 2015, having lost by a single point in each of the first two weeks of the season. Most recently, the Sharks were unable to get a defensive stop in the final minute of last Friday’s home opener against the Orlando Predators, as Orlando ran out the clock to seal the game. As is the case with any close game, a few plays in either direction could have easily changed the result. Against Orlando, the Sharks’ offense came up empty on one third-quarter possession, the defense had an interception called back due to a penalty, and the kicking operation was unable to convert on three extra points – one miss, one block,...