Jacksonville Faces the Empire State

June 19, 2019 - National Arena League (NAL)
Jacksonville Sharks News Release

JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Sharks (7-1) enter Week 11 with a vengeance as they face the Empire State's New York Streets (3-5) for a week one rematch. Jacksonville got off to a rough start in their home opener, losing to the Streets 52-41, their lone loss of the year. Saturday is the Sharks chance to get comeback with dominance.

New to the league, the New York Streets early season flare has faded within the tough competition of the NAL losing four of their last five games. However, against Florida teams the Streets are undefeated (3-0). Defeating the Orlando Predators twice and Jacksonville once.

The Sharks' defense will face the challenge of stopping former Syracuse University quarterback, David Legree, who has proven to be very versatile on the ground and in the air. The dual-threat quarterback was the first signee for the Streets yet suffered a preseason injury that kept him out of the lineup until week nine. Legree faces one of the best secondaries in the NAL. Last week, the Sharks forced three interceptions and 4 QB hurries against the defending NAL champions. Seth Ellis is currently in the running for Defensive Player of the Year and has a seven-game interception streak. He is the current league leader in interceptions with nine. The Sharks strong defensive line looks to put pressure on Legree all night and add to their league-leading sack total.

Offensively the Sharks have given up the fewest sacks this season only letting seven. Behind the NAL's best offensive line are Sharks quarterbacks Jonathan Bane and Mike Fafaul. The two have formed one of the most efficient passing games in NAL. They lead the league in fewest interceptions thrown, yielding only eight this season. Jacksonville is second in completions with 169, pass efficiency 57.5%, and passing yards with 1798. The Sharks are third overall in passing touchdowns this season (38), star receiver Devin Wilson owns nearly half with 17 of them. The Sharks also have a top-ranked running game, currently second in rushing yards (173) and yards per game (21.6).

The Sharks chance at revenge begins this Saturday, June 22, at 7:00 pm at the Jacksonville VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Join the Sharks for Star Wars night, presented by Clay Eye, where the first 1,000 kids (12 & Under) in attendance will receive a free lightsaber. In addition, the Sharks have brought back the best deal in this galaxy Sharks Family Four Packs starting as low as $64! Family Four Packs include 4 tickets, 4 hotdogs, 4 cokes, and 4 bags of chips for Saturday's game. It's a deal that is too good to be true! Call 904-621-0700 or visit the arena box office to purchase your tickets. The game will be streamed live on the National Arena League YouTube channel, a link to the stream will be posted on the Sharks' social media pages prior to kickoff.

Jacksonville Sharks wide receiver Jarmon Fortson vs. the New York Streets

National Arena League Stories from June 19, 2019

• Jacksonville Faces the Empire State - Jacksonville Sharks
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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