Storm at Sharks Game Preview

Published on April 8, 2014 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Storm heads to Jacksonville for a matchup with four-time South Division Champion Jacksonville Sharks, this Friday April 11 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. A win would give the Storm a 4-1 record, its best five-game start since the 2001 season.

This will be the 10th time the teams have met, with the Sharks holding a 8-1 advantage over the Storm. Tampa Bay is winless at the "Shark Tank," with the team suffering a heartbreaking 69-62 last-minute loss to Jacksonville in the first round of the 2013 playoffs.

The Storm enters this game with a 3-1 overall record and coming off a win over ArenaBowl XXVI runner-up Philadelphia Soul. The team's offense was firing on all cylinders with quarterback Randy Hippeard spreading the ball around to all of his receivers. Hippeard completed 22-of-35 passes for 276 yards and seven touchdowns. This was the third consecutive game in which he threw for seven touchdowns. The receiving corps was led by Amarri Jackson who reeled in 10 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns.

The Storm has no problem putting numbers on the board, with an offense that averages 56.2 points per game, but it may have some trouble against the Sharks defense. Jacksonville allows only 44.7 points per game, good for third in the AFL.

Tampa Bay's defense continued its hot streak this past weekend, forcing Philadelphia into making several mistakes. Once again defensive back Chris Smith came up big with a goal line interception, his sixth of the season. He now leads the league in interceptions, and is two shy of his career high of eight. The defensive line continued to apply the pressure, forcing a fumble for its second consecutive game.

Tampa's defense will have to be extra focused coming into this game with the Sharks' activation of quarterback Aaron Garcia. Garcia, an 18-year AFL veteran, is one of the greatest quarterbacks to play in the Arena Football League. Over his career, Garcia has passed 1,304 touchdowns and over 60,000 yards. His résumé includes an ArenaBowl Championship with the Jacksonville Sharks in 2011. Look for Garcia to only enhance an already strong passing offense. The team ranks second in the league in passing offense, averaging 276.0 yards per game, but the team only averages 49.3 points per game. Garcia's two main targets will be receivers London Crawford and Mardy Gilyard. Both have combined for 507 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.

The Five-Time World Champion Tampa Bay Storm enters its 27th season in the Arena Football League. The Storm will host "Youth Sports Night," Saturday, April 26 when it takes on the Spokane Shock on AMALIE Motor Oil Field at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. For more specific details regarding single-game pricing and availability, please contact the Storm ticket office at 813.301.6600 or visit www.tampabaystorm.com. Season tickets can be purchased by visiting TampaBayStorm.com or by calling 813.301.6600. For group sales fans can contact 813.301.6900. Additionally fans and sponsors can follow the Storm on Facebook (Tampa Bay Storm) or Twitter (@tampabaystorm) for up to date news and exclusive content.

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