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Storm, Sharks to Clash on CBS Sports Network

May 23, 2014 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Storm (3-6) will host the Jacksonville Sharks (3-6) this Saturday, May 24, in a "NET10 Wireless Arena Football Saturday" matchup on CBS Sports Network. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Andrew Catalon, Anthony Herron and Sherdrick Bonner will be on the call.

Tampa Bay enters the matchup on a five-game losing skid while Jacksonville is coming off a narrow 50-59 defeat at the hands of another Florida rival, the Orlando Predators, last week. The Sharks let a 36-27 lead slip away in the fourth quarter, as the Predators scored 32 points in the game's final 15 minutes. Predators' wide receiver Gerald Young returned a missed field goal 49 yards for a touchdown in the closing seconds to lift Orlando to a dramatic victory. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay fell to the Philadelphia Soul last week, 34-62, extending its five-game losing streak, which began with a 41-60 loss to the Sharks on April 11. Sharks receiver London Crawford led Jacksonville with 10 receptions for 65 yards and three scores in the first matchup of the year, while the Storm's Justin Hilton hauled in 11 balls for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The Sharks have won five consecutive games including postseason play against the Storm, another streak Tampa Bay will no doubt look to snap this week. Jacksonville quarterback R.J. Archer will lead the potent Sharks offensive attack. Archer completed 25-of-40 passes for 271 yards and six touchdowns in Week 10. He is 222 passing yards shy of 8,000 for his career. Archer struggled last time out against the Storm, throwing for just 202 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Crawford has been his favorite target this season, as the second-year wideout is tied for No. 2 in the AFL with 938 receiving yards and ranks third in the League with 22 receiving touchdowns. Crawford, who has a touchdown grab in every game this year, reeled in seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Predators last week. The Sharks also boast dangerous veteran weapons on the perimeter in Jomo Wilson and Jeron Harvey, both of whom have helped lead Jacksonville to the second-best total offense in the League, averaging 296.1 yards per game this season.

Tampa Bay ranks sixth in the AFL with 276.9 yards of offense per game, an average that has dropped since the loss of starting quarterback Randy Hippeard to injury on May 3. In his absence last week, BJ Hall completed 13-of-29 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions to go along with a rushing touchdown in his first start for the Storm. Recently-assigned rookie signal-caller Brendan Crawford also saw action in Week 10, completing 3-of-7 passes for 20 yards with an interception in his first AFL game. All-Arena receiver Joe Hills will need to step up in a big way this week to help whoever may be behind center. Hills caught eight passes for 103 yards and three touchdowns last week, giving him 3,000 receiving yards for his career. He caught four passes for 52 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville in their first matchup this season. The Storm will also rely on veterans T.T. Toliver and Amarri Jackson to bring some consistency back to the Tampa Bay offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Sharks are led by defensive end Jerry Turner, who tallied three tackles, half-a-sack and a fumble recovery against Orlando in Week 10. Turner leads the Sharks with 4.5 sacks this season and is one sack shy of 35 for his career. He notched 1.5 sacks against the Storm earlier this season. Defensive back Terrance Smith is also a game-changer for Jacksonville's defense, as he leads the team and is tied for third in the AFL with six interceptions on the season. Smith also hauled in an interception against Tampa Bay in April.

For the Storm, success will start up front with the play of former Jacksonville nose guard, Richard Clebert. One of the most difficult players to block in the entire League, stats do not begin to tell the whole story of how disruptive Clebert can be. He tallied 3.5 tackles and a sack against Jacksonville earlier this season. Jack linebacker Jean Fanor, who leads the Storm with 55.5 tackles, recorded his only interception of the season against Jacksonville in the teams' first matchup. Defensive back Rod Issac has stepped up as of late, recording three interceptions and returning two for touchdowns in recent weeks. The Storm will need him to continue his development after losing budding star Chris Smith to the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League earlier this month.

Saturday's game in Tampa will also be Military Appreciation Night in honor of Memorial Day weekend. The first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative Military Appreciation Night t-shirt, while the game ball will feature a green stripe and camouflage AFL logo.

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