| Jacksonville Sharks | |
|---|---|
 The current logo for the Jacksonville Sharks | |
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Founded: |
2010 |
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Folded: |
2016 |
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Location: |
Jacksonville, Florida |
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Arena: |
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena |
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Team Colors: |
Blood Red, Midnight Black, White |
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Owner(s): |
Jacksonville Sports Group |
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Head Coach(es): |
Les Moss, Bob Landsee |
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Division Titles: |
4 (2010-13) |
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Championships: |
1 (2011) |
The Jacksonville Sharks are a franchise primarily recognized by the Arena Football League. They made their debut in the AFL in 2010 after former co-owner of the Orlando Predators Jeff Bouchy decided to create an expansion team in Jacksonville. Between 2010 and 2013, the Sharks won their division every year. After some tension arose between owner Jeff Bouchy and then-league-commissioner Scott Butera, the Sharks decided to leave the AFL after the end of the 2016 season.
Entering the AFL and Championship (2010-2011)[]
As the AFL re-opened operations after canceling the 2009 season, the Jacksonville Sharks were one of two expansion teams entering the league for the first time. In order to boost productivity quickly, the Sharks hired head coach Les Moss and signed long-time starting quarterback for the New York Dragons Aaron Garcia. Jacksonville's efforts proved effective as they handily defeated the new-to-AFL Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz 54-38. The next week, the Sharks lost to the since-folded Alabama Vipers. The loss wouldn't faze them, however, as the Sharks went on to win their next five games. After their streak, they would go 1-3 the next four weeks, putting their overall record at the time 7-4. Whatever they did during the beginning of the season worked, because the Sharks would go on to win every game for the rest of the regular season, giving them an overall record of 12-4 for the 2010 season. No expansion team has ever won more games in their debut season than the Sharks. Even after the hot streak, Jacksonville lost in the first round of the playoffs against the eventual ArenaBowl Champion Spokane Shock.
After a successful first season, the expansion team Jacksonville Sharks were poised to make a championship run going into their second season. The Sharks opened up the 2011 season with a road loss to the Arizona Rattlers in a close match, the final score being 52-55. The loss proved to be only a minor setback, as the Sharks would go on to win an astonishing thirteen games in a row, averaging 65 points a game during that span. With a playoff berth secured, the Sharks lost their next three games, including an overtime loss to the Kansas City Command, where the Sharks lost by a single point. With the playoffs fresh in their minds, the Sharks won against the defending Arena Bowl Champions Spokane Shock in the season finale, finishing the 2011 regular season with an overall record of 14-4. Being heavy favorites to win the Arena Bowl with Aaron Garcia at the helm of the offense, Jacksonville defeated the Orlando Predators in the first round of the playoffs, giving Jacksonville its first playoff victory in franchise history. In the American Conference game, they defeated the Georgia Force to meet with the Arizona Rattlers, whom they lost to in the season opener, in Arena Bowl XXIV. In Jacksonville's first Arena Bowl appearance, the Sharks scored the winning touchdown with under a minute left to defeat the Arizona Rattlers for their first Arena Bowl victory, the final score being 73-70. For his efforts at quarterback, Aaron Garcia was named Offensive Player of the Year and Arena Bowl MVP, along with a First-Team All-Arena title.
Bernard Morris Era (2012-2013)[]
The Sharks celebration didn't last long, as Jacksonville failed to reach a new deal with quarterback Aaron Garcia by the 2012 season. Garcia would go on to sign with the San Antonio Talons while the Sharks prepared for the 2012 season with uncertainty at the quarterback position. They would start three quarterbacks—Chris Leak, Omar Jacobs, and Bernard Morris—over the course of the season. Leak would start first, as the 2012 season began for the Sharks with a triumphant win over the Kansas City Command. This would be Leak's only start, and was eventually traded to the Orlando Predators. Jacobs would start for the next seven games. The following weeks, Jacksonville lost three games in a row, putting them at 1-3. Jacksonville continued to find their footing as they would go 2-2 in the next four weeks, putting them at 3-5, already suffering more losses than the previous season. After Omar Jacobs sustained an injury during the Week Nine game against the New Orleans VooDoo, Bernard Morris was given the opportunity to start the rest of the season at quarterback. The move paid off as Jacksonville won the next three games in a row, two of them being against division rivals Orlando Predators and Tampa Bay Storm. The streak wouldn't last, as the Sharks went 1-3 the next four weeks. Jacksonville ended the season in a rallying effort to win their last three games, narrowly making the playoffs with an overall record of 10-8 for the 2012 regular season. In the first round of the playoffs against the Georgia Force, Jacksonville barely pulled out a 58-56 win as they advanced to the American Conference game. However, Jacksonville would end their season against the Philadelphia Soul in embarrassing fashion, losing the game 34-89.
After the devastating loss by the hands of the Philadelphia Soul, Jacksonville looked forward to the new season with minimal roster changes, but their starting quarterback was certain this year, with Bernard Morris taking the reins. The solid focus proved effective, as Jacksonville began the 2013 season with a three-game winning streak.
Overall Statistics[]
| Overall Record | 80-55 |
|---|---|
| Home Record | 45-23 |
| Away Record | 35-32 |
| Overtime Record | 1-2 |
| Playoff Record | 8-5 |
| Total Seasons in AFL | 7 |
| Most Points Scored in a Game | 79 (5/13/11) |
| Least Points Scored in a Game | 20 (7/19/14) |
| Best Single-Season Record | 14-4 (2011) |
| Worst Single-Season Record | 7-11 (2014) |
| Longest Winning Streak | 13 |
| Longest Losing Streak | 4 |
| Longest Home Winning Streak | 7 |
| Longest Road Winning Streak | 6 |