Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia Soul
JACKSONVILLE — The Philadelphia Soul (8-2) bounced back with a win against the Jacksonville Sharks (5-5), with the score 56-42 in front of 10,985 fans at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL on Saturday night.
“We needed to win this game tonight,” said Soul head coach Clint Dolezel. “Jacksonville is a tough team, but we came to play on both sides of the ball. I am confident that this win will give us the momentum we need to continue strong for the remainder of the season.”
Soul WR Ryan McDaniel led the Soul receivers with 10 receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns. Darius Reynolds tallied five catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Sharks’ WR and J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game, Reggie Gray led the offense with 8 receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Hills tallied 13 receptions for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
Philadelphia QB and Under Armour Offensive Player of the Game Dan Raudabaugh completed 21-of-25 passes for 289 yards and six touchdowns. Sharks QB Tommy Grady completed 27-of-44 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns.
The Soul won the coin toss and elected to defer to start the game. Grady opened the game by connecting with Reggie Gray for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The kick was good and with 12:05 left in the first quarter the Sharks led the Soul 7-0. The Soul answered when Raudabaugh handed off to Jeramie Richardson for a one-yard rushing touchdown. Tommy Frevert’s kick was good and with 6:21 left to play in the first quarter the game was tied 7-7. James Romain picked off Tommy Grady in the endzone to halt the Sharks’ drive. At the end of the first quarter the Soul and Sharks were tied 7-7.
Raudabaugh opened up the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown to Ryan McDaniel and the kick was good. The Soul led the Sharks 14-7 with 14:17 left in the second quarter. Grady responded with a 4-yard pass to Gray, giving him his second touchdown of the night. Lindsey Wolfe’s kick was good and the game was tied with 9:49 left to play in the first half. McDaniel caught his second touchdown on a 41-yard throw from Raudabaugh and the Soul took a 21-14 lead with 8:34 left in the second quarter. Grady hit Hills for a 44-yard pass to set up a one-yard rushing touchdown by Derrick Ross to tie up the game. McDaniel fumbled, the ball was recovered by Micheaux Robinson and the Sharks took over with 3:23 left in the first half. Grady capitalized with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Hills. The kick was good and 54 seconds left in the second quarter the Sharks led the Soul 28-21. Raudabaugh tied up the game with an 8-yard pass to Reynolds. The kick was good and at the end of the first half the Soul and the Sharks were tied 28-28.
Duvalt fumbled the kick off, the ball was recovered by David Hyland, and Jacksonville took possession to begin the third quarter. The Sharks were unable to convert on fourth down and the Soul took over with 8:37 left to play in the third quarter. Reynolds scored his second touchdown of the night on a 34-yard pass from Raudabaugh. The kick was good and with 6:07 left to play in the third quarter the Soul led the Sharks 35-28. The Sharks answered with a 58-yard kick-off return for a touchdown by Gray to tie the game up. Richardson ran in his second touchdown of the night on a hand-off from Raudabaugh, and the Soul took a 42-35 lead with 3:02 left in the third. Grady hit Hills on a 4-yard pass for his second touchdown of the game, and at the end of the third quarter the Soul and Sharks were tied 42-42.
The Soul started off the fourth quarter with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Raudabaugh to Adam Smith. The kick was good and with 11:49 left to play the Soul led the Sharks 49-42. After the Sharks were unable to convert on fourth down the Soul took over with 9:04 to play. McDaniel scored his third touchdown of the night on a 17-yard pass from Raudabaugh increasing the Soul’s lead to 56-42 over the Sharks. The Soul defense stands tall deep in their own half and forces a turnover on downs with 51 seconds left in the game. The Soul beat the Sharks with a final score of 56-42.
Next week, the Soul host the Los Angeles Kiss on Saturday, June 11 at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. The game will be broadcast on The Comcast Network, 97.5 The Fanatic. Kick-off set for 3 p.m.
Under Armour Offensive Player: Philadelphia QB Dan Raudabaugh
Riddell Defensive Player: Philadelphia DB James Romain
J Lewis Small AFL Playmaker: Jacksonville WR Reggie Gray
Cutter’s Catch of the Game: Philadelphia DB James Romain first quarter over the wall interception
AFL Highlight of the Game: Jacksonville WR Reggie Gray 58-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter
