The Jacksonville Sharks are a professional indoor football team playing in the Arena Football League. They were established in 2009, and have since maintained a modest following in the Jacksonville, Florida area. The Arena Football league has had it's ups and downs, most notably in 2009 when it suspended play for an entire season (SOURCE). There really isn't much available information on the Sharks website (http://jaxsharks.com/), and our training did not involve any lesson on organizational history, strucutre, corporate heirarchy, etc. It was simply duty specific. Below is a history of the organization as listed on the team's website:
A Timeline of Key Dates and Events in the History of the Jacksonville Sharks
November 18, 2009: Speaking on behalf of the Jacksonville Sports Group, Managing Partner Jeff Bouchy, Partner/VP of Ticketing Steve Curran and Partner Larry Payne officially announce that the Jacksonville Sharks will play in the Arena Football League beginning with the 2010 season. At this introductory press conference, Les Moss is announced as the team’s first Head Coach.
January 6, 2010: The Sharks announce the schedule for the team’s inaugural 2010 season.
January 21, 2010: AFL Legend Aaron Garcia officially joins the Sharks’ roster for what will be his 16th season in the Arena Football League.
February 17, 2010: The Arena Football League announces a partnership with NFL Network, which will show one game per week on national television.
March 23, 2010: The Sharks announce a partnership with CW17, as the station will broadcast the team’s games locally throughout the Greater Jacksonville area.
April 3, 2010: The Sharks defeat the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, 54-38, in the franchise’s first-ever game. Jomo Wilson scores the team’s first touchdown on a two-yard run.
April 9, 2010: Days before the team’s first home game, the Sharks announce a significant partnership with Beaver Street Fisheries, who becomes the franchise’s presenting sponsor through their Sea Best Seafood brand. The Sharks’ home turf is christened as “Sea Best Field.”
April 18, 2010: The Sharks play their first-ever home game, routing the in-state rival Orlando Predators by a 57-31 count.
July 31, 2010: Heading into the regular-season finale with a record of 11-4, the Sharks rip the Spokane Shock, 64-49, to clinch the South Division title and the top seed in the American Conference.
August 6, 2010: The Sharks meet the Predators in the franchise’s first-ever playoff game. In a contest that was televised nationally on NFL Network, the Sharks suffer a last-second, 73-69 defeat at the hands of Orlando.
August 30, 2010: The AFL announces that the league will move to an 18-game regular season beginning in 2011.
September 14, 2010: The Sharks announce that Les Moss will return as the team’s Head Coach in 2011. One week later, the team confirms that Aaron Garcia will return as the franchise’s starting quarterback.
February 28, 2011: The Sharks partner with Second Harvest North Florida to hold a preseason benefit scrimmage against the Tampa Bay Storm. Admission to the game is free, though the team encourages fans to participate in a canned food drive held outside the arena.
March 12, 2011: The Sharks fall to the Arizona Rattlers, 66-50, to open the 2011 regular season.
March 18, 2011: In the team’s 2011 home opener, the Sharks defeat the Georgia Force by a 71-57 score to begin a winning streak that will last into the summer.
April 30, 2011: In the second quarter of the Sharks’ 76-55 victory over the Orlando Predators, Shark quarterback Aaron Garcia connects with receiver Jeron Harvey on what is the 1,000th touchdown pass of Garcia’s professional career. Following the pass, AFL Commissioner Jerry Kurz honors Garcia on the field
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June 25, 2011: The Sharks make Arena Football League history by defeating the Tampa Bay Storm, 66-41. The win is Jacksonville’s 13th consecutive victory, a mark that establishes a new AFL record. At 13-1, the Sharks clinch the team’s second consecutive South Division title with four games remaining in the season.
July 22, 2011: The Sharks defeat the Spokane Shock in the regular-season finale. The win snaps a three-game losing streak and allows the team to finish the regular season at 14-4. For the second time in as many years, the Sharks enter the playoffs as the top seed in the American Conference.
July 29, 2011: The Sharks avenge the team’s 2010 playoff disappointment by knocking out the Orlando Predators in the first round of the American Conference playoffs. Jeron Harvey hauls in three of Aaron Garcia’s four touchdowns in what is a 63-48 Jacksonville victory.
August 8, 2011: The Georgia Force make their way to Sea Best Field for the American Conference Championship game. The Sharks hold a six-point lead in the final minute before Marco Capozzoli knocks a 37-yard field goal through the uprights to extend the team’s lead to nine. On the Force’s final possession, defensive back Bill Alford corrals a game-clinching interception to seal the Sharks’ 64-55 win.
August 12, 2011: Just four days after their Conference Championship victory, the Sharks meet the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXIV. A back-and-forth game comes down to the final possession, as Aaron Garcia and the Shark offense gets the ball back with a three-point deficit and less than 20 seconds on the clock. Jacksonville advances the ball to the Arizona 10 yard like and calls timeout with just two seconds left on the clock. As time expires, Garcia rolls to his left then throws back across the field to Jeron Harvey, who hauls in the game-winning touchdown pass to give the Sharks an ArenaBowl title in the team’s second season as a franchise.
August 18, 2011: The city of Jacksonville honors the champion Sharks with a parade that runs through downtown from City Hall to the Jacksonville Landing.
September 26, 2011: The Arena Football League announces that the Tulsa Talons will move to San Antonio for the 2012 season. At their introductory press conference, the Talons announce that former Shark quarterback Aaron Garcia will join San Antonio.
September 28, 2011: The Sharks announce that former Florida Gator quarterback Chris Leak has joined the roster to compete with 2011 backup Omar Jacobs for the team’s starting job.
February 23, 2012: The Sharks begin 2012 Training Camp.
March 3, 2012: For the second consecutive year, the Sharks team up with Second Harvest North Florida to hold a preseason benefit scrimmage. Through the generosity of Shark fans, donations at the pregame canned food drive surpass the previous year’s total.
March 16, 2012: The Sharks open the 2012 regular season with a 52-28 victory over the Kansas City Command.
March 22, 2012: Quarterback Bernard Morris returns to the Sharks. Morris had served as the team’s backup in 2010 before joining the Pittsburgh Power in 2011.
May 4, 2012: Starting quarterback Omar Jacobs departs with an injury late in the first half of the team’s game against the New Orleans VooDoo. Thanks to the spark provided by Morris and a phenomenal defensive effort, the Sharks erase a 23-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the VooDoo, 41-37. Morris went on to serve as the Sharks' starting quarterback for the rest of the 2012 season.
July 14, 2012: The Sharks clinch a playoff berth by defeating the Orlando Predators, 48-30. The win gives Jacksonville a five-game winning streak against this in-state foe.
July 20, 2012: In the 2012 regular-season finale, the Sharks defeat the Pittsburgh Power to clinch the team’s third South Division title in as many seasons. In the game, defensive lineman Scooter Berry racks up two sacks to tie an all-time AFL rookie record with 13.0 sacks in a single season. The mark also establishes a new franchise record in the category.
July 28, 2012: The Sharks meet the Georgia Force in the postseason for the second time in as many seasons. Georgia quarterback Darnell Kennedy leads a furious comeback to erase a large Shark lead, putting Jacksonville behind by a point in the final minutes. Facing a fourth down with six seconds left, Marco Capozzoli lines up for a 51-yard field goal attempt. The kick sails over the crossbar as time expires, giving Jacksonville a dramatic 58-56 win, propelling the team to the American Conference Championship Game for the second straight year.
August 3, 2012: The Sharks fall to the Philadelphia Soul in the Conference Championship, ending Jacksonville’s title defense.
October 4, 2012: The Sharks announce that they have signed Head Coach Les Moss to a two-year contract, officially retaining the coach through the 2014 season.
October 16-27, 2012: With the league operating under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Sharks agree to mutli-year contracts with several members of the team's veteran core during the league's Exclusive Period. Among others, this group includes defensive back Terrance Smith, quarterback Bernard Morris and Mac linebacker Aaron Robbins.
December 1, 2012: The Sharks hold an open tryout in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the first time that he organization has held a tryout outside of Jacksonville. The workout produces several players who join the team for training camp, including wide receiver London Crawford.
March 23, 2013: The Sharks open the 2013 season with a dramatic 64-55 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm. With the team behind in the final minute, Morris connects with Jeff Hughley for a go-ahead touchdown with 53 seconds remaining. Jacksonville then ices the game when Terrance Smith recovers an onside kick and Morris fires a touchdown to Jeron Harvey on the very next snap to give the Sharks a comfortable margin of victory.
April 12, 2013: After beginning the season with three straight road victories, the Sharks host the New Orleans VooDoo in the 2013 home opener. Jacksonville opens the game on a 35-0 run, a burst that includes Jeff Hughley's field goal return touchdown - the first in franchise history. The Sharks eventually cruise to a 76-30 victory over New Orleans, as Jacksonville goes on to open the season with a 6-0 record.
April 27, 2013: In Week 6 of the 2013 season, the Sharks head up to Philadelphia for a rematch of the 2012 American Conference Championship game. Behind an eight-touchdown performance from Morris, the Sharks hold off the Soul to emerge with a 55-53 victory. After the Soul scored a touchdown in the final seconds, Smith knocks away a pass to keep Philadelphia from scoring a game-tying two-point conversion.
May 25, 2013: The Sharks make the trip south to Orlando for the season's first meeting with the Predators. This game is most significant because for the first time, quarterback Aaron Garcia will take the field against the franchise with whom he won ArenaBowl XXIV in 2011. But Garcia's first meeting with the Sharks does not go well for the home team, as Jacksonville beats Orlando by a 44-41 count, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.
June 22, 2013: The Sharks host the Cleveland Gladiators in Week 14. In what is a back-and-forth game throughout, Jacksonville defensive back Micheaux Robinson returns an interception for a touchdown with just 1:15 left in the contest, putting the Sharks ahead by two scores. Jacksonville hangs on for a 43-41 victory, clinching its fourth consecutive playoff berth in the process.
July 20, 2013: The Sharks head to the Big Easy for a rematch with the New Orleans VooDoo. The Jacksonville defense had terrorized opposing quarterbacks all season long, and the Sharks' front four makes history in this victory. With six sacks in this game, the Sharks break the all-time AFL record for most team sacks in a single season (45). Jerry Turner's third-quarter takedown of Chris Dixon proves to be the record-breaker.
July 27, 2013: After clinching its fourth straight division title earlier in the month, the Sharks enter the final week of the regular season with a chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the American Conference. Jacksonville does its part by beating the Tampa Bay Storm, 52-44, then watches as the underdog San Antonio Talons upset the Philadelphia Soul later that night. The result vaults the Sharks into the top spot in the conference and sets up a rematch with the Storm the following week.
August 3, 2013: The Sharks open the 2013 postseason by hosting the Tampa Bay Storm in the two teams' first-ever playoff matchup. Though Tampa Bay enter the game with just a 7-11 overall record, the Storm open the game by taking a 27-13 halftime lead. Using an onside kick, defensive stops, and a two-point conversion, Jackosnville charges from behind to tie the game at 48 with 9:10 left. Later in the fourth quarter, quarterback Bernard Morris scrambles to the left, stiff-arms a defender to the turf and sprints to the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown run to knot the game at 55 (pictured above). Tampa Bay answers with a score, only to see the Sharks drive back down the field and find paydirt with a seven-yard pass from Morris to Markee White. Trailing 62-61, Jacksonville lines up to kick the extra point... until holder Jeff Hughley takes the snap, sprints up the middle and scores a two-point conversion that put the Sharks up for good. The Storm do get the ball with seconds remaining, but the Jacksonville defense locks up the victory when Matt Marcorelle sacks quarterback Shane Boyd, forcing a fumble that is recovered in the end zone by Derrick Summers. When the dust settles, the Sharks emerge with a 69-62 victory and advance to the conference championship for a third consecutive season.
August 10, 2013: Jacksonville once again faces the Philadelphia Soul in the American Conference Championship, but this time gets the game on its home turf. Though the game remained close into the third quarter, Jacksonville was not able to keep up with a high-powered Philadelphia attack, as the Soul end the Sharks' season and advance to ArenaBowl XXVI.
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