While tens of thousands of eyes were locked on this weekend’s NFL preseason action, a little known league called the Arena Football League played their championship game, ArenaBowl XXVIII in Stockton, California. The all-indoor football league, once at its prime with big name owners like Jon Bon Jovi and Jerry Jones, now remains smaller but produces an outstanding on field product for anyone who watches.
The two teams playing in tonight’s game – the San Jose SaberCats and the Jacksonville Sharks – came off thrilling victories last weekend in the conference finals. The SaberCats entered the game with the best record in the AFL, while the Sharks had not trailed at any point in their playoff wins.
Both teams come into the ArenaBowl with veteran leaders on the field. The SaberCats are led by veteran AFL quarterback Erik Meyer and wide receiver Reggie Gray. Meanwhile, quarterback Tommy Grady leads the Jacksonville Sharks. And it would be Grady who would charge out front first.
Tommy Grady would electrify the field early with great passes and a nearly unbelievable touchdown pass to Tiger Jones to put the Sharks up early. But Erik Meyer and the SaberCats would charge back, only trailing the Sharks by six at the half.
Coming out of the half though, San Jose turned on the jets. They opened up a quick eight-point lead in the third quarter over the Sharks, and things began to fall apart from there for Jacksonville. Their drives in the third quarter included a turnover on downs, a botched kick return, and a fumble, and were then converted into big points for San Jose. By the end of the third quarter, the Sharks would trail by double digits.
In the end, the lead of the SaberCats would prove too great for the Sharks to come back from. The San Jose SaberCats win their fourth ArenaBowl title, defeating the Jacksonville Sharks, 68 to 47. And while the Arena Football League has battled through a lackluster season as a league, they are happy to celebrate a champion tonight.
