The first National Arena League (NAL) Championship is approaching. Teams and fans can’t hardly wait anymore. Below, our own Brandon Russell has breaks down the game.
NAL Championship: Jacksonville Sharks Host Columbus Lions for Title
Matchup: No. 3 Columbus Lions at No. 1 Jacksonville Sharks
Arena: Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Kickoff: 7:30 pm EST
How the Jacksonville Sharks Got to the Playoffs
The Jacksonville Sharks had the greatest start in franchise history, reaching seven wins in a row to start the season.
After Tommy Grady’s injury against the Monterrey Steel early in the season, the Sharks relied heavily on Quarterback Damien Fleming. Fleming, in his 10 games with the Sharks, threw 90 of 138 for 1,047 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions.
“[Being the starter has] helped me a lot, basically being thrown in that fire and having to make plays for the team full of veteran dudes,” Fleming said. “They keep me up when things go down.”
Late in the season, Defensive Back Erick McIntosh has really showed Jacksonville and the NAL what he is made of, recording five interceptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
The addition, loss, and regaining Defensive Back Jabari Gorman has helped Jacksonville have their impressive season. Gorman got 31 total tackles in five games in the season.
A huge factor in this game is that Wide Receiver Joe Hills is not playing. Hills carried Jacksonville to a victory against Monterrey in the first week of the playoffs by getting the ball seven times for 147 yards and three touchdowns.
A player to watch for is Wide Receiver Emughedi Umodu. Even though he hasn’t been with the Sharks for very long, he has 10 receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns in two games.
Counting the playoffs, he has a total of 14 receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns. With the loss of Hills, Umodu and the Sharks receiving squad could do some damage as a team, instead of a one-man-army.
The last thing the Sharks have done to make the playoffs and get into the championship was great coaching from former Head Coach Mark Stoute and current Head Coach Siaha Burley.
Coach Burley has lead the Sharks team to a 3-1 finish after taking over the Head Coach position. Here is what he has to say about his team and how they can come out with a win.
“We are going to have to come hard every game, especially in the playoffs,” Burley said. “We have to take care of the ball offensively… and can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot with turnovers, so we have to start there. That’s three or four stops a game, and the last two games have been [nothing but] turnovers [for us], so we gotta start there and not fumble the ball.”
How the Columbus Lions Got to the Playoffs
The Columbus Lions had a really tough start to the season. Fans were not knowing what to expect of this Lions team after starting 3-3 in this new league. In the previous year, the Lions went undefeated all season and won the American Indoor Football (AIF) championship. Going 3-3 in the first year of the NAL got Lions fans a little concerned as to what they are going to do later on in the season. Luckily for them, they finished the season 9-3 and are heading to the NAL Championship.
Many successful teams that make it to championships have one dominating quarterback. Not this team. The Lions have both Darren Daniel and Mason Espinosa as their quarterbacks. In their 12 games this season, these two have recorded 253 completions for 2,684 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. These two, if both play well, can have a great game against the Sharks defense.
A great receiver to look for in this one is Michael Reeve. Reeve, standing at 6’8, can destroy corner backs. Reeve has 73 catches for 809 yards, and 21 touchdowns in the 2017 season. Look for him in the RedZone in the Championship and the Lions will be set.
On the defense, a player that could change the game is Kyle Griswould. In the 2017 season, Griswould has racked up 10 interceptions for 190 yards, and four interceptions. He also gets under the receiver’s skin and can force a lot of drops on his opponent.
Key Factors for Both Teams
For the Jacksonville Sharks
The Sharks have to play as a team this game. Each player has to step it up, even if they are having a great season already. Many players on this team are searching for their first ring, so they have to play like they really want it.
Hills isn’t playing, so the Sharks receivers and Fleming all have to play a mistake-free game. Receivers are nothing with a good quarterback and a quarterback is nothing without good receivers that know how to catch. The chemistry has to be high enough to play this game without any fumbles or interceptions.
“The Deuce,” Nick Belcher, has to play the game of his life. Lately, he has been slowing it down and not making as many deuces. The Sharks will really have to rely on him getting back up to four deuces and making every PAT. The small points like that will determine a game like this one.
For the Columbus Lions
The Columbus Lions have to also step it up as a team. Limit the penalties and play the game of football. Nobody wants to see a game like their first playoff game against Lehigh Valley where flags were everywhere. Players need to accept that they just got penalized and not argue with the refs.
The Lions defense will have to create a lot of turnovers like they have the previous two times against Jacksonville, but will have to score on most, if not all of them. The Lions would’ve won both games if they would have scored on Jacksonville’s mistakes.
Mix it up with the quarterbacks. The Sharks do not know how to handle a change in the offense that well. The Sharks take a while to figure out what the new player likes and doesn’t like. If Columbus can get Jacksonville to spend most of the game getting used to each quarterback, that would be golden.
Again, the game kicks off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Use #ChampionshipWeekend to discuss the game with other indoor football fans on twitter, as part of LWOS’ special events leading up to the game.
