JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Since losing the season opener, the Jacksonville Sharks have been the monsters of the National Arena League. That trend continued Tuesday in a 67-43 playoff win over the Columbus Lions to advance to the NAL Final on Aug. 17.
Like the season, the game started inauspiciously for Jacksonville, when the Sharks' Tony Goodman fumbled the opening kickoff. It was recovered by the Lions. Columbus turned the mistake into a touchdown to take a 6-0 lead less than a minute into the game.
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After that, the Sharks took control, scoring 16 of the next 19 points to take a seven-point lead into the second quarter. By halftime, the Sharks had built a 15 point lead. They were never threatened in the second half.
Jacksonville will enter the championship game with a 14-game winning streak.
The Sharks, who won the first NAL championship in 2017 by beating the Lions, will host the Carolina Cobras at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena on Aug. 17. Carolina beat Massachusetts 30-26 on Saturday to earn a spot in the final game.