CLEVELAND – Bobby Sewall hauled in the decisive 25-yard touchdown pass from Omar Jacobs with 14 seconds remaining as the ArenaBowl XXIV Champion Jacksonville Sharks defeated the Cleveland Gladiators by a 54-49 score at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday night.
A rookie out of Brown, Sewall stepped up in the fourth quarter, scoring each of the Sharks' last two touchdowns. After a defensive stand in the final minute, Jacksonville got the ball trailing by a point. Terrance Smith moved the ball to midfield on first down, and a few plays later, Sewall slipped behind the Cleveland defense and corralled Jacobs' throw as he fell against the boards along the right side of the end zone.
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The touchdown pass was Jacobs' sixth of the game, as the Jacksonville quarterback finished 20-33 for 300 yards and six touchdowns. In doing so, Jacobs completed the Sharks' first 300-yard passing game of the season.
Jacobs distributed the ball fairly evenly between the Sharks' five receivers, all of whom were active for Saturday's game. Jeron Harvey led the squad with seven catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns, while Terrance Smith chipped in with five catches for 51 yards in a score while Jamarko Simmons added four catches for 54 yards.
Sewall and Shamar Graves were the deep threats for Jacksonville, as Sewall's two touchdowns went for 34 and 25 yards while Graves' 43-yard touchdown catch was the Sharks' longest of the night.
Held in check in the first half, Smith ripped off a 56 yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. Overall, Smith returned four kicks for 81 yards on the night.
On the other side, Dominick Goodman had easily the best individual receiving game of the contest, as he grabbed 17 receptions for 189 yards and three touchdowns. All of those catches came courtesy of John Dutton, as the Cleveland quarterback was 30-for-47 for 340 yards and six touchdowns. Neither team recorded an interception.
The Sharks return home on Saturday, April 28 against the Spokane Shock at 7:00 on Sea Best Field at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. As part of Education Appreciation Night, all current students, teachers and school administrators will be able to purchase Buy One, Get One Free tickets with a valid school ID.