JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the Jacksonville Sharks prepare for the Massachusetts Pirates this Saturday, they know two things; it is going to be physical and it is going to be loud.
Both of those things are just fine with them.
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"Jacksonville, the shark tank, the energy here is out of control," says second-year head coach Siaha Burley. "We definitely look forward to that and lean on that when it comes to having home field advantage. That is a part of winning championships, winning at home and winning on the road are two different things so we look forward to that and take the home field advantage very seriously."
Former Jacksonville University quarterback Patrick McCain made his debut as the Sharks starting quarterback last week, leading his team to a 41-38 road win over Carolina. McCain came to the Sharks from the IFL where the rules are slightly different than in the NAL where the Sharks play. He says the adjustments have been tough at times, but the offense as a whole is coming together.
"Offense is always a work in progress," said McCain from Coral Gables High School in Miami. "It is a little different from the leagues that some of these other guys have been in but we have good coaches, good veterans around us to help us get it right, so we are on the move. Definitely getting a lot better day by day."
Day by day is how Coach Burley sees this Sharks team building their identity. He said he is looking for the mental toughness to match the physicality that he saw a little of when his team trailed Carolina going into the fourth quarter last week.
"I know we are competitive, we are a rowdy bunch, we have a physical aspect to us that I know we can tap into even more. But at the same time we are getting teams best shots and everybody is getting up to play the Jacksonville Sharks. That is a tough mental state to be in each week to match, so that is the challenge right now, to make sure that our team is mentally ready for what we are going to see from teams each week."
Tickets are still available for the Sharks home opener this Saturday at 7:00. Prices start at $13.