LAST CHANCE TD PASS GIVES TAMPA BAY STORM A 71-69 WIN OVER JACKSONVILLE

TAMPA , Fla. (courtesy of Tampa Bay Storm)  –  Tampa Bay’s Prechae (pronounced Pre-shay) Rodriguez caught a one-yard pass as time ran out and the Storm (2-1) defeated the Jacksonville Sharks (1-2), 71-69,

Friday in an Arena Football League game on the Amalie Motor Oil Field in the Tampa Times  Forum.

Bernard Morris had passed to Terrance Smith for 42 yards with 4.5 seconds left to give Jacksonville a 69-65 lead, but after the kickoff, Storm quarterback Stephen Wasil passed to the end zone where a Sharks’ pass interference placed the ball on the 1 yard line. One untimed down play found Rodriguez collecting his 5^th touchdown of the game.

Wasil was 29 of 38 for 312 yards and 7 TDs. Rodriguez had 11 catches for 101 yards and Chandler Williams grabbed a game-high 14 passes for 169 yards and two scores.

The teams exchanged scores in the last minute of the game. Backup quarterback Bernard Morris ran in 5 yards at 40.7 seconds for the Sharks (62-58 lead Jacksonville) and receiver Victor Williams returned an on-side kickoff 11 yards with 37.6 seconds (Storm 65-62 lead).

The Storm took a 51-41 lead on Juan Bongarra’s18-yard field goal with 11:29 remaining in the fourth period, but Jacksonville rallied for a pair of scores. A Storm turnover allowed Rendrick Taylor to run his second touchdown of the game from 2 yards out. This gave the Sharks a 55-51 lead with 5:12 left in the game.

Wasil connected on 17 of 22 passes in the first half for 197 yards and four touchdowns, three of those to Prechae Rodriguez (pronounced Pre-shay).  The Storm’s Chandler Williams 54 yards in the first 5 minutes of the game, ended with a Storm 14-0 lead.

What started out as a scoring barrage with the Storm leading 21-20 after one period, slowed a bit in the second stanza.  The Sharks took a 34-27 lead after Jacobs connected with Smith and

Jeron Harvey with 2:24 remaining in the second quarter.

The Storm cameback on an 8-play, 45 yard drive at the end of the second as Wasil hit Rodriguez for five yards. Juan Bongarra’s extra point tied the game at 34 with 8.9 seconds.

Two electrifying kickoffs of 58 and 57 yards in a two-minute period of the first quarter by Terrance Smith, a 2^nd-year WR/DB out of South Carolina State helped the Sharks come to within 14-13 of the Storm’s early 1^st period lead.

Scoring summary:

Jacksonville Sharks      20        14       7     28  —   69

Tampa Bay Storm         21         13      7     30  —  71

1^st Quarter

TB — Riley Swanson 4 fumble recovery (Juan Bongarra kick)

JX — Terrance Smith 58 kickoff return (Marco Capozzoli kick)

TB — Chandler Williams 27 pass from Stephen Wasil (Bongarra kick)

JX — Smith 57 kickoff return (Capozzoli kick)

TB — Prechae Rodriguez 3 pass from Wasil (Bongarra kick)

JX — Bobby Sewall 10 pass from Omar Jacobs (Capozzoli kick)

2^nd Quarter

TB — Rodriguez 30 pass from Wasil (kick failed)

JX — Smith 6 pass from Jacobs (Capozzoli kick)

JX — Jeron Harvey 32 pass from Jacobs (Capozzoli kick)

TB — Rodriguez 5 pass from Wasil (Bongarra kick)

3^rd Quarter

TB — Wasil 1 run (Bongarra kick)

JX — Rendrick Taylor 1 run (Capozzoli kick)

4^th Quarter

TB — Chandler Williams 8 pass from Wasil (Bongarra kick)

TB — FG Bongarra 18

JX — Smith 9 pass from Bernard Morris (Capozzili kick)

TB — Rodriguez 4 pass from Wasil (Bongarra kick)

JX — Morris 5 run (Capozzoli kick)

TB — Victor Williams on-side kickoff return 11 (Bongarra kick)

JX — Smith 42 pass from Morris (Capozzili kick)

TB — Rodriguez 1 pass from Wasil (kick failed)

A-8,446

Statistical Leaders:

Passing: (C-A-INT-Yds-TD)

JX — Omar Jacobs 14-20-0-123 3; Bernard Morris 9-13-0-115 2

TB — Stephen Wasil 29-38-0 312 7

Rushing: A-Yds-TD)

JX –Bernard Morris 4-11-1

TB — Stephen Waasil 3-2-1

Receiving: (Rec-Yds-TD)

JX —  Jeron HARVEY, 12-129-1; Terrance Smith 5-69-3

TB –C Williams 14-169-2; Prechae Rodriguez, 11-101-5

KO Returns: (No-Avg-TD -Lg)

JX –Terrance Smith, 8 – 23.8- 2-58

TB –Michael Lindsey, 7 -16.6-0-32

GAME AWARDS:

Russell Athletics OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Stephen Wasil, Tampa Bay

Riddell DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Derrick Summers, Jacksonville

JLS IRONMAN: Victor Williams, Tampa Bay

AFL PLAYMAKER: Terrance Smith, Jacksonville

Cutters CATCH OF GAME: Prechae Rodriguez, Tampa Bay 14:01 2nd

Spalding HIGHLGHT OF GAME: Riley Swanson, Tampa Bay, fumble recovery TD opening kickoff.

National Guard MVP: Prechae Rodriguez, Storm; Terrance Smith, Sharks

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