Gladiators Come From Behind to Stun Sharks, 41-40

Taylor's two touchdowns, including game-winner, spring Cleveland to big win at home

May 7,2016
Cleveland - In front of 8,056 fans at Quicken Loans Arena, the Gladiators defense clamped down on Jacksonville in the second half and quarterback Arvell Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor for the game-winning 26-yard touchdown to cap off 20 unanswered points and a 41-40 home victory over the Sharks. Nelson threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for three more in the win. Taylor finished the game with six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville wide receiver Joe Hills finished with 14 receptions for 131 yards and four touchdowns in the loss.

After a Gladiators turnover on downs, the Sharks opened up the scoring when quarterback Tommy Grady hooked up with Hills for an eight-yard touchdown on Jacksonville’s opening drive. A missed extra point by kicker Marco Capozzoli gave the Sharks a 6-0 lead to start the game. Cleveland answered on the next possession when Nelson plunged ahead from three-yards out to give the Gladiators the early lead, 7-6. Jacksonville reclaimed the lead when fullback Derrick Ross took a hand-off and ran 23 yards untouched into the end zone, giving the Sharks a 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

On the first drive of the second quarter, Nelson would find pay dirt once again, capping a four-play, 45-yard drive with a sneak from one-yard out to give the Gladiators the lead right back. The extra point from emergency kicker Jon Striefsky made the score 14-13. The Shark offense answered quickly once again when Grady found Hills for his second score of the game, a 14-yarder that put Jacksonville back in front, 19-14. After the Gladiators turned the ball over on downs for the second time of the game, Hills would catch his third touchdown of the game, this time a three-yarder from Grady to extend the Sharks lead to 26-14 going into the half.



On the opening drive of the second half, Grady would find Hills for his fourth touchdown of the night, a 19-yarder to push the Sharks lead to 33-14. The Cleveland offense countered with Nelson’s third rushing touchdown of the night, another three-yard scamper to close the deficit to 33-21 with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter.

On Jacksonville’s ensuing possession, wide receiver Tiger Jones would catch his first touchdown of the night from Grady, a six-yarder that capped off a three-play, 16-yard drive. Capozzoli’s extra point made the score 40-21 with 2:05 left in the third quarter. Cleveland’s next drive saw Nelson find Taylor for a 32-yard touchdown, his 22nd consecutive game with a touchdown, to pull the Gladiators to within 40-28 as the game entered the fourth and final quarter.

Cleveland’s defense would step up and force a Jacksonville turnover on the next series when defensive back Marvin Ross stripped Hills of the ball and pounced on it for the recovery. The Gladiators capitalized seven plays later as Nelson hit wide receiver Quentin Sims for an eight-yard score to close the gap to 40-35 with 8:19 remaining in the game.

The Sharks would turn the ball over on downs on their next possession, setting up the Gladiators offense with a first ten at mid-field with 42 seconds remaining. On the next play, Nelson hit Taylor on the deep fade for a one-handed 24-yard score. A missed two-point conversion would put Cleveland ahead 41-40 with 34 seconds remaining in the contest. Capozzoli’s game-winning field goal attempt clanked off the left upright as time expired to secure the Gladiators victory.

Next up for the Gladiators is a Week 7 Monday night match-up at Quicken Loans Arena with the Portland Steel at 8:00 p.m. The game be seen live on Univision Deportes and can be heard on 92.3 The Fan.

Post-Game awards:

Offensive Player of the Game: JAX: #81 Joe Hills, 14 receptions, 116 receiving yards and 4 td’s

Defensive Player of the Game: CLE: #3 Demarcus Robinson 11 tackles

Playmaker of the Game: CLE : #2 Arvell Nelson 221 pass yards, 3 passing td’s and 3 rushing td’s.

Catch of the Game: one handed catch the fan made out of bounds in the first half

Highlight of the Game: CLE - #17 Collin Taylor’s game-winning 24 yard TD catch at the end of the fourth quarter