JACKSONVILLE - A much discussed unfavorable onsides kick attempt by the visiting Green Bay Blizzard proved fruitful for the Jacksonville Sharks as Sharks defensive back Malik Jones snagged the second onside attempt, pivoted off the sideline wall and waltzed into the end zone to secure a 65-53 key Eastern Conference win that had major playoff implications for both teams.
"That play was just an instinct play by our guys because we had the onsides hands team out there and they are all playmakers," said Sharks coach Jason Gibson, as his playoff bound Sharks improved to a conference confusing 10-6 record with the Blizzards also at 10-6 and division leader Quad City Steamrollers falling to 11-5 with their 49-48 loss to Tulsa on (now 10-6, also) Friday. "We turn right around at this point and have to go to Green Bay it looks like in the first round of the playoffs at their place. That's a tough stadium to play in."
Gibson's initial take on the playoff scenario was off because of the Tulsa upset of Quad City that would ultimately send the Sharks to Quad City on August 3. Huff directed a 65-33 win over Quad City on June 21.

"I was hoping to return the favor and get to 75 on them as I was thinking about the snap in the final seconds of the game," said Sharks quarterback Tyler Huff, a Ridgeview High graduate, who saw Green Bay stick the Sharks with a 75-43 loss on June 13. "We had a much better plan and a lot guys stepped up from that game that we had a bunch of injuries and they just outplayed us. Seventy five would have been nice but I'll take the win."
Huff's predicament with a minute on the game clock came after a tough defensive stand from the Sharks defense at the goal line after a kickoff return to the Sharks three yard line. Two pass knockdowns in the end zone by Jones again forced the Blizzards into an unsuccessful quarterback plunge on fourth and inches. Huff simple dove forward twice to end the game.
"He is just a competitor at heart," said Gibson of Huff, who was signed by the Sharks in May and has been instrumental in their playoff run with a league leading 87 yards rushing per game and a solid balance of pass touchdowns to keep defenses guessing. "His ability to extend plays, run hard, find open guys is the key to us keeping points going up on the board."
Huff commented that the 10 games now under his belt have been a learning experience and that he is fully understanding the dynamics of indoor football; shorter field, eight players vs. 11 and a lot more moving parts on offense.
"I think I get it now," said Huff, who was going toe-to-to with one of Indoor Football Leagues top quarterbacks in the Blizzard's Max Meylor. "The game was fun because both teams were playing at a high level and it would come down to who blinked. The onside kick touchdown was a gamebreaker."


With Green Bay building to what seemed a sizeable 25-7 early lead, Huff scored off a rush and the Sharks hit a field goal to cut the game to 25-19.
The Sharks wanted to get closer before the half and attempted their own onside kick that failed, but, on a Meylor pass play, defensive lineman Chris Rice snagged a low trajectory pass attempt by Meylor off a wicked quarterback rush by Hayden Hatcher and ran the ball into the end zone to put the score at 26-25, but Green Bay answered with a run score to to into the lockers 31-26.
A Huff to wide out Marcus Rogers, who has become one of Huff's main targets, strike on the first possession of the second half was prophetic as the Sharks took a quick 33-31 lead.
Both teams traded scores; Huff to Rogers again, to push the game to 42-38 into the fourth.
Jacksonville turned a fumble recovery into a 50 scoring scamper by running back K'Ron Ashley, but Meylor rushed for a score to keep it close, 49-45.
Another exchange of run scores from Huff and Meylor made things even more tense, 56-53, before Jones' onside kick spectacular.