JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Orlando Predators (3-0) renewed their rivalry with the Jacksonville Sharks (1-2) in front of 7,835 fans at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Monday night.
The back-and-forth battle came down to the game’s final moments as Orlando emerged with a 63-56 victory to remain perfect on the 2016 season.
The contest looked to be in jeopardy when Jacksonville recovered an onside kick to regain possession inside Orlando territory with under a minute remaining and the score tied, 56-56. In need of a big play from the defense, nose guard Terrance Taylor answered the call for the Predators as he broke through the interior and stripped Jacksonville QB Tommy Grady, recovering the loose ball to regain possession for Orlando with only 32 seconds remaining.
Two plays into the resulting drive, Hippeard dropped back and launched a deep 33-yard pass to WR Greg Carr, who secured an outstanding one-handed touchdown grab with a defender hanging on him.
Jacksonville got the ball back with 19 seconds remaining and managed to drive to Orlando’s 10, but DB Varmah Sonie broke up a pass to the end zone as time expired to seal the victory.
Randy Hippeard completed 26-of-37 pass attempts for 296 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions, adding 12 yards and two more scores on the ground. Brandon Thompkins paced the receiving corps with nine receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown and also returned a missed field goal 54 yards for a score. Making his first appearance of the season, Larry Brackins caught two passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 12-yard kick return for a score. Greg Carr added eight receptions for 108 yards and another score.
The Predators return to the Amway Center in Week 4 to take on the LA KISS on Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase by calling 407-355-2200 or online at OrlandoPredators.com.