JACKSONVILLE SPORTS NEWS

AFL NOTEBOOK: Jacksonville Sharks visit Georgia Force tonight

The Jacksonville Sharks will take on the Georgia Force in a South Division match-up just outside Atlanta tonight.

This is the second game of the 2011 season between the two teams. The first contest, which was held on Sea Best Field in Jacksonville during Week 2, was won by Jacksonville 71-57. The Sharks broke their franchise record for points scored in a single game, a record that would be broken twice more since. The first game saw the emergence of Sharks receiver Jeron Harvey as he totaled 70 yards and four touchdowns.

This match-up will be a test for Georgia after hitting a two-game losing skid that dropped them in division rankings. The Sharks now lead in many of the statistical categories including total offense, scoring defense, turnover margin, passing efficiency, sacks for, sacks against, and red zone defense.

QB Aaron Garcia will look to continue his passing assault with his explosive targets, Jeron Harvey (21 touchdown receptions) and Jomo Wilson (23 touchdown receptions), while Kirby Griffin will attempt to bulldoze through the Georgia rushing defense that ranks last in the league, allowing 46.8 rushing yards per game. The Jacksonville defense is coming off their most complete game of the season after registering six interceptions, five sacks and a safety.

The Jacksonville defense currently ranks first in the league in points allowed per game, allowing 42.3, while Georgia ranks tenth in the league, giving up an average of 52.1 points per game.

Georgia will look to upset the 8-1 Sharks with a destructive offense of their own, which scores an average of 56 points per game. Maurice Purify will lead the receiving attack for the Force. Purify leads the league in touchdown receptions as a rookie (27), and has caught 13 touchdown passes in the last three games. In the last game, Purify caught 14 passes for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Former Jacksonville Sharks defensive lineman, Jeff Littlejohn, will be playing against his former team for the second time this season. Littlejohn currently has 10 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 fumble recovery in the 2011 season with the Force.

JAX SPORTS NEWS: Barons top Jacksonville Suns in ten innings, 3-2

For the second straight game of the series, the Jacksonville Suns (21-21) fell to the Birmingham Barons (22-19) in extra innings, as the Barons claimed a 3-2 victory in ten innings in front of 7,374 fans at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on Friday night.

Seth Loman hit a solo home run to lead off the tenth inning for the Barons off Suns reliever Peter Andrelczyk (4-2) to give Birmingham a 3-2 lead, which would be the final score. Andrelczyk took the loss while Birmingham reliever Joe Bisenius (1-0) took the win, and Dan Remenowsky pitched a scoreless bottom of the 10th for his third save of the season.

The Suns scored their only runs in the fifth inning, as Kyle Skipworth hit a two-run homer that tied the game at two. The blast was Skipworth’s third of the season, and his second this year at the Baseball Grounds.

The Suns offense was limited to the two runs on six hits, as Birmingham got solid starting pitching from Dylan Axelrod. The right-hander gave up two runs on four hits as he walked one and struck out seven. Also taking a no decision was Suns starter Omar Poveda, who also went six innings with seven strikeouts, as Poveda only gave up two unearned runs in his ninth start of the season.

Brandon Short once again led Birmingham at the plate, as he had three hits and scored the game’s first run in the fourth inning.

The clubs will play the third game of the series on Saturday at the Baseball Grounds. Left-hander Brad Hand (4-1, 3.72 ERA) will pitch for the Suns while Birmingham will start right-hander Terry Doyle, who will make his Southern League debut. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

AFL NOTEBOOK: Washington, LeFall, Fitzgerald awarded for weekend's highlights

Orlando QB NICK HILL, Milwaukee WR/DB KELVIN ROGERS and Georgia WR C.J. JOHNSON have been named Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week, Riddell Defensive Player of the Week and JLS Ironman of the Week, respectively, for Week 10 of the 2011 AFL season.

In addition to these three awards, the AFL is also awarding the best catch of the week, the playmaker of the week and the highlight of the week. The Cutters Catch of the Week award winner for Week 10 is WR MIKE WASHINGTON of the Pittsburgh Power, while the NiFTy Playmaker of the Week is Milwaukee DL DWAYNE LEFALL. The Spalding Highlight of the Week award winner is Philadelphia’s OL/DL JEFFREY FITZGERALD.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hill (6-3, 215, Southern Illinois) completed 23 of his 29 passes for 367-yards and six touchdowns in the Predator’s, 56-26, victory over the Cleveland Gladiators. In 9 games, Hill stands atop the AFL in total offense per game (329.4-yards), third in passing average per game (302.8-yards) and third in passing efficiency (120.6-yards). Entering Week 11, Hill tossed for 52 touchdowns and notched nine rushing touchdowns.

RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Rogers (6-1, 182, Minnesota St.) registered 16 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception, four pass breakups and one interception for a touchdown in Milwaukee’s Week 10 victory over the Utah Blaze, 65-53. Rogers ranks second on the Mustangs in tackles (36) and interceptions (4).

JLS IRONMAN OF THE WEEK
Johnson (5-10, 180, Tennessee State) opened up the third quarter on Friday against the Philadelphia Soul, with a 56-yard return for a touchdown. Johnson tallied five receptions for 103-yards and one touchdown. In a losing cause, 49-68, for the Force, Johnson finished the game with 149 kickoff return yards.

CUTTERS CATCH OF THE WEEK
Washington (5-8, 175, Hawaii) made a catch off a tipped ball which resulted in a second quarter touchdown for Pittsburgh, in the Power’s upset victory over the San Jose SaberCats, 54-48. Going in to Week 11 Washington has tallied 12 receptions for 120 yards and four touchdowns.

NIFTY PLAYMAKER OF THE WEEK
Lefall (6-3, 260, Akron) tallied two sacks and three forced fumbles in Milwaukee’s, 65-53, win against Utah. Lefall had a game high two sacks in Week 10 against the Blaze.

SPALDING HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Fitzgerald (6-4, 265, Kansas State) batted down a Brett Elliot pass on the defensive line, which resulted in an interception. Fitzgerald is the first Soul lineman to record an interception. The Soul defense had three interceptions in their victory over the Georgia Force, 68-49.

Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week candidates included: Pittsburgh’s Mike Washington, Philadelphia’s Donovan Morgan, Tampa Bay’s Amarri Jackson, Orlando’s Nick Hill, San Jose’s Mark Grieb, Milwaukee’s RJ Archer, Chicago’s Russ Michna and Spokane’s Raul Vijil.

Riddell Defensive Player of the Week candidates included: Milwaukee’s Kelvin Rogers, Philadelphia’s Darrell Campbell, Tampa Bay’s Jermaine Smith, Orlando’s Frisner Nelson, San Jose’s Eddie Moten, Arizona’s Virgil Gray, Spokane’s Khreem Smith, and Milwaukee’s Dwayne Lefall.

JLS Ironman of the Week candidates included: Georgia’s C.J. Johnson, Tampa Bay’s Jermaine Smith, Orlando’s Robert Quiroga, San Jose’s Chad Cook, Milwaukee’s Brent Holmes, Chicago’s Vic Hall, and Spokane’s Terrance Sanders.

The Arena Football League is also awarding the National Guard MVP of the Week, where fans are given the opportunity to select the winner on Facebook and ArenaFootball.com. Candidates include Orlando QB Nick Hill, Philadelphia WR Donovan Morgan and Milwaukee WR/DB Kelvin Rogers. The winner will be announced on Thursday, May 19, 2011.

JAX SPORTS NEWS: O’Gara named Southern League Pitcher of the Week

The Southern League of Professional Baseball announced that Jacksonville Suns pitcher Joey O’Gara has been named the Southern League Pitcher of the Week from May 9-15.

O’Gara earned the weekly honor from the Southern League after a dominant performance against the Mobile BayBears on Thursday May 12 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. In a season-long eight innings on the mound, O’Gara limited Mobile’s offense to one unearned run on one hit while he struck out a season-best nine batters.

The win was O’Gara’s second of the season, and helped the Suns come back to claim a series victory over the division-leading BayBears. O’Gara, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 31st round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Indiana University.

The award is the first weekly honor in O’Gara’s career and the third Southern League honor this season for a Suns player. Brad Hand was the Pitcher of the Week from April 18-24, while Luke Montz earned Hitter of the Week honors for May 2-8.

The Suns and Braves will play the fourth game of the five game series on Tuesday night at Trustmark Park. O’Gara (2-1, 5.67 ERA) will pitch for the Suns while Mississippi has not named a starter.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FSU to face Michigan State in 2011 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Florida State, which advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2011, will travel to face Michigan State on Nov. 30 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. in the 13th Annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The game between the Seminoles and the Spartans will be played as one of the marquee games of the 12-game event and will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com will combine to televise all 12 games of the two-day event, one more than in the previous 12 challenges.

The 2011 ACC/Big Ten Challenge involves six teams ranked an early preseason top 25 by ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz, including three in the top five: No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 5 Duke, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 21 Florida State and No. 23 Michigan.

The Seminoles finished the 2011 season ranked 19th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll, finished in third place in the ACC with an 11-5 record and defeated four ranked teams in finishing with a 23-11 record. The Seminoles return three of five starters and six players with extensive starting experience to its 2012 team which is ranked in the nation’s top 25 in most of the polls already released by the national media including Andy Katz of ESPN and Jeff Goodman, formerly of FoxSports.

Florida State is the third winningest program in the ACC in the last six years (since the start of the 2005-06 season) in total ACC regular season and ACC Tournament games. The Seminoles have won 58 games against ACC completion during that span. Florida State played in the 2009 ACC Championship game and is one of only two teams in the ACC (also Duke) which has finished with double digit ACC wins and in the top four of the ACC standings in each of the last three seasons