The Sioux Falls Storm (3-9) welcomed the Jacksonville Sharks (2-10) on Saturday night in a battle between two teams that have struggled so far this season. The Sharks have been knocked around during their inaugural season in the league by more experienced IFL teams, while the Storm are dredging through an unusually disastrous season for the historic franchise.
 
The historically excellent Storm have struggled this season to put up the kind of season that Sioux Falls is used to. The 11-time Champion Storm started the year 0-5 and have gone 3-4 over their last seven games.
 
Despite their struggles, The Storm entered the game still mathematically alive in the playoff but needed to win out the rest of the season and get a lot of help in terms of other teams losing. First things First, though, The Storm (who were favored by 9.5 points) needed to win this game against a struggling opponent.
 
The Storm surprised everybody by trotting out backup QB Jiya Wright to start the game; he excelled early, leading the Storm to a TD drive on the game's opening possession. He then Countered a following Sharks touchdown with his very first passing Touchdown of his career.
 
Jiya Wright continued to impress during his starting debut for the Storm, as did the opposing QB Kaleb Barker, as they led their teams to back-and-forth touchdown drives until 2:02 on the clock in the second quarter when a Sharks challenge on an uncalled false start reversed a 20 yard run by Jiya Wright. That call stalled The Storm's drive and marked a momentum shift in favor of the Sharks as the team ended the first half with a last-second touchdown, giving them a 27-21 lead going into the locker room.
 
An Elijah Reed interception nearly ended that final first-half TD by the Sharks, but that, too, was overturned on a penalty that the Sharks threw the red flag on. All in all, the challenge flag was a theme of the first half as the Sharks overturned three huge game-changing Storm plays via the challenge flag in the first half.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Storm seemed like a new team, With Claude Davis blocking a field goal attempt by the Sharks on their opening possession. The Storm then took the ball and methodically moved the ball down the field for a long TD drive.
 
By the time the fourth quarter started, The Storm had retaken the lead and had gotten their second straight defensive stop of the Sharks offense. The Storm defense had finally come alive in the game.
 
Unfortunately for the Storm, the Sharks defense also came alive, and the Storm's early offensive success dried up, resulting in a frozen 28-27 score that remained in place until mid-way through the fourth quarter.
 
The Storm thought they had another defensive stop in the bag after they successfully used a challenge to reverse a long TD pass for the Sharks. However, the Sharks had other plans. It took them only two plays to absolutely carve up the Storm secondary with a 14-yard pass to D.J Stubbs and then an 18-yard touchdown reception by Jaedon Stoshak that capped off the drive.
 
D.J. Stubbs and Jaedon Stoshak were the two dynamos that led the Sharks to this win on offense. Stubbs caught five passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns, and Stoshak caught six passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
 
The Storm didn't have that type of offensive production and thus couldn't respond in the final minutes of the game. They ended up stalling out on offense to give the Sharks the ball at the game's closing minute.
 
The game, and with it, The Storm's playoff hopes ended with a whimper as Kaleb Barker kneeled down to salt the clock away, give the Sharks their third victory of the year and hand the Storm their tenth loss.
 
Kaleb Barker was a dominant force in his first start for the Sharks, throwing 15 passes on 23 attempts, 166 yards, and four passing TDs. He also ran for 61 yards on 15 rushes and a rushing touchdown.
 
Jiya Wright was also solid during his first start for the Storm but didn't have as strong of a night as Barker. Wright went 12-18 for 146 passing yards and two passing TDS. He also ran for 22 yards on nine attempts and one rushing Touchdown.
 
Wright's favorite target was Lorenzo Thompson, who caught five passes for 51 yards, followed closely by Kentrez Bell with three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown, as well as Draysean Hudson, who caught two passes for 41 yards and a TD. Keshaun Williams also made an impact with eight total touches, 35 yards, and a touchdown.
 
On defense, it was all about Claude Davis for the Storm as he was the Won player of the game in his five tackles, two TFLs, two sacks, and one blocked extra point. Dajon Emory was also a menace on the D-line, with three tackles, two TFLs, one sack, and a blocked field goal.
 
The tackle leader for the Storm was Kendricks Gladney Jr., who had seven, followed by Amin Black, who had six. Elijah Reed had only four tackles but made up for it with a pass breakup.
 
Bryson Denley had a solid day as the kick returner for the Storm, returning four kicks for 88 yards total and a long of 35 yards.
 
Next week, the Storm will battle the Quad City Steamwheelers in Moline.