Renda Broadcasting today announced their FREE Fall Concert Series will be held for the first time ever at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. The 99.9 Gator Country/Tire Kingdom Free Fall Concert Series is scheduled for the first three Saturday’s in October. The lineup is as follows:

Saturday, October 1 – Casey James and Hunter Hayes

Saturday, October 8 – Jason Michael Carroll and Brett Eldredge

Saturday, October 15 – Emerson Drive, Danny Gokey, and Frankie Ballard

The 99.9 Gator Country/Tire Kingdom Free Fall Concert Series will feature an outdoor festival for families complete with a Kids Zone that will kick off at 4pm each concert day outside the main entrance of the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Doors for the concert will open at 6pm and the first artist is scheduled to be on stage in the Arena at 8pm.

“The move to the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena will give our Jacksonville country audience a better opportunity to enjoy free concerts in a much larger venue and in a more family friendly environment,” says Bill Reese, Renda Broadcasting General Manager. “Our Gator Country Team is very excited about the move to Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena and our Gator Country Concert Series is still free! Working with SMG has been a real pleasure, it’s a tremendous partnership. This fall lineup is incredible. Michele Chase has done a great job lining up each artist,” says Chuck Beck, Renda Broadcasting Operations Manager. “From the Nashville veterans to some of the hottest young talent I’ve seen in years, including two American Idol stars, this concert series is not one to miss and sure to be talked about for a long time to come,” says Michele Chase, 99.9 Gator Country on-air talent and Music Director.

Larry Wilson, SMG General Manager is looking forward to a record turnout and says, “Renda Broadcasting has done an excellent job drawing large crowds for these free concerts and it seems they are anticipating an even bigger audience this year. We congratulate them on a job well done and we are happy to accommodate their needs.”

Seating for all three concerts will be general admission and will be FREE and open to the public. Each concert will feature themes in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and Military Appreciation.

The Zac Brown Band is coming to the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Friday, October 28, 2011. The concert is scheduled for 7:00pm. Tickets will go on sale to the public this Friday, August 26th at 10:00am!

Official Press Release

Fans and City Officials Welcome Home the Arena Bowl Champion Jacksonville Sharks

Jacksonville City Hall was swarming with Sharks Thursday evening.

Back from a thrilling Arena Bowl XXIV victory in Phoenix, the Jacksonville Sharks were welcomed home to cheering fans and a key to the city.

Mayor Alvin Brown proclaimed that Aug. 18 would be “Jacksonville Sharks Day” while congratulating the team on a win that enriched the city’s already deep ties to football.

“We’re not just a Southern city or the River City,” Mayor Brown said. “We’re a football city.”

Mayor Brown was joined by City Council members Dr. Johnny Gaffney and Don Redman for a brief ceremony with players and team officials in the City Hall atrium before everyone headed out for a parade in downtown Jacksonville.

The 73-70 championship victory over the Arizona Rattlers came by a last-second touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Garcia to receiver Jeron Harvey.

“I want our champion Sharks to serve as proof: You can never count Jacksonville out,” said Mayor Brown.

The Jacksonville Sharks began in 2010 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League.

Mayor Brown congratulated Coach Les Moss and team partners Jeff Bouchy, Larry Payne and Steve Curran for all they’ve accomplished in just two years building a franchise and a fan base.

ArenaBowl XXIV World Champions

The City of Jacksonville is proud to celebrate the Jacksonville Sharks as the winner of the ArenaBowl XXIV World Championship.  A team presentation by Mayor Alvin Brown will kick off the festivities on Thursday, August 18 at City Hall at St. James at 5 p.m.  Mayor Brown will proclaim Thursday, August 18 as Jacksonville Sharks Day and everyone is encouraged to show their team spirit by wearing team colors, red and black.  Following the presentation a parade will take place from City Hall at St. James on Hogan Street to The Jacksonville Landing where the celebration begins. 

“I want to congratulate the Jacksonville Sharks for a thrilling 73-70 win over the Arizona Rattlers in the Arena Football League’s championship,” said Mayor Brown. “Coach Les Moss and team partners Jeff Bouchy, Larry Payne and Steve Curran should be proud of what they have accomplished in two short years. Aaron Garcia, Jeron Harvey, Micheaux Robinson and all of their teammates epitomize the winning spirit that defines Jacksonville and we are proud to celebrate their success.”

The parade will feature the Jacksonville Sharks coaches, team, owners, and cheerleaders, Mayor Brown, as well as a marching band, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office mounted and motorcycle units, and an antique fire truck from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.  At approximately 6:15 p.m., the Jacksonville Sharks will arrive at The Jacksonville Landing and make their way to the stage in the courtyard where they will show off their championship trophy; have a silent auction for their jerseys to benefit the Duval County Athletic Foundation which will help to save athletic programs in Duval County Public High Schools; and comments from Jacksonville Sharks owners and Mayor Brown among others.  The Jacksonville Landing will feature drink specials, live entertainment, highlight films and a rebroadcast of the Championship game. 

Street Closures

The City of Jacksonville has announced the following street closures for a parade to celebrate the Jacksonville Sharks’ ArenaBowl XXIV Championship on Thursday, August 18 at approximately 5:00 p.m.  The event will begin with a presentation and proclamation by Mayor Brown at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall, 117 W. Duval Street, and will be followed by a parade on Hogan Street.

The following street closures will be in effect:

- Duval Street between Hogan Street and Laura Street will be closed at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Hold and release street closures will be in effect along the parade route from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- Begin at City Hall, 117 W. Duval Street
- South on Hogan Street to the St. Johns River

Garage and parking lot access will be maintained.

If you have questions, please contact the City of Jacksonville Office of Special Events at (904) 630-3690.

The Jacksonville Sharks wasted no time after their 64-55 win in the American Conference game over the Georgia Force. They immediately booked passage to the desert in Arizona to face the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XXIV. The game was the second meeting of the season for the two teams. The first game also took place on Arizona, and the Rattlers were able to walk away with 55-52 win over the Sharks. The two teams blew through the playoffs, and were finally able to meet again in the final game of the season as the top two teams in the league. 

The game started off with an offensive battle between the two powerhouse teams. Odie Armstrong took the ball in the end zone on a 2 yard rush for the first score of the game for the Rattlers. Sharks Quarterback, Aaron Garcia, responded with a one play touchdown drive, on a 41 yard pass to his receiver, Jomo Wilson. The two teams exchanged scores one more time in the first quarter, but two missed PAT’s by Sharks Kicker Marco Capozzoli, left the Rattlers with a 14-12 lead over the Sharks. 

The second quarter started out all in favor for the Jacksonville Sharks, as Bill Alford managed to force a fumble from Rattlers Kick Returner, Virgil Gray, which was recovered by the Kicker Marco Capozzoli. Jomo Wilson managed to score for the Sharks after recovering a Sharks fumble in the end-zone. The Sharks and the Rattlers exchanged scores two more times before the end of the second quarter, including two touchdown passes to Ratters Receiver Chris Jackson, the first rushing touchdown of the game for Jamarko Simmons. Jamarko Simmons was close to scoring on the final play of the half for the Sharks, but he was stopped just a yard short of the end-zone, making the score 32-35 in favor of the Rattlers.

The second half of the championship game began with the first two defensive stops of the game, one by each team. The Rattlers managed to stop the Sharks on their next drive to get possession again, and they managed to get the first score of the half on an 8 yard pass from the league MVP, Nick Davila, to Odie Armstrong. The only other score of the third quarter was when the Sharks managed to drive the ball the length of the field, and score on a 3 yard pass from Aaron Garcia to Jamarko Simmons.

The score at the beginning of the fourth quarter was 38-42, with the Rattlers in the lead, and the game was left in the hands of any team. Odie Armstrong began the fourth quarter with his third touchdown of the game, with a one yard rush into the end-zone. Jamarko Simmons also gained his third touchdown of the night with a 7 yard pass from Aaron Garcia. The Sharks took advantage of Arizona Quarterback Nick Davila, when Micheaux Robinson was able to intercept his pass second down, and give the Sharks the ability to take the lead. Jacksonville managed to take the lead, 53-49, on a Kirby Griffin rushing touchdown. But the Rattlers answered back with a scoring drive of their own. Jeron Harvey was able to step up for the Sharks in the final few minutes of the game, bringing down a 45 yard touchdown pass to put the Sharks in position to win the game. Davila and the Rattlers exchanged scores with the Sharks one more time to leave the game in hand of the Sharks. With 21 seconds left on the clock, the Sharks began their final descent into history. With two seconds left, instead of going for the tie, the Sharks went for the win, and a 10 yard pass from Garcia to Jeron Harvey allowed the Sharks to walk away from the field as World Champions, with a 73-70 win over the Arizona Rattlers. 

The win over Arizona resulted in the first ever ArenaBowl World Championship for the Jacksonville Sharks, and the first ever Championship for the veteran Quarterback Aaron Garcia, who finished his 17th season in the Arena Football League. Garcia set a new ArenaBowl record, throwing for 402 yards, and 8 touchdowns. The game was also the highest scoring game in ArenaBowl history. The Sharks were able to celebrate after only four days of rest, and the loss of their starting Center Randy Degg, who was also a runner-up for Offensive Linemen of the Year. The three point victory over the Arizona Ratters was the first win over Arizona in Sharks franchise history. The Sharks will return to Jacksonville at 11:40 PM ET, bringing the ArenaBowl Trophy back with them for the first time in history, and the people of Jacksonville will have something to celebrate for years to come.