For the first time in franchise history, the LA KISS have defeated the Jacksonville Sharks 64-39!
At the start of the third season the LA KISS hosted the Jacksonville Sharks as their namesake performed an unmasked pregame concert for all season ticket holders, playing a full set that was only supposed to last 45 minutes.
Rock’n’Roll Football was in full effect as “Captain” Donovan Morgan returns for his third season with the team in the hopes that the LA KISS will have a winning season to build upon the previous two years that left Southern California bandwagoners fickle.
This season opener looked like it would pick up exactly where they started last season with only 45 seconds into the first Joe Hills scored the first touchdown of the game on a 41 yard pass from Tommy Grady, allowing Jacksonville to lead the LA KISS 6-0. At 9:30, Quarterback Nathan Stanley tied it up with a one yard run in and the extra point was good, allowing the LA KISS to take the lead 7-6.
Roger Jackson scores on a five yard pass from Grady to take the lead 13-7 with 4:55 left in the first quarter, but with a 1:10 remaining, “Captain” Donovan Morgan helps LA KISS take the lead 14-13 with an 11 yard pass from Stanley to close out the first quarter.
The second quarter was more exciting than the first as the teams went back-and-forth in taking the lead. Just 43 seconds into it as Tiger Jones catches a 33 yard pass from Grady to take the lead for Jacksonville 20-14, but the LA KISS would take back the lead as Stanley threw for 33 yards of his own to “Captain” Donovan Morgan taking the lead 21-20. This was Morgan’s 250th career touchdown tying the eighth place record for the entire AFL.
The LA KISS lead would not last long as Hills caught a three yard pass from Grady as Jacksonville would lead for four minutes 27-21. In four minutes exactly, the LA KISS tied the score 27-27 as Rory Nixon ran for three yards and keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats.
To keep thinks interesting Derrick Ross ran for a one yard touchdown taking the lead back 33-27 only to have Brando Collins of the LA KISS catch a 19 yard pass from Stanley to tie the game back up 33-33 going into halftime with the team’s namesake returning to the stage to hype everyone up for the second half.
This one has turned into a nail-biter as Collins caught a 35 yard pass to give the LA KISS the lead 40-33, but Darrick Ross of the Sharks answered him back with a one yard run in to close the gap 40-39. It wasn’t until the final seconds of the third quarter that “Captain” Morgan caught a five yard pass with one hand from Stanley to extend the LA KISS lead, 47-39.