KC COMMAND FALL TO JACKSONVILLE IN SEASON OPENER

The Kansas City Command (0-1) suffered its first loss of the 2012 Arena Football League season Friday night as the defending ArenaBowl champion Jacksonville Sharks (1-0) defeated the Command 52-28 in the season opener for both teams.
Command rookie quarterback Nate Davis came out strong in the opening half of his first AFL start, hitting 9 of 13 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns and staking the Command to a 21-17 halftime lead.
However, in the second half, mistakes doomed Kansas City as three turnovers and numerous penalties helped Jacksonville score the first 35 points of the third quarter.
Kansas City started off the game with touchdown on the game’s second play as Davis would found receiver Christian Wise for a  36-yard scoring strike less than 90 seconds into the game.
Jacksonville responded in the ensuing possession, as rookie quarterback Chris Leak would lead a four-play, 41-yard drive to tie the game at seven.
After another Davis touchdown to put the Command up by seven, defensive back Sergio Gilliam forced the first turnover of the game with a red zone interception on the Command three-yard line.   The offense for Kansas City was unable to capitalize for a two-score lead, instead settling for a long field goal attempt from kicker Gary Cismensia that missed wide left.
Leak would subsequently knot the game up at 14 with a 27-yard pass to receiver Terrance Smith at 9:25.
It did not take long for Davis and the Command offense to get the lead back.  In a three-play, 39-yard drive, Davis would find Wise in the end zone again, this time on a 22-yard juggling catch for the receiver’s second touchdown of the night. The Sharks tried to rally before halftime, but the Command defense held them out of the end zone, forcing the defending champs to settle for a 26-yard field goal.
Jacksonville began the second half down, 21-17.  Several penalties aided a 13-play, 45-yard Sharks touchdown drive that took over 11 minutes off the third quarter clock by the time the extra point sailed through for Jacksonville’s first lead of the night.
Momentum was decidedly on Jacksonville’s side after a Christian Wise fumble on the first play of the ensuing possession gave the Sharks the ball at the Command 14-yard line.  The turnover proved to be costly, as the Sharks would convert a  4th and 21 situation into a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Shamar Graves.
On the ensuing kickoff, Wise coughed up his second fumble of the night from a hit inside the Kansas City five-yard line.  Kansas City recovered following a scrum in the back of the end zone but it was a safety and two more points for Jacksonville.  Leak and the Sharks offense made the Command pay on the in three plays capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jeron Harvey.  The score would put the Command down 39-21 with 12:32 left in the game.
Another Harvey score and a Bill Alford interception of a Davis pass for a touchdown gave the Sharks 35 straight points.
Jacksonville’s streak would finally be snapped at the 2:12 mark of the fourth quarter off of a one-yard draw by Command back-up quarterback Steven Gachette. While Kansas City never quit, the self-inflicted wounds were just too much to overcome.
The loss places the Command a game behind in the AFL’s Central Division, as Chicago, Iowa, and San Antonio all were victorious in their opening games.
Next up for Kansas City is a road trip to Cleveland to face the 2011 Eastern Division Champion Gladiators on Monday, March 26.  Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CDT).