“There are no moral victories” at this point in the season, Fishers Freight head coach Dixie Wooten said after his team’s tough 46–40 loss to the Jacksonville Sharks at the Fishers Event Center. With the defeat, the Freight drop to 2–5 and now turn their attention to a critical road matchup against the Green Bay Blizzard.

Things started strong for the home team. The Freight took a 28–14 lead into halftime, thanks to an impressive first-half performance from quarterback Keegan Shoemaker, a reinvigorated defense, and big plays from special teams, especially on kickoff coverage.

But the second half told a different story.

A pivotal moment came early in the fourth quarter when Shoemaker lost the ball on a controversial fumble. It was unclear whether he was down before the ball came loose, prompting Coach Wooten to challenge the play. After video review, the ruling on the field stood, giving Jacksonville possession.

To make matters worse, Shoemaker was injured on the play and did not return. Backup quarterback Jiya Wright took over for the remainder of the game.

Jacksonville capitalized quickly, scoring with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth to take a 30–28 lead—their first of the night. They never looked back.

Emotions ran high throughout the contest, with a flurry of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on both sides. The intensity reached a boiling point in the third quarter when Jacksonville’s Malik Jones received a second unsportsmanlike flag, resulting in his ejection. It’s safe to say there’s no love lost between these two teams.

Jacksonville improves to 6–2 with the win, while Fishers will regroup and prepare for a crucial game on the road. Despite the disappointing result, an energetic crowd of more than 4,000 fans stayed loud and engaged until the final whistle.