We are inching closer to the end of the Winter 2026 season. Every team has played 6 games minimum at this point and all are gearing up for hopefully a Division 1 championship. We would have 4 games in Week 11 with Braves and PartyCrashers having two games each in that span. Week 12 is a bit quieter with only a three game slate, followed by an entertaining Week 13. Not much has changed for the Power Rankings but I’ll give my insights towards each of them finishing the season strong followed with a conversation with The Infantry’s Nicholas Di Maulo. 

Week 11 Power Rankings

1️⃣ PartyCrashers (8-0)

Last Week: -

Sweeping Week 11 by outscoring their opponents 84-49, PartyCrashers are enroute to an undefeated Winter 2026 season. An undefeated 10-0 season in Division 1 has not been done since 2015 where Montreal’s Finest, under Kevin Wyeth, would accomplish this feat 11 years ago and would end that season with a championship. Will history repeat itself with PartyCrashers in Winter 2026?

2️⃣ Vultures (5-2)

Last Week: -

Vultures have had a few weeks off but come back to Week 12 in a big matchup against the Braves. Vultures defeated Braves in the season opener so it remains to be seen if they can replicate that this late in the season. If Vultures can win-out the remaining part of their schedule, it would be a statement made to Division 1 that they are the real deal. 

3️⃣ Braves (5-3)

Last Week: -

Braves also swept Week 11 by outscoring their opponents 96-62. William Trottier would be calm and collected in replacing Jo Maheu by throwing 13 TDs on the weekend. Ever since losing to PartyCrashers in Week 8, Braves seem to be back on track. They play Vultures in Week 12 and if they win that one, I think they are heading into the playoffs on a trajectory every other team wants to avoid.

4️⃣ Fins Up (4-4)

Last Week: -

Fins Up are coming into Week 12 after a close loss to PArtyCrashers in Week 10. They face The Infantry in Week 12 and both teams need this win. DonnDre Borden currently leads the division with 5 INTs so will he be able to continue that against Kevin Wyeth who uncharacteristically has 5 INTs in his last 2 games?

5️⃣ OneStop (2-5-1)

Last Week: -

OneStop are coming into Week 12 after a tough loss to Braves this past week. This will be their first bye week of the season so maybe the extra rest will do them good. In their last 3 games, they have gone 1-2, however, they are averaging 39pts per game. Prior to this, they averaged only 14.8 which in Division 1, would not get you a single win all season. The offence is back into its groove and a big Week 13 with two games awaits them when they get back.

6️⃣ The Infantry (2-4)

Last Week: -

The Infantry has not played like the team that I know they are. I’ve already mentioned the uncharacteristic 5 INTs by Wyeth in his recent games but for him, it’s pretty simple to forget the past and focus on the next game. I have The Infantry low in my rankings due to their performance so far this season. If they can win the rest of their game which includes some matchups that can go either way, they can be a team that teams may have forgotten how good they truly are. 

7️⃣ Royaumme Luminiare (2-4-1)

Last Week: -

Royaume Luminiare lost to PartyCrashers 40-24 in Week 11. With two unsuccessful drives to close the 1st half and to open the 2nd, they were never able to mount the comeback last Sunday. In Week 12, they will face EZW and they have won the earlier matchup 39-34 in Week 4. A chance to get back into the win column before a regular season finale against the Braves to close things out.

8️⃣ EZW (1-7)

Last Week: -

EZY played both Braves and PartyCrashers in Week 11 and had two similar defeats. As I spoke with QB Jeremy White last week, he expressed that the confidence has grown and it’s not like his team hasn’t faced adversity in the past. As mentioned earlier, they face Royaume Luminiare and they have the opportunity to re-write history from their earlier matchup.

Sit-Down with Nicholas Di Maulo

​​You have been involved with FPF since your Jr days dating back to 2018. How were you introduced to FPF Jr nearly a decade ago?

I was introduced to FPF through my uncle Karim Yasmine. He had been playing in the league for a long time and suggested I join. I was already playing flag at the time with school and decided to try it out. Ever since I was a kid, I was always a huge football fan and so is my family, so ending up in FPF was a pretty logical path for me. I played a couple of years in junior with Jared Buck as my coach (who also still plays in FPF) and really enjoyed it. Eventually, I joined my uncle’s teams (Longhorns and GMG) in the adult category as well as West Island Boys, which were the first couple of teams I played with. Ethan Adrian and I were then “recruited” by FPF’s most savvy GM, Rory Semerjian and have both been playing with Infantry ever since.

You have played with a variety of talented QBs from Zach Stacey all the way to the GOAT Kevin Wyeth. What is a skill you have that has stayed consistent in your game that has translated well with these skillful QBs? 

I’d say that a skill that has stayed consistent in my game is attacking space and adjusting my routes to whichever quarterback I play with. I feel like with the field being so small in FPF and the pockets of open grass being so minimal, the QB and his receivers must be on the same page all the time to achieve success and win the big games. Every QB has different concepts and ways they want those concepts to be run, so being able to mold your route running to fit what works for every given QB is a skill that translates to trust and ultimately success in important instances. Attacking the open space has helped to make sure I’m always an option on scramble drills and most importantly once you get in the red zone. I would say that the pairing of those two are the main reasons I’ve been able to be efficient with the QB’s I’ve played with. 

Now that you comfortably play in the top division each season, who is a player that you didn’t expect to be a tough matchup until you faced them? 

Playing in Division 1, I tend not to diminish the skill of anyone I go up against. If you’re playing in that division, it means more times than not that you’ve earned the right to, which is why I don’t really expect anyone to be an easy matchup. Someone that was a tough matchup in the past was Félix Boutet, due to his speed and agility. I remember rushing him on double QB plays and having to work very hard to disrupt him behind the line of scrimmage with him having so much space. Luckily, I ended up convincing him to join Infantry and I don’t have to worry about that problem anymore.  

I would say you have grown into a very good two-way player even though you might be overshadowed by teammates primarily due to your young age for a Division 1 talent. What can you say have been the best pieces of advice given from your recent teammates, especially when you play in the top division?

One of the biggest pieces of advice I’ve been given is just to focus on the next play. I find I used to harp on a bad play too much and let it affect me throughout a given game. It’s still something I’m working on and is not easy to do. That being said, it clearly does not have any positive effect and it’s better to just move on and keep playing your game, you’ll eventually make up for it. 

Other than that, I’ve learned so much about the game overall being around all the guys that have played on Infantry throughout the years, and they’ve allowed me to get better every season. 

I do want to talk about the recent struggles with The Infantry as of late. I know that in playoffs, any team in Division 1 can play their best but how much of the remaining regular season matters to you for building momentum for playoffs? 

I think that the rest of the regular season matters for us, however, it is important to remember that that’s all it is, the regular season. Infantry’s back-to-back championships came in seasons when we were not atop the standings by the end of the regular season. 

However, it is important to note that we had lots of momentum going into the playoffs due to wins occurring in the final stretch of the regular season. We’re aiming to do the same this season and have a great shot at turning it around and posing a threat to any playoff team.  We face off against the undefeated PartyCrashers in their 2 final games of the regular season. I’m excited to see how those games turn out with all the additions they’ve made to their roster before the season. 

The last time you faced Fins Up was last season in a 46-34 victory. Both teams were on different trajectories at that time. What does your offence have to do to avoid the lurking DonnDre Borden who currently leads Division 1 with 5 INTs? 

Honestly, our offense just has to play our game. We all know what Kev and the rest of our offense is capable of when we’re at our best. We haven’t been able to find consistency yet on offense this season, but I have no doubt that we will. If we’re able to stack up completions, and move the ball efficiently, it’ll build up momentum which will lead to us putting points up and ultimately keep DonnDre at bay. 

Defense will also be a huge part of the game and will also need to step up. We know firsthand how effortlessly Will can move the ball when he’s in rhythm, so we’ll also have to focus on throwing him off and taking away the easy completions.  

In your FPF career, you have won a few championships. Is there something in FPF you haven’t done or tried yet that would be on your bucket list in the future?

The biggest thing on my bucket list by far is trying to win a championship in Division 1 with Infantry. To me, that would complete the mission the team had when it was formed. Honestly, 4 years ago when Rory put the team together and said that was the goal, it was hard to believe that would eventually become a possibility. However, since then we’ve won in Division 2 and have been to the finals both seasons in Division 1, so there is nothing I’d like more than to close it out and get my first championship in Division 1 with Infantry. 

Also, I’d love to play a full season in a 5v5 format. It’s clear that that’s the format that’s being played worldwide. There are also a lot of teams in 5v5 that don’t play in 6v6 so it would be interesting to play against them. All in all, I would love to get some games under my belt there and see how it fares against 6v6. 

Other than that, the goal is always to compete and win more championships with the people I enjoy playing with, regardless of the format. I would love to win one as a QB, which is the position I’m playing this season with Richter, but winning with any team you sign up with is always the only and ultimate goal. 

Closing Remarks

There you go Division 1 with this week’s article. Thanks Nick for answering some questions this week and for those who don’t agree with my Power Rankings, I’m happy to be proven wrong. The latest episode of the First & Goal Podcast is now up on Youtube so go check it out! As always, if you didn’t get a chance to respond or want to be included in future pieces, you can reach me on Facebook or Instagram @keyoncyrus.