Week 12 Power Rankings

1️⃣ PartyCrashers (8-0)

Last week: -

No games last week and PartyCrashers will look to beat The Infantry twice to close out the regular season 10-0. They already have the number 1 seed and are just awaiting who their first round matchup will be.

2️⃣ Braves (6-3)

Last week: +1

A near flawless game from Jo Maheu was able to push Braves not only to a win over Vultures 42-26 but also jumped them in my Power Rankings. Currently on a 3 game win streak, Braves are building momentum at the right time. Closing the season against Royaume Luminiare in Week 14, a win would provide even more fuel for their championship hunger.

3️⃣ Vultures (5-3)

Last week: -1

Vultures weren’t able to replicate their season opener win over Braves in the rematch. With the loss, it ends their 4 game win streak. Closing out the season against Royaume Luminiare and EZW, Vultures can’t take their foot off the gas considering playoffs are looming.

4️⃣ Fins Up (4-5)

Last week: -

Fins Up would lose a shootout to The Infantry 51-45. Will Power would throw 7 TDs in the loss but one unsuccessful 4th down attempt was all The Infantry needed to have Fins Up paying catch up. They play OneStop to finish out their season and both teams will need this win for momentum.

5️⃣ The Infantry (3-4)

Last week: +1

A great win last week was able to avoid a 3rd straight loss. Kevin Wyeth looked to be in playoff mode with 8 TD passes. The Infantry have 3 games left and have the ability to build alot of momentum ahead of playoffs. They play OneStop and back-to-back games with PartyCrashers. I still believe The Infantry have it in them to contend so I can’t wait to see how they fare against PartyCrashers.

6️⃣ OneStop (2-5-1)

Last week: -1

Their drop in the rankings had more to do with the other teams around them that OneStop was not even playing. They will be looking to sweep The Infantry on Thursday before closing out the season against Fins Up. If OneStop can win both games, look out for them as a team to avoid come playoffs. 

7️⃣ Royaume Luminiare (2-5-1)

Last week: -

Royaume Luminiare would lose a heartbreak over EZW 41-39. That game still showed the team they can be, especially on the offensive end. They end the year with Vultures and Braves. It’s a tough end to the season but a win against either can move them up in the standings and avoid playing one of the top two teams in the first round.

8️⃣ EZW (2-7)

Last week: -

Jeremy White would find Alexandre Barros for his 5th of the game to give EZW their second win of the year. All that matters is who wins in the playoffs and EZW can build on that if they can beat Vultures. As Jeremy White has said before, his team is confident they can do the job as they have done so before.

Entrevue exclusive avec Fitzgerald Cenatus des PartyCrashers

Pour ceux qui ne te connaissent pas encore au-delà de ce que tu fais sur le terrain, comment tu as commencé dans la FPF?

Bon, pour les gens qui ne me connaissent pas, j’ai commencé FPF en 2022 avec Dime and Bougie. Cette équipe a été créée avec Jules et Félix après nos championnats canadien U20 avec team QC. On s’est dit pourquoi pas faire une équipe avec certains gars avec qui on venait de gagner l’or. C’est comme ça que ma jeune carrière au FPF a commencé. Par la suite, il y a un hiver que j’ai remplacé avec Terror Squad contre les Braves, j’ai fais 2 gros pick, 1 pour la victoire. Par la suite, je suis resté le reste de la saison avec eux et c'est là que Pat ma recruter pour jouer avec All-Star et le reste c’est history.

Après avoir joué dans plusieurs divisions, on dirait que tu as vraiment trouvé ta place avec PartyCrashers. Comment ça s’est passé d’être recruté par des gars comme Jeanslee Alexis et François Hogue?

Ce que les gens ne savent pas mais dans toutes les équipes où j’ai joué en Div 1 ou 5vs5 a part AllStar, Jeanslee et moi avions toujours été dans la même équipe avant même PartyCrashers, on est allé au Nationaux senior ensemble avec First Class. Frank lui j’ai joué contre lui et je l'ai remplacé dans ces équipes et même fait des tournois en Ontario avec lui. Il a toujours voulu que je joue avec lui mais ça n' avait jamais été donné. Je pense que Nationaux Kamloops a été la reel premiere fois que j’ai joué avec lui. Son ‘’ Recrutement’’ s'est fait naturellement pour de vrai.

Selon toi, c’est quoi la plus grande force de votre équipe pendant cette séquence parfaite en Division 1?

Selon moi, je ne pourrai pas te nommer une seule force de notre roster cette saison mais je dirais notre esprit de famille mais surtout le fait qu’on joue en s’amusant. On a réalisé que lorsqu’on joue et on s’amuse at the same time c’est la qu’on excelle le mieux. We cracking jokes here and there while playing.

Vous terminez la saison régulière avec deux matchs contre The Infantry. Ayant déjà joué avec des gars comme Kevin Wyeth et Félix Boutet, comment vous approchez ces matchups défensivement?

Je pense qu'on approche ce match-là de la même manière que tous les autres matchs. Nous savons de quoi nous sommes capables, on sait comment il joue, on doit juste jouer notre game et être lockin du début à la fin. On a perdu en demi-finale contre eux last season, un match qu’on aurait dû gagner selon nous. I think we got one of the most athletic and best defensive in the league if not the best. So, on est prêt pour nos 2 derniers matchs surtout avec la saison parfaite en jeu.

À ce stade-ci, est-ce que toi ou ton équipe ressentez une certaine pression, non seulement pour finir 10-0, mais aussi pour être l’équipe qui gagne le championnat autre que les Braves?

Personnellement, je ne ressens aucune pression. Au niveau de notre équipe, je ne pense pas non plus, car on sait de quoi on est capable. Pour le championnat, on ne se met pas de pression but it’s our goal to win the championships. Un peu de changement  dans ligue serait nice🤣 ! Les braves sont vraiment bon but I feel this season c’est la nôtre.

Dans ta jeune carrière, tu as déjà gagné des championnats, été nommé sur des équipes d’étoiles et même remporté un titre de joueur défensif de l’année. Est-ce qu’il y a encore quelque chose que tu veux accomplir dans la FPF ou dans le flag en général?

Obviously, j’aimerais continuer à gagner des championnats et qui sait peut-être d’autre trophée individuel. My main goal now in FPF c’est de gagner un championnat avec notre équipe PartyCrashers de cette année, i feel on a un groupe tellement spécial de jeunes et mix de old head 🥲 and fun to play with et dans le flag en général, la ca va faire 4-5 ans que j’ai commencé à coach au secondaire so je dirais de continuer à redonner au plus jeune.

Exclusive Interview with PartyCrashers’ Fitzgerald Cenatus

For those who may not know you beyond what you do on the field, how did you get started in FPF?

For people who don’t know me, I started playing FPF in 2022 with Dime and Bougie. That team was created with Jules and Félix after we won the U20 Canadian Championship with Team Quebec. We figured, why not build a team with some of the guys we just won gold with? That’s how my FPF career started.

Then one winter, I subbed in for Terror Squad against the Braves and had two big interceptions, including one for the win. After that, I stayed with them for the rest of the season, and that’s when Pat recruited me to play with All-Star. The rest is history.

After playing in multiple divisions, it looks like you’ve really found your place with PartyCrashers. What was it like getting recruited by guys like Jeanslee Alexis and François Hogue?

What people don’t know is that on almost every team I’ve played on in Division 1 or 5v5, except All-Star, Jeanslee and I were already teammates before PartyCrashers. We even went to Senior Nationals together with First Class.

As for Frank, I had played against him, subbed in for his teams, and even played tournaments in Ontario with him. He always wanted me to play with him, but it just never happened until later. I think Kamloops Nationals was the first real time we actually played together. So honestly, the “recruitment” just happened naturally.

What do you think has been the biggest strength behind your team’s perfect run in Division 1?

I wouldn’t say just one thing, but if I had to, I’d say our family mentality and the fact that we’re having fun. We realized that when we’re enjoying ourselves while playing, that’s when we’re at our best. We’re out there joking around while still competing.

You close out the regular season with two games against The Infantry. Having played with guys like Kevin Wyeth and Félix Boutet before, how do you approach those matchups defensively?

We’re approaching it the same way we approach every game. We know what we’re capable of, we know how they play, and we just have to play our game and stay locked in from start to finish.

We lost to them in the semifinals last season, a game we feel we should have won. I think we have one of the most athletic and best defenses in the league, if not the best. So we’re ready for these last two games, especially with a perfect season on the line.

At this point, do you or your team feel any pressure to not only finish 10–0 but also be the team that wins a championship not named the Braves?

Personally, I don’t feel any pressure, and I don’t think the team does either because we know what we’re capable of. For the championship, we’re not putting pressure on ourselves, but it is our goal to win it. A bit of change in the league would be nice. The Braves are really good, but I feel like this season is ours.

In your young career, you’ve already won championships, earned all-star selections, and even a Defensive Player of the Year award. Is there anything you still want to accomplish in FPF or flag football overall?

Obviously, I want to keep winning championships and maybe add a few more individual awards. But my main goal right now is to win a championship with this PartyCrashers team. I feel like we have a really special group, a mix of young players and veterans, and it’s just fun to be part of.

In flag overall, I’ve also been coaching at the high school level for about 4–5 years now, so I’d say continuing to give back to the younger generation is important to me.

Closing Remarks

There you go Division 1 with this week’s article. Thanks Fritz 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.