It’s been quite a turnaround, as on Wednesday we had 8 teams remaining in Division 4A, and by Monday morning, we will know which two teams will face off on Victoria Day weekend. If you were not in Brossard this past Wednesday, you missed out on four great quarterfinal games.

With this division being so close, only one higher seed survived the gauntlet into the final four. Before we get into the semis preview, let’s recap those incredible games from Wednesday night.

Quarterfinals Recap

The Penetrators def Ducks 32-27

The first game did not disappoint, as the defence of The Penetrators got 3 INTs and a safety on the final play from QB of the Year Antoine Chabot. Justin Goodman did what he needed to do against the number 2 seed, finishing with 170 yards, 5 TDs, and zero INTs. He found Alex Szalipszki in the end zone in the final minute to extend the lead to 32–19.

Chabot found Raphaël Lebeuf to answer and went for the onside attempt to win the game. Unfortunately for Ducks, a bad snap ended their season, pushing the Penetrators into the final four.

Dak To The Future def Snowdon Deli Degens 34-33

Both teams were undermanned with injuries and absences, as both rode with their 5 players for the full game. Each QB made key mistakes, but ultimately, Justin Gauthier was able to lead his offence to a victory over Adam Malinoff.

It was a game between a bunch of stud receivers, including Sam Anastasopoulos and Niko Zaharatos against Gabriel Morissette and Alexandre Marchand, with each duo scoring 4 TDs for their team.

After Matthew Fixman took the lead for Snowdon in the dying minute, it gave Gauthier and his offence 28 seconds to respond. Morissette ultimately scored the game-winning TD with seconds remaining on their final drive.

Malinoff had no choice but to attempt a Hail Mary on two occasions, with the final one being incomplete after many hands got on the ball from both teams.

A disappointing ending for Snowdon as the 3rd seed, and another day of life for Dak To The Future, who look to find themselves in the finals after Sunday.

Ambush def Nut N’ Run 43-42 (2OT)

I had the pleasure of seeing this game up close as there was action from beginning to end. Nicolas Katerelos and Gab Dabe Champagne would each throw 6 TDs in this one.

Daniel Garcia would torch the Ambush defence every time he touched the ball with 120yds and 3 TDs. Ben McMahon would outmatch Garcia for Ambush with 135yds and 4 TDs, easily taking a short pass and making defenders miss on his way to a 40yd TD that was surely a highlight.

Samuel Deland would score a TD for Nut N’ Run in the final 2 minutes to take the lead. Champagne would find Phil Roberts on 4th down in the last few seconds, and McMahon would score the conversion to tie the game.

Katerelos would move the ball quickly, but with 10yds to go, he wasn’t able to find the endzone to end regulation.

In OT, each defence would be huge with a mix of INTs, sacks, and big pass breakups. Ultimately, at the end of the 2nd OT, a pass was too high for McMahon to catch and was deflected by him, and Yann Dika-Balotoken would make the diving catch at the back of the endzone for the win.

It was truly a great game, a heartbreak for Nut N’ Run, who seemingly were in the lead for most of the game, whereas Ambush got the last laugh into the semifinals.

Trapstars def Black Vipers 50-49

Even if this game didn’t go to OT, it was the highest-scoring game of the round, and Black Vipers were one play away from taking out the number 1 seed. Ryan Garber would go 28/31 with 7 TDs, and Mathis Coulombe would go 25/32 with 284yds and 7 TDs as well.

Each team’s offence was nearly untouchable, either scoring or the defence would come up huge with an INT. Noah Lieblein would lead the game with 3 TDs, and Gianni Casati would lead all receivers with 90yds.

In the final two minutes, there were 4 TDs scored, so let’s wind the clock. Noah Lieblein would score from the one-yard line and leave Black Vipers with under 2 minutes left in the game. They would take most of the clock, but Benjamin Cali would find space and take a run into the endzone, tying the game after a failed conversion at 43 apiece.

With only a few seconds remaining, Lieblein would catch a long ball from Garber, along with the conversion, to take the lead. Coulombe would throw a perfect deep ball to Casati, who was dragged down by a Trapstars defender, but not before scoring the 40yd TD in electric fashion.

With an opportunity to go for the win at the 5yd line, a double QB play would be unsuccessful as Trapstars would get the sack on the convert attempt, keeping their season alive in the late-night thriller.

Semifinals Preview

The Penetrators vs Trapstars

Previous matchup: Trapstars def The Penetrators 35-34

In one of the final regular season games, Trapstars got the better of The Penetrators after a failed 2pt convert on the final play to win the game. Exactly a month later, both teams will meet in a semifinals rematch, with the winner advancing to the finals. After seeing Trapstars win a thriller quarterfinal game, I had the chance to speak with Noah Lieblein about his performance last game and what his team will need to do to win this one.

Lieblein is coming off a huge performance on Wednesday night with 3 TDs and an INT in a shootout against Black Vipers, and he felt the offence was clicking despite a few early mistakes:

“ I felt like our offense really had a great game. Other than a first drive interception and a flag before halftime, we were really moving the ball well. Garber called a great game, and I felt like we were really able to pick our spots while also staying patient all game, which opened up the field for me. Defensively wasn’t our best game, but those interceptions in the first half really put us in a great spot. Overall it was a very solid game after almost a month of no games.”

Even with an undefeated season outside of a forfeit, Trapstars know this matchup won’t come easy. The Penetrators were able to keep pace in their regular season matchup, and Lieblein pointed to defensive discipline as the key:

“The Penetrators are a good, veteran team who know what they’re doing. It will be tough, but if our offense stays patient and we get a couple stops, I think we can beat them. Defensively, forcing tough throws would be the key for me. Felix is a great rusher, so if he gets in the backfield quickly and we take away their first option, we will have our chances to make a play.”

After a back-and-forth game where both he and Luca Chiricosta put up big numbers, Lieblein emphasized that the focus won’t be on individual matchups:

“Mainly I think we need to just play our game and not focus on a specific player on offense or defense. We have so many playmakers on offense that I’m confident that I don’t need to replicate my performance to have a successful game.”

As the number one seed, Trapstars haven’t shown any signs of pressure affecting their approach heading into this one:

“I don’t think any pressure is felt at this point. We just have to treat it like any other game and not get mixed up in the heat of a win or go home game. It just boils down to playing a solid game on both sides of the ball and keeping our heads in the right place.”

This game will come down to the few mistakes I expect to occur. Both QBs were efficient and limited their turnovers in their respective games. Trapstars have been on a roll, but The Penetrators don’t look like they will slow down. Felis Sebag wasn’t in the lineup in the regular season game, and his rushing ability will be a test for Goodman’s ability to stay in the pocket.

The Penetrators will need to be aggressive, trying to create turnovers, while Trapstars will look to play things slow and capitalize when they see an opportunity deep. This game will be exciting, but I see the number 1 seed Trapstars pulling away later en route to a championship appearance.

Prediction: Trapstars def The Penetrators 42-38

Dak​ To The Future vs Ambush

Previous matchup: Ambush def Dak To The Future 27-25

The regular season matchup was exciting, as Gauthier got a pick-6 on the final play of the game, swinging momentum for a potential OT period. The two-point convert was not successful, and Ambush were able to get the win. Since that loss, Dak To The Future have gone an incredible 6-1-1 in that span. On the contrary, Ambush went 5-2-1 in the same stretch. In the semifinals, both teams came out with one-point victories. Before the matchup, I spoke with Gauthier about their quarterfinal win and how they are approaching this rematch.

Gauthier and Dak To The Future are coming off a nail-biter against Snowdon Deli Degens, and he emphasized the resilience the team has shown throughout this run:

“This playoff run has definitely been special for us so far. We’ve dealt with some adversity because of injuries or guys balancing university exams. It was hard to have a full lineup of 6 players for both games. Losing Laurent Poisson early in the wildcard game was tough and it gave the group an extra sense of purpose to keep pushing for him. The game against Snowdon Deli Degens really showed our character. Everyone stayed committed to doing their job, and that’s what kept us in it the whole way. In the final minutes, there were a lot of ups and downs, but we stayed composed and focused on one play at a time. When we got the ball back with 28 seconds left, there was no panic, just trust in each other. Everyone stepped up, executed, and we found a way to finish the drive and secure the win. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed the kind of resilience this team has.”

Looking ahead to the rematch, Gauthier noted that this team has evolved since their last meeting:

He mentioned that they didn’t fully show who they were as a team in that earlier matchup, saying “we built a lot more chemistry, both in offense and defense… especially in close games.”

Defensively, the challenge will be slowing down the trio of McMahon, Roberts, and Gerardi, but Gauthier made it clear the focus stays internal:

“Going into this matchup, our focus is mainly on ourselves. We have a lot of respect for Ambush since they beat us earlier in the season and we know the level they bring. But at the same time, we’re confident that when we play to our standard, we can compete with anyone in this division. We’re expecting a tough game and we welcome that. We want to be tested early and respond the right way. For us, this game is about showing up with the right mindset, playing as a unit, and proving what kind of team we’ve become since that last matchup. If we stay disciplined and play our game, we like our chances to move on to the championship game!”

If the regular season game was any indication of what this playoff rematch will be, an exciting thriller awaits us on Sunday. Unfortunately, Gab Champagne will not be suiting up, as he’s in Manitoba for the Team Canada Selection Camp. His two-way ability will be a huge loss for this Ambush team.

I’m expecting Dante Gerardi to be under center, and he’s comfortable in that role, as he has played QB for this team in the past. I expect Ben and Phil to be major focal points, but with Dante at QB, who becomes the third option? I’m looking at younger brother Matteo, who has had success in the past.

For Dak To The Future, they will need to attack an Ambush defence that has a history of allowing points, and without their Team Canada defender, that gap becomes even bigger. Gauthier will need to control the game, as Ambush will look to exploit them deep when on offence.

Dante will play solid at QB, but I think the Ambush defence will feel the absence of Champagne in this one. This has the potential to go to OT, but I see Dak To The Future getting their get-back and moving on to the finals.

Predictions: Dak To The Future def Ambush 36-30

Closing Remarks

That’s all I have for Division 4A this week. After Sunday, we will know who’s in the finals for a chance at a Division 4A championship. Thanks to Noah and Justin for answering some questions before their matchups. If you don’t agree with my take, I’m always open to hearing what you have to say so don’t be shy and approach me! 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.