Like the majority of the divisions, Saturday night will feature the semifinals that will determine which two teams will battle on championship weekend. We currently have the undefeated PartyCrashers who will look to avoid a huge upset over OneStop. Later that night, the winner will face whoever comes out of the Vultures vs Braves matchup which is played at 10pm. Two huge games, plenty of talented players involved, let’s get into each matchup.

Semifinals Preview

OneStop vs PartyCrashers (Saturday May 9th, 7pm in Brossard)

Previous matchup: PartyCrashers def OneStop 41-0

PartyCrashers finished the regular season at 10-0 and en route to that, they dismantled OneStop early in the season. Anyone from OneStop will tell you that they are not the same team from Week 4 compared to the group expected to suit up in Brossard for the semifinals.

I spoke with both Michael Caparelli and Jahnai Lewis about how this has felt like a completely different season once the team was finally able to play games with a full lineup. OneStop won three of their final four regular season games while putting up over 35 points in each of those victories, something they didn’t accomplish once until Game 6.

Lewis acknowledged how inconsistent the season looked from the outside but believes a lot of that came from never being able to establish continuity with the full roster.

“Every game of the season felt like it was our first game we played together. Hopefully this Saturday is a different story and we are able to play fast, which we definitely have to do or we don’t have a chance against PartyCrashers.”

Even with the ups and downs, Lewis made it clear how much confidence he has in this group.

“I love the group of guys we have from QB to rushers and all the positions in between. I wouldn’t replace any of the guys on the team with anyone in the league.”

For OneStop, they will need to empty the tank to pull off a massive upset over the number one team in the division. The PartyCrashers defence comes in waves, as four different players finished with at least three INTs this season. Caparelli ended the year with 15 INTs overall but has thrown only three over his last five games, showing much better ball security heading into playoffs. He will still need to be nearly perfect in Brossard.

One aspect where OneStop actually matches up well is offensively. Their offence is quick, athletic and aggressive. Moving the ball efficiently while constantly making the PartyCrashers defence guess will give them a better chance to sustain possessions and put points on the board.

Still, Lewis understands the biggest challenge isn’t necessarily slowing PartyCrashers down defensively, but keeping pace with them for a full 40 minutes.

“PartyCrashers are just a well-oiled machine and I think the most challenging thing would be keeping pace with them for 40 minutes.”

Even though both offences are similar athletically, PartyCrashers have the better defence overall. Rusher Nicolas Knez had a huge quarterfinal game, recording key sacks in the final minutes that allowed Caparelli to put the game away. If Knez ends up rushing against Alexis, it will be one of the biggest matchups to watch.

For PartyCrashers, they have a roster full of talent capable of taking over a game with one big play on either side of the ball. Even with Mendel Joseph expected to miss this matchup, the list of playmakers remains endless. Mamadi Kaba continues to be one of the most explosive players in FPF whenever he gets the ball in space, while Emerson Peterkin gives the team another dangerous QB option who can completely change the pace of a drive. Add in athletes such as Zeke, Reggie and Fitzgerald Cenatus on both sides of the ball and this remains one of the deepest rosters in the division.

Lewis also acknowledged that trying to focus on only one or two names is exactly how teams get exposed against PartyCrashers.

“Mamadi Kaba and Mendel Joseph are great football players… but just focusing on them two would be a death sentence because they have eight other studs on the squad that we also have to worry about. Emerson, Zeke, Reggie and the list goes on.”

For PartyCrashers, they simply need to keep the game simple. They don’t need to overcomplicate things because they are the best team in Division 1 for a reason. If they avoid outside pressure and emotions, this is not the type of game people would expect them to lose.

As for OneStop, they truly have nothing to lose. They have played significantly better football over the second half of the season and everyone knows any team can win on any given night. Caparelli will need to limit turnovers, remain efficient on possessions and the defence will need to come up with stops.

Lewis also hinted that his team believes there are areas they can expose against PartyCrashers, but understandably kept the details close to the chest before Saturday night.

“It’s either going to be a very high-scoring game or a very low-scoring game.”

This matchup will not be as one-sided as the regular season game, but over the course of a full game, I still think PartyCrashers will be too much for OneStop to handle and will advance to the finals.

Prediction: PartyCrashers def OneStop 32-20

Vultures vs Braves (Saturday May 9th, 10pm in Brossard)

Previous matchups: Vultures def Braves 26-7 and Braves def Vultures 42-26

In the regular season, both teams managed to take one game from each other, but both matchups came under completely different circumstances. Vultures opened the season by upsetting the Braves in a result that caught plenty of people off guard and foreshadowed the successful season to come. By the time the rematch came two months later, the situation had flipped. Jo Maheu was back in the lineup and Braves looked like themselves again, while Vultures were missing Anthony Brisebois. Both games felt incomplete in their own way, with whichever team was closer to full strength taking advantage.

Tonight should finally give us the matchup people have been waiting to see.

This has been the best version of Vultures since moving up to the top 6v6 division last Spring. In their first season, they were allowing over 40 points per game. Last Fall, that dropped to 35. Now, they’ve brought it down to 30 while also becoming much more efficient offensively. Ben earned QB of the Year for a reason and Kevin Donnet continues to establish himself as one of the more reliable two-way players in Division 1.

A big reason for that improvement has been the growth of the defence as a whole. The communication, trust and ability to create momentum-changing plays has looked much different compared to previous seasons. When speaking with Donnet, he made it clear how highly he views this defensive unit.

“In all my time in this league, this is easily one of the best defensive units I’ve been a part of. Creating pressure is always important, but against a team like the Braves, who’ve been together for a long time, you know they’ve seen almost everything.”

Even with the respect toward Braves, Vultures clearly believe they can match up physically and mentally with anybody left in the playoffs.

When speaking with Donnet, one thing that stood out was how much emphasis he put on chemistry and continuity. This group finally feels like they are peaking together at the right time.

“The Braves are one of the most connected teams out there, and that’s something we’ve worked hard to grow ourselves. This is the first time a lot of our group has really played together, so building that chemistry was a process. Understanding roles, trusting each other, and finding our rhythm. Now we’re at a point where it’s all coming together, and that’s exactly what we want and need if we want to make a deep playoff run.”

For Vultures, this game starts with their defence. They don’t need to completely shut down the Braves because not many teams can realistically do that, but they need to avoid letting the game snowball early. Communication, composure and limiting the easy explosive plays will be huge.

Donnet also brought up something important about playoff football that usually gets overlooked.

“In the playoffs, people focus on making that one big play, but games are really won in the moments leading up to it. Patience is what will put us in that position to make that play.”

That patience is exactly what forces teams to lose. They’ve been here too many times. Every season feels the same with this group. People get tired of seeing them win, people start doubting them after a slower stretch and then suddenly they remind everyone why they’ve been the standard for years. The 46-6 win over The Infantry felt like one of those reminders.

The biggest key for the Braves will be containing Ben outside the pocket. He’s been excellent all season at extending plays and turning broken situations into big gains. If the Braves can force him to stay uncomfortable and make quick decisions, it changes the whole game.

There’s also clearly an understanding from Vultures about what this game could mean for them as a group. Beating the Braves in the playoffs is different. It changes how people look at your team.

“The Braves have set the standard for a long time now. So a win against them would definitely show that we’re here and we’re a team that can compete with anyone.”

I think this game stays close throughout and honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if Vultures pulled it off. They’re deeper, more connected and more disciplined than they’ve ever been. But until someone consistently proves otherwise, it’s hard to pick against the Braves in playoff football. I think they make one or two more plays late and survive another tight semifinal.

Prediction: Braves def Vultures 38-34

Closing Remarks

That’s all for Division 1 as the semifinals will be played in Brossard tonight. Thanks to Jahnai and Kevin for answering some questions before their matchups. If you don’t have much to do on a Saturday night, pop out in Brossard to see these two games, the best of 6v6 flag will be played with many talented national players. 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.