The first game of championship weekend will be in Division 4a this Saturday at 11am in Brossard. The home team, Trapstars, will be taking on Ambush, which will be an exciting game. Two teams who have different styles but are also somewhat similar to one another as they have already faced off in the regular season. I will give my full finals preview along with what each captain for these teams had to say before this matchup.

Ambush (9-3-1) vs Trapstars (11-1)

Both teams have won championships before but this would be the first for one of these teams in Division 4A. Trapstars won their only championship in Winter 2022 in Division 5B whereas Ambush won their lone championship in 5v5 Rec in Fall 2024. Several players from those championship teams are back once again, but this matchup feels different. One team has built its identity around years of chemistry and efficiency while the other has exploded through the playoffs with athleticism and game-changing defensive plays. David Giroux laughed when reflecting on Trapstars’ previous title run, saying, “Jeez, that 2022 championship feels like it was 10 years ago…” and in many ways, this does feel like a completely different era for the organization.

This feels like the matchup the division has been building toward all season long and a rematch that will amplify what we saw during the regular season. In that game, both quarterbacks threw an interception, with Gab Champagne and David Giroux each coming down with one defensively. The biggest difference, however, was Ryan Garber’s efficiency. Garber finished 17/19 passing and seemingly got whatever he wanted offensively while Gab completed 11 of his 20 attempts in the loss.

Veteran’s Efficiency vs Newcomer’s Big Play Ability

The QB battle will be one of the eye-opening matchups of the weekend. On one hand, Ryan Garber has thrown only 2 INTs all competition and currently holds an insane 84.2% completion rate this postseason. Garber has not had a full FPF season under 60% completion since his junior days back in 2016, showing the elite level of efficiency and consistency he has maintained over the years. Even though he was not the QB during Trapstars’ 2022 championship run, he has led this group on several deep playoff runs and knows how to control a game.

Captain David Giroux made it clear that the finals environment will not change the mentality of this group, saying, “we come into every game, no matter the stakes, with the same mindset. We know how good we are, and we know we can beat anyone when we're on our game. We are confident in our abilities and that confidence comes from years of chemistry and experience together.” That chemistry is visible every time Trapstars step on the field. Their offence rarely forces unnecessary throws and they understand exactly where each player is supposed to be in crucial moments.

On the other side, Gab Champagne has taken a massive leap this season. After showing flashes in Division 1 and Co-Ed action previously, this has been his first full season leading a men’s division offence as the main QB. Gab brings elite dual-threat ability as almost every scramble feels like a guaranteed first down. He throws one of the easiest deep balls in FPF and has improved his accuracy by nearly 14% this postseason. What makes Ambush dangerous, according to Dante Gerardi, is not just the athleticism but how connected the team is together: “We’re a friend group first and a football team second. We can read each other, step up for one another, and at the same time encourage each other.”

Garber will need to continue being efficient while relying on nearly a decade of chemistry with his receivers and concepts that have been refined over years together. Gab, meanwhile, will need to create time with his legs and capitalize on explosive opportunities against a disciplined Trapstars defence.

Elite Number 1s Along With The Right Complementary Pieces

For both offences, there is a clear number one receiver these playoffs backed by strong supporting casts.

For Ambush, Ben McMahon has completely elevated his play in the postseason. Averaging nearly 16 yards per reception, he has been taking short throws and turning them into huge gains while still remaining one of the most dangerous vertical threats in FPF. Ambush also features captain Dante Gerardi, who actually led the team in receiving during the regular season, along with Phil Roberts as a reliable third option. Matteo Gerardi and Yann Dika-Balotoken have also stepped up in big moments throughout this run.

One player who could quietly become an X-factor is Dante Gerardi himself. After suffering an early injury in the regular season matchup, he never truly had the opportunity to make his impact felt in that game. Expect Ambush to involve him heavily offensively in the championship, especially given his versatility and chemistry with Gab Champagne.

Trapstars counter with arguably the hottest playoff receiver in the division. As David Giroux pointed out, Noah Lieblein has emerged as a superstar. With 20 TDs in 11 games, Noah has become one of the best red-zone threats in FPF while still making plays all over the field. Even if he isn’t the biggest guy on the field, he is able to make tough contested catches like this one. Yet Giroux also made sure to highlight the player he believes deserves more attention: “With the superstar emergence of Noah Lieblein this season, I think the heart and soul of our team Cooper Young has gone overlooked. He gives 100% on every snap, no matter the score, keeps everyone focused, and makes clutch catch after clutch catch.”

Even with Noah and Cooper receiving much of the attention offensively, Gerardi admitted that what makes Trapstars difficult to prepare for is less about one specific player and more about how disciplined they are collectively: “I have no idea who they are individually… but that team is filled with smart players, smart plays, and good chemistry.”

Outside of Noah and Cooper, Trapstars still have several proven contributors in Felix Sebag and Ethan Cohen as David will not be able to make the finals for his team. The biggest question for Trapstars is availability and depth on championship day. Ambush may have the deeper roster overall, but Trapstars’ top-end chemistry and execution remain elite.

Defensive Battle For Momentum

In the regular season, both teams ranked in the top six in preventing first downs or touchdowns on fourth-down attempts. Ambush finished fourth in interceptions while Trapstars were led by Felix Sebag’s 16 sacks en route to a Rusher of the Year campaign.

In these playoffs, Kris Schicchi leads Trapstars with 4 sacks while Noah Lieblein has contributed two INTs and a defensive touchdown. For Ambush, however, the postseason story has been Gab Champagne. His 8 INTs in just three playoff games have completely shifted momentum throughout this run and have tied the FPF playoff record.

Watching Gab play defensively these playoffs has honestly felt unfair at times because he has the ball-tracking ability to intercept passes that look nearly perfect coming out of the quarterback’s hand. Even opposing players have acknowledged the difficulty of attacking him, especially knowing his Team Canada-level ability around the football. To see what I mean, check out this 2nd part of this clip.

Trapstars understand how dangerous Gab can be defensively. Giroux acknowledged how important it will be to avoid letting one play spiral into several mistakes, saying, “One of the biggest lessons and learning curves for us as a group throughout the last 8-9 years is the ability to bounce back and not let one bad play ruin a game.” That mentality has become one of the defining characteristics of this Trapstars core over the years.

From Ambush’s perspective, the defensive focus starts with forcing mistakes and capitalizing immediately. Dante Gerardi kept it simple when discussing the matchup between Trapstars’ efficiency and Ambush’s turnover-heavy defence: “Force mistakes and capitalize on them. It’s simple, but not easy given their efficiency.”

Garber will likely spend most of the game trying to isolate Gab away from plays and attack the other Ambush defenders. That is easier said than done given Champagne’s range defensively. At the same time, if Felix Sebag is active for Trapstars, his pressure on Gab could become one of the biggest swing factors in the game.

Final Verdict

You have a Trapstars team that has seemingly won every meaningful game this season outside of a forfeit loss against an Ambush defence led by arguably the best defender in the division at the peak of his powers. Gab Champagne has completely taken over these playoffs and has the ability to flip a game with one play.

Still, what Trapstars have over Ambush is years of chemistry and composure. Despite the outside pressure surrounding another championship appearance, Giroux insisted the mentality inside the group has remained unchanged for years: “No pressure at all on our side. We have been playing for almost 10 years now, and we come into every game, no matter the stakes, with the same mindset.” He later added, “We’re going to play our game on both sides of the ball, execute at a high level, and hopefully raise that banner when all is said and done.”

Ambush, meanwhile, are embracing the opportunity in front of them. Dante Gerardi said it best: “At the start of every season, we knew we had enough talent and athleticism to make it here—now it’s just about getting the job done.”

I don’t expect either offence to stay quiet for long stretches. Ryan Garber and Gab Champagne will both make plays while Noah Lieblein and Ben McMahon will be heavily involved throughout the game. Trapstars absolutely have opportunities to win this game if Garber continues dissecting the Ambush defence the way he did in the regular season matchup. Their chemistry, efficiency and experience together make them one of the toughest teams in FPF to fully put away.

But with the way Gab Champagne is seeing the field defensively right now, it feels like Ambush are destined to finally break through and capture their first 6v6 championship. The way he closes space and changes momentum feels impossible to replicate. I would not be surprised if the defining moment of this championship is Gab flying across the field for an interception or fourth-down breakup that completely swings the game. Trapstars will keep it close all game long, but I think Ambush finally gets over the hump in what should be one of the best games of the season.

Prediction: Ambush def Trapstars 38-34

Closing Remarks

With that, this is my final article for Division 4a. It was a great time for me to get to know alot of the players in this division and by capturing great flag moments over the past few months. I encourage you to reach out this Saturday in Brossard to catch the finals between Ambush and Trapstars or watch the game on the livestream on Youtube! 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.