Hey everyone, I’ll be covering Division D1 this Spring season. Most of you are familiar with me already, but for those who don’t know me, I’m Keyon and I also play for Junior XL Special Ed. Division D was split into two this season and we ended up with 13 teams in the first half. With only 8 playoff spots available, every single game will matter throughout the season.

Even though the season already started last week, I wanted to give three very early predictions along with a few sleeper teams that I believe people should keep an eye on later in the season.

Very Early Predictions

No team will go 10-0

I think there are too many solid teams in this division for someone to run the table easily. Snowdon Deli Degens and Bend Don’t Break are two teams that have recently gone 10-0 in previous seasons, but the depth of talent across D1 this season feels stronger overall.

No team is going to have an “easy schedule.” As much as I would love my own team to go undefeated, anything can happen on any given night in FPF. That being said, if a team proves me wrong, I’ll gladly accept watching them clean up the field for the next few months.

Antoine Clément will be an all-star for Studz for his offence

I’ve watched Antoine Clément over the years with Studz and it honestly feels like he improves every season. Antoine won MVP for Studzz in 5C last season with a 3 TD and 2 INT championship performance while also winning DPOY for Studz in Division 4B.

The fact that Studz have been able to split teams and still find success in both divisions is honestly impressive. Now Antoine gets his QB1 in Philippe Gélinas and their chemistry has continued improving every season.

Even though Antoine has already been an all-star before, I believe his offensive production will be the reason for it this year. He’s part of a great offence and Gélinas is never shy about feeding him the ball. If the ball keeps magnetizing toward his hands, I could genuinely see him having a career year and breaking his career-high mark of 16 TDs, which he has already reached twice.

Defences know what’s coming and it still hasn’t stopped him yet.

Garni Comme Mac will be a top 3 offence

Under Ambush, this group won the Division 4A championship off a last-play touchdown by QB Dante Gerardi. Even without Gab Champagne this season, GMC still brings back the core of the roster, including Felix Clairmont and Hunter Beriault.

Gerardi has never been shy about pushing the ball deep, but what makes the offence dangerous is the chemistry he has developed with Hunter underneath as well. I only expect that connection to improve as the season progresses.

The biggest question surrounding this team has always been defensively and without a Team Canada player roaming the secondary anymore, that concern could become more noticeable later in the year.

Still, in Fall 2025 they finished as the sixth-highest scoring offence while averaging over 35 points per game. I think this group of friends will once again be able to score points at will because of their speed and accuracy. Even though they lost their opener, they still managed to put up 36 points in the loss.

With the team slowly getting back into rhythm after a busy Winter season, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they finish top three offensively by the end of the regular season.

Sleeper Teams to Watch

Pacemakers

Pacemakers might be a veteran-heavy team with names like QB Jason Rossie, Scott Binns and Chris Brockwell, but they’ve always felt slightly underrated in the men’s divisions.

They finished 7-3 last Winter in 4B and made a semifinal appearance. Rossie has quietly been one of the more reliable quarterbacks in FPF over the years and the addition of Justin White full-time is a huge boost, especially defensively.

Massimo Moufrage exploded in Week 1 with 146 yards and 3 TDs. I actually played Pacemakers in their second game of the season and even though they added Nicholas Di Maulo, who scored in that matchup, my team was able to use our athleticism to pull away by double digits.

It’s still very early, but I know Rossie and this group will eventually settle into form. I’d honestly be surprised if they aren’t sitting in a playoff spot by the end of the season.

Bend Don’t Break

A team that looked destined to win 5B last Winter unfortunately had to forfeit their quarterfinal matchup because several players were away on vacation.

After speaking with Dominic Weidner a few weeks ago, he made it clear that this team is hungry to replicate the success they had before the disappointing ending. Bend Don’t Break made the Tier 4 Finals last Fall before dominating 5B with a perfect 10-0 season.

Dom ended up winning WR of the Year while Luke Moreau took home QB of the Year honours. Their chemistry has proven extremely difficult to defend and considering the growth this team has shown over the years, they are dangerous no matter where they finish in the standings.

The biggest question for me is how they will adjust to Division D competition because I believe this is the deepest division they’ve played in so far. If they can survive the early portion of the schedule and build confidence, they could absolutely become a problem by playoff time.

Double Dip

Double Dip is better known as a Co-Ed powerhouse across FPF and other leagues, but this will be the first season the men fully commit to a 6v6 men’s division.

That unknown factor is exactly why I view them as a sleeper team.

The roster has athletes everywhere. Vincent Richard is one of the more underrated players in FPF while Nathan Tran brings legitimate speed that can change games quickly.

QB Xavier Parent is the biggest X-factor because he hasn’t yet played a full men’s 6v6 season in FPF. Despite that, the team started 1-1 while Xavier completed nearly 74% of his passes with 9 TDs to only 1 INT.

The addition of Félix-Antoine Masseau, who I believe is another underrated two-way player, could elevate this team beyond what people expect.

They may not have the history or reputation of some of the other teams in D1 yet, but if you overlook them, they’re fully capable of putting up points in a hurry.

Closing Remarks

This is my first article covering Division D1 this season and I wish all of you good luck this year. I’m also playing in this division, so I’m looking forward to lining up against some of you and competing throughout the season. It should be a fun one.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the fields because I’m always interested in hearing players’ perspectives for future articles. 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.