Co-Ed 5 v 5: Season 2
After a successful launch in the Winter Season, that saw Air Buds win the inaugural championship, the Co-Ed 5 vs 5 Division made its Spring Season debut this week.
I have covered several divisions during my time in FPF, most notably Div 2/B the last few years. I have never written for 5 v 5, but I liked the challenge, so when I was asked to do it, I jumped at the opportunity.
This division is exciting, fast-paced, diverse, innovative, intense and full of premier players. We had eight teams in the inaugural season. This time around we are down to six. Time will tell if less is more.
When I look at all six teams, there are more than a few familiar ones. Maple Syrup, Flag Moi D'quoi, Activated formerly known as Nice To Meet You, and Air Buds. The IG Team make their 5 v 5 debut after dominating Co-Ed the last few seasons, while Touski is a combination of the Spicy Braves who played in the winter along with a mix of Subzero and Cayenne from the Women’s 1 division.
Week 1 kicked off with a bang as Flag Moi D'quoi beat Maple Syrup (28-24) this past Monday at Stade de Soccer.
This was an entertaining game that came down to the last few plays, as an interception by Defensive Back Samuel Nadeu-Piuze off Quarterback Marc-Andre Reeves, would give Flag Moi D'quoi the ball back, down by two points.
The team would turn that turnover into points, as two plays later Flag Moi D'quoi would score the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard reception by Receiver Francois Rocheleau.
Maple Syrup had a chance to re-take the lead with four plays remaining, but they couldn’t find the endzone before time expired.
There were several standout performances in the contest, but none were bigger than that of Rocheleau, who had a game-high nine catches for 134 yads and three touchdowns. He also added an INT as a defender. Talk about impressive.
Not to be overlooked was the Quarterback who delivered Rocheleau the ball. While he usually catches passes from veteran QB Alex Nadeau-Piuze, the multiple time All-Star wasn’t available.
Filling in for him was Dimitrious Sinodinos. The former McGill Redbird passer who before playing for Naproxen in this division last winter, had predominantly made spot starts for various teams since he first made his FPF debut in 2015, was solid for Flag Moi D’quoi, as he went 16 of 23 for 211 yards with two TDs and an INT.
Maple Syrup had some stellar showings as well. They were led offensively by new addition Geraldine Cabillo-Abante, who had a team-high two TDs. On defense the team was guided by two Sacks from Rusher Jean-Sebastien St-Arneault, and an INT along with six tackles by FPF Hall-of-Famer Serge Pilon Jr.
Thankfully with such a small division, both teams will lock horns one more time before we hit the post-season. Week 10 will be the rematch. If that game is anything like the one we just had, we will all be in for a treat.
New season, same wacky schedule. Week 1 only had one game. Week 2 isn’t any better, as we will only get to see Flag Moi D’quoi take on Touski Sunday night in Laval.
Since we are light on games, I figured I would take a quick look at all six teams and look at their chances of winning it all.
Flag Moi D’quoi (1-0)
The veteran squad showed they have depth and resilience as they beat a tough Maple Syrup squad despite missing their starting Quarterback.
This roster is loaded, as it has playmakers at every position. They have arguably the best one-two combo at Receiver in Samuel Nadeu-Piuze and Francois Rocheleau. The group added to their offensive firepower as they picked up steady Receiver Kayla Gauthier, who played one game for the team in the Winter Season.
Looked at as a favourite last season, they were knocked out in the Semifinals by Nice To Meet You/Activated. Will chemistry and the extra firepower be enough to carry this team over the top this time around? We shall see.
Maple Syrup (0-1)
Marc-Andre Reeves saw his streak of championships with The Merge in Co-Ed stop at three this past Winter Season. He and Maple Syrup tried to start a new one, but they were one and done in the post-season as they fell to AT's & Dummies.
The latter is one of two teams who elected not to run it back. Maple Syrup did, and they did it in a big way as they added the services of Geraldine Cabillo-Abante and Marvin Steinberg. If you feel like they were the two biggest off-season additions of any team in the division, you wouldn’t be wrong. Both players add speed, athletic ability, stellar play on both sides of the ball, and championship experience to this roster. Seeing this team play Finals weekend wouldn’t be a surprise. Let’s see if they can make it happen.
The IG Team
This team’s run of domination in Co-Ed is well-documented, as they won several championships in the early stages of the division. Last year in 5 V 5 they went by the name Gundam. It was a forgettable experience however, as they got embarrassed (32-0) in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual champions Air Buds.
This year’s version of The IG Team still has legacy players in Jeanslee and Jordanson Alexis, Eunice Fotso, and the dynamic Stella Jean Georges, but the rest of the group is different. Over the last few seasons, we have witnessed the departures of names likes of Shandy Louis-Jacquet, Jafya Jones, Jerry Beauboeuf, and Gabrielle Poissant.
Over the last two seasons the team has loaded up by adding playmakers in Fritzgerald Cenatus, and Gucci Omombo, to go along with the duo of the underrated Laeticia Ngaleu, and rising star Ashley Longin.
No one can argue that he players they added are better than the players they replaced. Change can be a good thing. We are about to find out if it can lead this squad to a championship.
Touski
Like I said earlier, this team is a mix of the Spicy Braves, Cayenne, and Subzero. If you are going to take parts from a team to create a new one, you would be hard-pressed to find three better teams to choose from.
This team has big game and championship experience both in FPF and internationally as well. You’re not going to outsmart this squad as the unit has seen so many things on both sides of the ball with the amount of experience they have.
Touski has playmakers at every level who can make an impact and take over a game at a moment’s notice. What is also key about this group, is that they are all interchangeable. Take a player out or switch positions, and the team won’t miss a beat.
As is always the case in football, you have to go out on the field and play the games. With players like Phil Pharand, Sandrine Gobeil-Huot, Will Trotttier, Tamara Boulanger, Sarah Cormier and Jean-Daniel Chevalier, this team will be hard to beat. The Spicy Barves didn’t win last season with the great Jonathan Maheu however, so nothing is set in stone.
Activated
Last year’s runner’s up are back to take the final step. To help them get there, they added the services of the ever-dangerous Lara Uzoka, who played in just two games for them last season as a sub. Adding her fulltime will take away the sting of losing Nykolas Pierre-Masse, who was the team’s third leading Receiver.
That move was essentially the only one the team made, as they return a lineup that includes Rory Semerjian, Alyssa Goulet, Bakari Barrett, Abigaelle Perreault, Ethan Adrian, Eloise Lefebvre, Kreig Yeh, and Captain Ben McMahon.
Just like I said with Flag Moi D’quoi, chemistry, familiarity and timing are huge. Activated has all three traits in spades. They also might be able to add revenge to the list, as they will take on Air Buds twice, in Week 6 and Week 9.
Winning a championship is the main goal, and this squad is more than capable of taking the final step to get there. Before they do, getting some redemption has to be in the back of their minds.
Air Buds
The defending champs are back looking for championship number two. This is the exact same team that won the Winter Season title except for Alex Szalipszki, who played sparingly last season, but was a key part of the Finals win as he replaced absent Rusher Jamal Noël. The latter is back this year, and he joins a strong defense with names like Anthony Brsiebois, Quaysie Gordon-Maule, Emma Townsend-Asselin, and Constance Millaire.
The biggest question Air Buds must answer is will this team be able to win back-to-back titles. The field is smaller as I said earlier, but that doesn’t mean the competition won’t be fierce.
The path to trophy number two sees them take on Touski, Flag Moi D’quoi, and The IG Team to kickoff their regular season. A (2-1) or (3-0) record would indicate that they are still the team to beat. Anything less would suggest otherwise.
Picks
Flag Moi D'quoi vs Touski – Flag Moi D’quoi (My pick for Game of the Week)
Touski vs Activated – Activated
Last Week: N/A
That is it for this week. Go luck to everyone in their games this weekend and next week.
If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page.