At this point, with Week 2 coming to a close, every team has played at least once and several teams have already taken the field three times. As I write this article from Kelowna, BC on Tuesday afternoon, Snowdon Deli Degens sit atop the division with a perfect 3-0 record. That being said, this division feels incredibly competitive and a lot can change over the next month.

One team quietly making a push toward the top is Black Vipers under the arm of Mathis Coulombe. After posting a strong season in 4A last winter, Black Vipers came up just short in a heartbreaking high-scoring playoff loss to eventual finalists Trapstars. Having covered 4A last season, they proved to me that when healthy, they can compete with some of the best teams in the division.

Looking at them now, the Vipers lost All-Star Gianni Casati heading into the summer season, but they haven't missed a beat. They have already picked up two impressive victories and look poised to remain in the hunt near the top of the standings. I had the opportunity to speak with Mathis about his team's recent success and their strong weekend, which I'll get into later in the article.

Before that, I wanted to highlight a few storylines and performances that stood out to me from this past weekend's action.

Week 2 Headlines

Bend Don’t Break and No Punt Intended start the season at 0-2

This division is stacked from top to bottom. With that comes the reality that some teams who are used to winning are suddenly being brought back down to earth. That has been the case so far for both Bend Don’t Break and No Punt Intended.

For Bend Don’t Break, their season opened with a chippy loss against Studz. Looking at the box score, there were six major penalties handed out in the game, including five against Bend Don’t Break. If that was truly the case, the fact they only lost by one score is actually quite impressive. The bigger concern, however, is the number of unnecessary roughness and objectionable conduct penalties, as those can quickly lead to suspensions if they continue to pile up. They followed that game with a matchup against Snowdon Deli Degens and once again found themselves facing a large first-half deficit. Unlike the dominant team that went undefeated last season and reached the finals the year before, Bend Don’t Break hasn't been able to overcome those early holes. Offensively, they have moved the ball well enough to stay competitive, but defensively they will need to regroup and rediscover the form that made them one of the most feared teams in the division.

As for No Punt Intended, their start has been equally difficult. They dropped their opener to Double Dip after falling behind by 14 points in the first half, putting themselves in catch-up mode for the rest of the game. Just 23 hours later, they were back on the field against No Flag Zone and found themselves in a nearly identical situation, trailing by two scores at halftime once again.

Quarterback Michael Khazaka has endured a tough opening weekend, throwing five interceptions while completing less than 50% of his passes. The defence has also struggled to find its footing, and if those issues continue, this spring could end up being even more challenging than last winter's 3-6-1 campaign.

All-around performance from Vincent Richard

Speaking of Double Dip, Vincent Richard put together what was arguably one of the best two-way performances of the young season. Offensively, he found the end zone twice on passes from Felix-Antoine Masseau, who stepped in at quarterback in relief of Xavier Parent. On the defensive side of the ball, where Vincent has built a reputation as a physical ball-hawk, he added two interceptions against Michael Khazaka in the victory.

The impressive part is that you could argue he wasn't even Double Dip's most impactful player that night. Carl Belanger had a monster performance of his own, finishing with three offensive touchdowns while adding a pick-six on defence. When you have multiple players capable of taking over a game like that, it makes Double Dip a dangerous matchup for anyone in the division.

It's still very early in the season, but Vincent appears to be on pace to eclipse both his best offensive and defensive campaigns. I don't normally like making bold predictions this early, but it feels like a breakthrough season is coming. Keep an eye on him over the next few weeks as he looks to build even more momentum.

High Waves for Black Vipers this last weekend

One of the teams I felt might fly under the radar this season is the currently undefeated Black Vipers. As I mentioned earlier, I had the chance to cover them in Division 4A last winter and got to know their quarterback, Mathis Coulombe. I found Mathis to be one of the more underrated QBs in the division and, in a talented group this season, I can see more of the same. Through two games, he already has 11 touchdowns and an impressive 78% completion rate.

Black Vipers picked up two important victories this past weekend. Against Ball Hawks, led by Xavier Couture, the defence stood tall and limited the opposition to just 19 points. Mathis threw five touchdown passes in the win, outdueling the young quarterback. Less than 24 hours later in Laval, he found himself across from another underrated quarterback in my eyes, Fabrice Robillard. Once again, Mathis came out on top, throwing one more touchdown than Robillard in a game where neither quarterback turned the ball over.

Part of that success comes from lessons learned last season. Mathis admitted that earlier in his flag football career, he was always searching for the big play. "As the seasons have gone by, I've learned to be more patient, force things less, and simply take what the defense gives me," he explained. That patience has been evident through the first two weeks as Black Vipers have consistently moved the ball without forcing risky throws.

Mathis was also quick to credit the players around him. "I have so much confidence in my receivers, they make my job easy," he said. "Their ability to create separation and make plays allows our offense to keep moving and stay effective." That confidence is easy to understand when looking at the production. Zacharie Martin led the team with three touchdowns over the weekend, while Samuel Doyon currently leads the team in both receiving yards and touchdowns.

When I watched this group last winter, they played with swagger and confidence, often fueled by All-Star Gianni Casati. Losing a player of that caliber could have slowed many teams down, but Black Vipers have barely skipped a beat. Mathis acknowledged the impact of losing Casati, calling him "one of the best athletes I've ever seen in my life," but believes the new additions have stepped up admirably. Having players such as Samuel Doyon and Zacharie Martin, who are both currently part of the Laval Rouge et Or football program, certainly doesn't hurt. "We have new players who have come in and done an outstanding job filling that role," he said.

What may be even more encouraging for Black Vipers is Mathis' belief in the defence. While the offence has received most of the attention so far, he believes this unit could eventually become even stronger than last year's group. "I have a lot of confidence in this defense," he said. "In fact, I believe we have the potential to be even better defensively than we were last season."

The schedule won't get any easier with matchups against Double Dip, Snowdon Deli Degens and the always well-prepared Judith squad still ahead. However, the way Black Vipers are currently playing, I wouldn't be surprised if they finish inside the top five by season's end. If the offence continues producing at this level, Mathis could very well find himself in the QB of the Year conversation.

For Mathis, success isn't necessarily about wins and losses alone. He pointed to several teammates who are new to flag football but already have strong football backgrounds. "I can already tell they're going to be beasts by Week 10," he said. "These are elite athletes, so I'm really excited to see their development and how much they'll improve throughout the season." Considering players like Doyon and Martin are currently competing with the Laval Rouge et Or, it's easy to understand where that confidence comes from. If that growth happens as quickly as Mathis expects, Black Vipers may become much more than just an under-the-radar contender.

Closing Remarks

That’s all I have for Division D1 this week. Thanks to Mathis for answering some questions this week. 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.