Division B: A Whole Lot of Defense, and Some Offense Too
Defense wins championships. Throughout the history of football, when that sentence is heard, most people associate it with the 70’s Pittsburgh Steelers, 80’s Chicago Bears, and the early to mid-2000’s Baltimore Ravens.
You don’t have to go back that far, however. Just look at last year’s Seattle Seahawks. Yes, Sam Darnold played a role in the franchise winning their second Lombardi Trophy, but it was the defense that held the high-octane Los Angeles Rams offense to 27 points and smothered both the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots on the way to the title.
That defensive theme translated to Division B this past weekend, as teams used the most important side of the ball to emerge victorious.
It took two weeks and three games, but Camping Boutin finally recorded their first win of the year, with a blowout (47-24) victory over #NR Saturday afternoon at Concordia.
The team’s offense which looked like it was stuck in neutral at times, was firing on all cylinder, as Quarterback Marc-Andre Reeves, fired several passes that the #NR defense simply had no answer for. Deep shots, intermediate level, and check downs, Reeves was launching rockets all game.
The Camping Sans Boutin Receivers did their part as well. All seven players who took an offensive snap at the position made a big play for the team by either making a key grab or drawing coverage to open things up for a teammate.
For as impressive as the Camping Sans Boutin offense was, it was on the defensive end where they made the biggest impact. The unit set the tone early as Serge Pilon Jr. intercepted opposing QB Zach Deschamps on the first play of the game. The CSB offense would take advantage of the turnover, as they would score the game’s opening touchdown two plays later, as Pilon Jr. caught a 6-yard out-route for the TD.
Looking to regroup from the mistake, #NR looked to connect down the right sideline on a pass to Sanders Armand, but one error quickly turned into another, as Deschamps telegraphed his throw, and was intercepted by Felix Hudon who had nothing but open grass in front of him as he ran the ball into the endzone.
The turnovers ended for #NR, but the mistakes did not. Several drops missed tackles and blown coverages plagued them throughout the contest and was a big reason why the contest was so one-sided.
Camping Sans Boutin has now joined the land of the winners. After a Week 4 bye, they will look to extend their stay when they take on Hard 8 on June 20th.
For #NR, the losses have started to pile up. The team plays hard and it is evident that they care, but they lack execution on both sides of the ball. Things don’t get any easier, as they take on undefeated Idaho Udapimps tonight at Stade de MTL. Can they get off winless island? We will find out shortly.
The defensive theme continued as FPF’s Most Wanted used a pick-6 from Wedens Alexandre to take a (31-26) lead and then delivered a defensive stand on the ensuing drive to end the game and knock off Hard 8 (31-25).
The team also got a stellar performance from Defensive Back Tristan Gauthier Norris, who led all division B players with nine tackles.
When looking at who stood out offensively, the team got solid outings from the Quarterback and Receiver combo of Alessandro Barrazzoni and Santino Sparagna, as the duo connected five times for 91 yards and two TDs. The former was the epitome of accurate, as he completed 15 of 18 passes in the contest.
Hard 8 might have come out on the losing end, but they had some impressive performances as well. Former Montreal Carabins Running Back Khalil Kerr displayed his ability to catch passes out the backfield, as he registered seven receptions for 68-yard and two trips to the endzone. He was joined by teammates Vincent Malo and Nicholas Groppini, who each recorded a TD of their own.
The win for FPF’s Most Wanted was their third of the young season. Still without a blemish on their record, the squad will take on back-to-back veteran teams the next two weeks, in Silent Ticklers, and KGP Dynasty. Will they still be undefeated after those matchups?
After getting a go-ahead touchdown from Receiver Timoté Nehma-Lacasse (his second TD of the game) with less than five plays remaining, Les Petites Carottes were able to produce a stop on defense to seal the victory in their (32-28) win over Speed Academy.
What really stood out in the win for Les Petites Carottes, was their defense. In addition to an interception by Xavier Brault, from Quarterback Emile Plante, the team was able to hold their opponents to a season-low five redzone appearances and only four touchdowns.
Fresh off his appearance on the FPF 1st & Goal Podcast, QB Jason Reyes looked sharp, as he connected on 18 of 21 passes for 158 yards to go along with four touchdowns and one interception. Three of his TD passes found Felix Boutet, who had five catches for a game-high 75 yards.
There wasn’t much defense in this game other than an interception and sack by Jaylan Greaves but the Bruins didn’t need it as they steamrolled Ice Pack (46-28).
The Bruins shredded their opponents with an explosive offense led by Quarterback Kristopher Verreault, who was simply phenomenal, as he threw for four touchdowns and ran for two others. What makes Verreault’s numbers even more jaw-dropping, was that he was a perfect 13 for 13 passing. What more can you say, or in the QB’s case, what more can you do?
The pivot didn’t do it by himself, as he was aided by the performance of Receiver Isaac Paquette, who had four receptions for 101 yards and two TDs.
Like I said at the top, defense wins championships, but offense still matters too.
Picks
#NR vs Idaho Udapimps - Idaho Udapimps
Last Week: (2-5)
Regular Season: (2-5)
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.