With six games being played in less than 24 hours last weekend, there were plenty of opportunities for teams to make a statement or begin separating themselves from the pack. Airs were the only team to play twice during that stretch and came away victorious in both matchups. Ahead of the Week 4 slate, which also features six games with one already having been played Thursday night, I wanted to highlight some of the standout individual performances from Week 3.

At this point, South Shore Crashouts and TuneSquad remain the only undefeated teams in the division. Meanwhile, Shonuff, Head Tops Only and Sans Pression (who have only played once) are still searching for their first win or point of the season. We're also inching closer to the midpoint of the year, so expect a midseason review article in the near future.

Week 3 Headlines

The Duo of James Malatesta and David Collette Push Airs Back Into Winning Form

As mentioned earlier, Airs picked up two convincing victories in Week 3, winning by 25 and 15 points respectively.

Whenever professional hockey player James Malatesta is in the lineup, his athleticism immediately stands out. Alongside him is David Collette, whose speed and hands continue to make him one of the most dangerous receivers in the division.

In their first game against Head Tops Only, it was Collette who stole the show. He finished with three touchdowns and an interception while making an impact on both sides of the ball. In the second matchup, Malatesta took over. Against Bastion, he caught all four touchdown passes from Duncan Cook and added an interception on defence. He finished the week with five total touchdowns after also finding the end zone once in the first game.

Collette was hardly quiet in the second game either, leading all receivers with five receptions.

The scary part for the rest of the division is that Airs look like a completely different team when both Malatesta and Collette are available. Both have proven throughout their FPF careers that they are matchup nightmares. If Airs can consistently get both players in the lineup, it gives Cook an excellent foundation for an offence that could become one of the division's most dangerous.

A Complete Team Performance From Armed Robbery

Armed Robbery entered their matchup against Shonuff facing a team still searching for its first win of the season.

The game was close through the first half as Hude Fleuriseau helped Shonuff take a one-point lead into the break. Everything changed after halftime.

Armed Robbery opened the second half with a bang when Yalong Khuu broke free for a 40-yard touchdown from Mike Collard. From that point forward, the momentum belonged entirely to Armed Robbery. Khuu added two more touchdowns to finish with a hat trick, while Julian Postarero contributed the other two scores.

Defensively, Liam Pham was a constant problem for Fleuriseau. His quickness off the rush resulted in three sacks and helped keep the Shonuff offence uncomfortable throughout the second half.

Even without recording an interception, Armed Robbery delivered arguably their most complete performance of the season. The offence was efficient, the defence stepped up when needed and they showed why they remain one of the stronger teams in the division.

Division E1 Is Too Easy for Mathis Pilon

The numbers Mathis Pilon is putting up this season are becoming ridiculous.

Against Underdogs, Pilon finished with 116 receiving yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions and a pick-six. At some point, you start wondering what a defence is supposed to do against a player producing at that level.

Do you completely avoid throwing his way on defence? Do you dedicate extra coverage to him offensively? Even then, it seems like Pilon finds a way to make an impact.

At this point, limiting Mathis might be a more realistic goal than stopping him.

The teams that have faced South Shore Crashouts so far haven't found an answer, which helps explain their 4-0 start. The good news for the rest of the division is that tougher tests are coming. Crashouts face both Practice Squad III and TuneSquad in Week 5. If there are teams capable of slowing Pilon down, those veteran groups may be the best candidates.

Vincent Demers and Michael Cristofano Battle Until the Final Whistle

One of the best individual battles of the weekend came between Practice Squad III and Shnitos & Benitos.

With starting quarterback Massimo Colacci unavailable, coach AJ Zeppetelli stepped in at quarterback for the first full-game appearance of his career.

Both quarterbacks were outstanding. AJ and Fabrice Tremblay combined for just six incompletions each while throwing for over 160 yards.

For Practice Squad III, Michael Cristofano was the biggest beneficiary of the quarterback change. He finished with a game-high seven receptions, 106 receiving yards and three touchdowns. It was clear early on that AJ trusted Cristofano, and he became the focal point of the offence.

On the other side was Vincent Demers.

Known primarily for his rushing abilities, Demers showed his complete skill set. He led his team with five receptions and 61 receiving yards, caught a touchdown, hauled in both conversions from Tremblay and scored the game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes.

As impressive as his offensive performance was, his defensive impact may have been even bigger. Demers finished with four sacks and consistently disrupted AJ's rhythm throughout the game.

Both players put their talents on full display for the full 40 minutes, but Demers' defensive impact ultimately helped swing the game in favour of Shnitos & Benitos.

Closing Remarks

That's all for this week's article. With six more games on the schedule and several teams approaching the midpoint of their season, we're beginning to get a clearer picture of who the contenders are and who still has work to do.

Can South Shore Crashouts and TuneSquad remain undefeated? Will Shonuff finally get into the win column? And can Airs continue building momentum after their impressive 2-0 week?

With the temperatures continuing to rise, best of luck to everyone taking the field this weekend. Stay hydrated and be ready because every result is starting to matter a little more with each passing week.

As always, if there's a player, team or storyline you'd like to see covered in a future article, don't hesitate to reach out to me at the fields or on social media.

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