Division 5B: Proven Grounds Prior to Week 2

Hey everyone, for those who don’t know me, my name is Keyon Cyrus and I’ll be writing the articles for Division 5B. I also play on the McGill Swim Team so there is a chance you will play me throughout the season. With Division 5 having over 60 teams, there was a needed split between three sub-divisions and we have come down to 22 teams attempting to win 5B by the end of the playoffs. The majority of teams here are returning from 2025, whether it’s from the Winter, Spring or Fall season. Even though a lot of teams are on the younger scale in this division, there’s still plenty of veteran players and teams still wanting to make an impact. With only 12 teams in action in Week 1, things will pick up as early as Week 2.

What I have for this week is that I contacted each captain in this division to ask what are their expectations of their team this year and is there a player on their team that should get more recognition for their skills on the field. I apologize as this was last minute but for the teams who didn’t get back to me on time, I chimed in on my thoughts on their respective teams. Let’s go through each team below with them all answering the following questions:

1. What are your expectations of the team this season? 

2. Who on the team do you think is an underrated player on the field that teams in the division or the league should take notice of?

3. Which game on your schedule is circled on your team’s calendar and why?

Division 5B Teams:

Chomedey Chodes

Per Matthew Bottazzi, “I think we’ll be a top 10 team in the league. An underrated player on our roster is Brock Zwicker—he has a lot of potential and I think he’ll see more targets this year. The game we’re most excited for is against PSTM. We all went to the same school and know each other, so it should be a great game.”

Puff Puff Pass

For Puff Puff Pass, making the jump to 5B from Tier 5 isn’t as easy as it sounds. Being competitive and even a fringe playoff team I believe would be considered a success for this newer team in the division. An underrated player I find on this team is Austin Yazbek MacDonald. I’ve watched him play in Tier 5 last season and his speed can be a complimentary piece alongside veteran Kevin Donnet to open up the field for the offence. A game on their schedule that I would schedule is against Swiffer WetJets as I find that the styles of these teams are vastly different and would be a good test for Puff Puff Pass.

Chateauguay Community College

I think after an abysmal 0-10 record in 4b last Winter, CCC is in the right division to compete. I can see this team finishing 5-5 or better as long as they can find continuity early in the season. A player to watch is Hugo André. Being near the top of his team in tackles last season, André can continue that with more of a role on offence this season. A game to watch will be their regular season finale against We Ain't Done With the 90’s as it might have playoff implications and for being the runner-ups in 6a last season, can be a good test when it matters most.

Empereurs retraités

For Empereurs retraités, I can see this season either going positive or negative depending on the roster they bring throughout the season. I’ve played against this team last summer and with their full team, can put up points. However, they have also shown to have tough seasons without their main pieces. A player to look out for is William Langlais as he has a strong Winter 2026 season however, not the greatest Spring 2025 season. I believe he can get back into form with a full season with his squad. A game to mark down would be against TD Blitz as in Winter 2025, Empereurs retraités lost that matchup 33-6. Even though TD Blitz have a new QB this season, it will remain to be seen if it will lead to the same results.

Swiffer WetJets

I expect a big jump with Swiffer WetJets that include perhaps a deeper playoff run than past seasons. A team who hasn't gotten past the divisional round yet should be hungry to make noise where it matters most. Who I have as an underrated player is Anthony Lucia. I’ve played against him in both seasons he’s played and he’s an athletic player who understands the simplicities of flag which he uses for his ability to create space. A game to mark down for Swiffer WetJets is CATCH & FLEX due to the mix of IQ and athletic ability this team has. I believe this game has the potential to be a game of the year candidate.

McGill Swim Team

Per Vaughn Vanslet, “Obviously, the goal is always a championship, but this is only our third season together and we’re still figuring out how we click on both sides of the ball. If we can build on last season and have more playoff success, that would be a huge win for us. We’re a team of dawgs. No real football backgrounds, but as rugby players, we’re tough, mentally strong, and physically capable of competing at a high level. Two guys I think are going to have big seasons are Kyle Shibata and Arnaud Bernard. They’ve only played one and two seasons respectively, but their improvement with and without the ball is real—Arnaud’s route running and Kyle’s speed get overlooked, and I think they’re going to shock the division. As for games we’ve circled, the real one isn’t scheduled yet—the finals. That said, there are a few matchups against familiar teams that mean more, whether it’s teams that have beaten us before or neighbourhood friends. We approach every game the same way, though some just come with a bit more trash talk.”

We Ain’t Done With The 90’s

Per Jamie Ojeaha, “I expect us to be a top team in the division. After having a full season together and being fairly successful, anything short of a playoff run would be disappointing. An underrated player on our team is our rusher, Kody Rodgers. He has limitless potential and, for someone who was new to flag just last winter, he keeps improving game by game. The game we’ve circled is the season opener against the Chomedey Chodes. We were both top teams in Div 6a last winter, it was a high-intensity matchup, and I expect the same kind of game this time around.”

Jamaican Bobsled Team

Per Giulio Scarpetta, “Our goal this season is to finally get over the hump and win our first playoff game. From there, it’s about taking things one game at a time. We’ve got some absolute studs on the roster, including reigning Division F DPOY Roberto Picciola, but as a team we’re expecting a big breakout from Kosta Moskiou on both sides of the ball. His impact hasn’t always shown up in the stats, and with his position change this season, I expect him to step into a WR1 role. There isn’t one specific team circled on our schedule—we’re excited to face new teams and prove to ourselves that we can compete with anyone.”

TD Blitz

Per Khaled Saadi, “The expectation for us is to make the playoffs and build better team chemistry. We started the season on a good note and plan to keep it going. An underrated player on our team is Nico (Nicolas Monaco)—he has a lot of talent and really solid route running. Honestly, every team we’re playing is solid, and we’re excited for all of them… including you guys coming up next.”

Demons

Per Neil Wright, “Our expectations are zero—we expect nothing and earn everything we put on the field. That said, 5B has some real Demon football coming its way. The Demons haven’t been the same since Quang Le went down with an ACL tear in summer 2025, but he’ll be back mid-season and he’s an underrated piece of our short defensive game. The matchup we’ve got circled is Mangeux de Beignes. They’re a great squad with a lot of talent, but we’ve lost to them twice by one score, including the quarterfinals last year, and we’re definitely looking for our get-back.”

South Shore Crashouts

Per Mathis Pilon, “The goal this season is simple: a championship. Benjamin Albert stands out as the best rusher in the division, and the matchup we’re most looking forward to is against Deep Zone Penetrators, especially with players like Nicolas Jody eager to test their skills.”

PSTM

The winners of the first Division F championship are competing in Division 5b after 2 seasons but I think this team will be one of the lower seed playoff teams due to the higher competition in this division. Not to say they can’t do well but I think playing against more experienced teams can cause trouble for PSTM in certain matchups. An underrated player who I think should get more recognition is Julian Salvatore. Being the rusher of this team, he’s consistently at the top of the division in sacks and if he can continue to produce as one of the top rushers while being a solid receiver, it can allow PSTM to win even more games. The matchup against Chomedey Chodes will always be great as players on both teams know each other for years and it’s always a fun game when those circumstances occur.

Angry Birds

Per Domenico Manno, “The expectation is always to compete for a championship, and we’re excited to be playing in a higher division. Tristan “TJ” Koutsoumbas deserves more love—he’s an underrated rusher in this league and can also be a reliable wide receiver on offense. The game I’m looking forward to most is against the McGill Swim Team. We had a tight playoff game last year and lost on the final play, so I’m definitely looking forward to throwing some TDs on Keyon Cyrus’ head.”

Les Mangeux de Beignes

Per Xavier Delisle, “We lost a few good players from last year who couldn’t be part of Mangeux de Beignes this season, but we’ve added some excellent athletes, which is why expectations are still high. We’re taking it one game at a time, but the championship is definitely in our sights. Guillaume Raeppel is someone to watch—he’s fast, explosive, and will be our rusher this year while also being a key receiver on offense. I think he’s set for a big second season. As for pressure games, we treat every matchup the same. The main goal each week is to have fun together as a team.”

Rampage

As this is a new team for the most part, it’s hard to say where I can see this team finish. Based on the players that have FPF experience, unless Rampage has a QB who is confident and can fit right into 5b, it’s tough to see this team with any expectations as I have no idea how they play as a group. I would say to look out for is Dernst DuBuisson-Desmornes. In his earlier days of FPF, he was a solid rusher and it’s unclear whether he is rushing but regardless, can use his experience to help this team on defence. A game to mark down I would say is Demons as I think that a veteran team of younger players can test whether Rampage is a team that can make playoffs.

P.I Central

Per Nelson Massa-Norville, “The expectation this season is to make a playoff push. We’re a new team, but we grew up together, so it’s really just about getting that click. An underdog who deserves more credit is our QB, Jeffrey Medeiros. He subbed for us in D3 last year and put up solid numbers in his first game in the league, so I definitely see him as that guy. The game we’ve circled is against Chomedey Chodes—we played them last fall and didn’t like how that game went. We feel like we can get it done much more efficiently this time around.”

CATCH & FLEX

Per Standly Williams, “The expectation is simple: raise our standard every week. We’re building a disciplined, fast, and competitive group that executes, finishes drives, and closes games. If we stay healthy, accountable, and true to our identity, we’ll be in a position to contend when it matters. Alex O’Neil is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. This is his fourth season at quarterback, and his growth has been real. Every offseason we break down his game, identify weaknesses, and he attacks them head-on. His command of the offense, decision-making, and leadership have all taken major steps, and he deserves a lot more recognition. The McGill Swim Team game is definitely circled. I’ve played with some of those guys before and know how competitive and detail-oriented they are—it’s a real measuring-stick matchup and should be a great game.”

The Perplexors

I think this team has plenty of FPF experience which can sneakily be a playoff team that can make a run. I think an underrated player is Brandon Kerr and even after his best season last season in Tier 4, I think he can have a better season with The Perplexors. A game to look at for this team would be against CATCH & FLEX as this game will be involving several players of the Briscoe Hawks team from Tier 4 last season which can be a fun one.

Bend Don’t Break

Per Dominic Weidner, “After making the finals last season with a 5–5 regular-season record, the expectation is to have a stronger and more complete regular season. More than anything, we want to build on our playoff success and win the championship. There are a lot of strong teams in the league, and we’re excited for the challenge. A few players I think are really underrated are Jonah Lazarovitz, Josh Notte, and Arden Finkelstein. Jonah is a true Swiss Army knife who can play anywhere and take over a game on both sides of the ball. Josh is a strong two-way player who, if healthy all season, can be a league leader in sacks and is one of the toughest players to bring down. Arden is arguably the most important piece of our defense—our numbers with and without him speak for themselves, and he’s always making plays on the ball. The game we’ve circled is against the McGill Swim Team. We’ve faced many of their players before, it’s the closest thing we have to a rivalry, and we know it’ll be a fun and competitive matchup.”

Deep Zone Penetrators

With a team mixed with some FPF experience and new players, it’s another team that I find it depends on the skill level of their main skill positions. A player to watch for is QB Samuel Langlais. In his only season as QB in Co-Ed 2, he didn’t do bad but there was work to be done. If he can sharpen his skills, maybe this team can make a post-season berth. A game to watch for them can be against Jamaican Bobsled Team as I think these two teams can be evenly matched for a solid game.

7eleven

Per Marc-Andre Côté, “We’re pretty much a team of free agents, and the goal is simply to make the playoffs, taking it one game at a time. An underrated guy for us is our snapper, Marc-Andre Côté—he plays hard and is also a really solid linebacker. For us, every game is circled on the schedule. We know we’ll have to fight hard each week to compete in Division 5b.”

Green Monster Family

Per Patrick Jazon, “The expectation this season is to keep improving and build strong chemistry on the field. An underrated player I’d point to is Kevin Paul-Emile—heart of a lion and someone who will put everything on the line for the team. It’s hard to circle one matchup since most teams are new to us, so we’re just looking forward to each game as it comes.”

Closing Remarks:

This is my first article covering 5B this season, and I want to thank every captain who took the time to respond and share insight on their teams. It’s always better hearing directly from the players, and it really sets the tone for what this division brings. We’re heading into Week 2, and things are just getting started. I’m also playing in this division this season, so I’m looking forward to lining up across from some of you and competing later on. Should be a fun one. 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.