Division E2: 10 Second Half Questions
We are officially at the midway point of the FlagPlus Football Spring Season. Week 6 gets underway Monday night at the Marie-Victorin Complex with [Enter Team Name Here] taking on Molson Import. The action wraps up one night later as Tops'n Tops goes up against Vengeance in Brossard.
Those games will officially kickoff the second half of the regular season. As is the case in every division, teams will be jockeying for playoff position, scoreboard watching, making sure players have a minimum of five games played to be eligible to play in the post-season, and just as important, trying to work out whatever questions or issues they still have.
Before we get to Monday night, I want to look at the 10 biggest second half questions facing teams in Division E2.
1. Can anyone stop the Trailer Park Boys?
Their elite defense and top tier offense are two of the biggest reasons why they are the only undefeated team in the division, as they currently sit at (5-0). Led by 2-Way Player of the Year candidate Antoine Meunier, this team has shown the ability to win tight games which will be an important trait come playoff time.
The only question I have about this team is can their offense light up the scoreboard consistently? The only time they have surpassed the 30-point plateau was when they beat Flag Dealers (42-34) in Week 3. In their defense, they haven’t needed to hit that total too often, as they held their other opponents to 13, 6, 14, and 13 points. Championships are won on the defensive of the ball, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see a shootout or two along the way to the Finals.
With upcoming matchups against [Enter Team Name Here], Vengeance, Robins, No Porkin Around and Illegal Aliens, the Trailer Park Boys might have to step up their offense to keep their perfect record intact.
2. Will Roy Khalil win Quarterback of the Year?
I wrote for Division 6 in the 2024 Winter Season. That coincided with the Flag Dealers first year in FPF. I remember watching this team and both thinking and writing that they had some really good Receivers with the likes of Marc Haddad, Mike Sirhan, and Serge Hayek. I also said that the only thing holding them back was their Quarterback Roy Khalil, as he threw too many interceptions (20), wasn’t very accurate (49.8%) and often folded in crunch time when his squad needed a play. The team finished with a (2-8) record.
Fast forward two years, and while Khalil still has a penchant for interceptions – he has nine through seven games – he has improved on his decision-making, timing and ball placement. The team still has Haddad and Sirhan, but they also added playmakers Eric Hamparsoumian and Michael Hadded to the mix in recent seasons.
Right now, the Flag Dealers sit in second place with a (5-2) record and have the top-scoring offense in the division. Their only losses have come against the undefeated Trailer Park Boys and Illegal Aliens.
If Khalil can add on to his division-leading 1,380 yards and 31 touchdown passes, and his team can maintain their position or perhaps end up in the first, I think Khalil will walk away with the award easily.
3. Will any Quarterback surpass 500 yards rushing?
This is one of the main things I like about writing for lower division, mobile quarterbacks. When I write for Division B and Co-Ed 1, I get to see many passers who have wheels, but the higher the division you go, the less you see QBs use their legs.
At the midway point of the regular season, we have several players who have either surpassed or are near 200 yards rushing in Kyle Martel, Xavier Chalouhi, Kenny Boutillier, Rob White, Antoine Meunier and Emile Descoteaux. Each one has at least four games left on their schedule. When looking at the leader board, Martel leads the way with 302 yards. I think when it is all said and done both Martel and Chalouhi (263) will crack the half century mark.
4. Will the Robins win a game?
I mentioned on the podcast earlier this season that I score kept their game against Still an Inch Short. I said that the Robins have talent, and they do. The team just lacks execution predominantly on the offensive side of the ball and has a problem getting out of their own way at times.
The team currently sits at (0-6), but the cupboard isn’t bare with players like Angelo Mourelatos, Keenan Dezeeuw-Caruth, Julian Pounder, and Daniel Pelli among others.
The Robins are trying to find their way. With games remaining against Illegal Aliens, Trailer Park Boys, Stables and No Porkin Around, their chances of getting that first win doesn’t look great.
Looking at the glass half full the Robins have been playing better football as of late, as two out of their last four losses have been by one possession including a 1-point loss to the second place Flag Dealers. Maybe this team can use their improved play as motivation to catapult them to a victory.
5. Can Devin Kreuzer lead the Stables to a championship?
This talented team fell just short in the Semi-Finals last winter year with David Mather leading them at the game’s most important position.
He was replaced by Devin Kreuzer, who routinely takes over the team in the Spring Season. The transition has been successful so far as he ranks second among passers with 927 yards and is third in touchdowns with 20.
In the games I have seen him play this year, Kreuzer has exhibited a good control of his offense, the ability to make plays with both his arms as well as his feet, a strong rapport with his receivers, and accuracy with the football.
The QB and his team are coming off a tough (32-18) loss to No Porkin Around this past Monday at Marie-Victorin. Kreuzer had his worst game of the year as he finished with a season-high four interceptions. I expect him and the Stables to bounce back, but can they do it enough to take the final two steps that they failed to make last year? We shall see.
6. Who will be the eight teams that qualify for the playoffs?
The first six spots are easy, as I have Trailer Park Boys, Flag Dealers, Tops’n Tops, Stables, Illegal Aliens, and Molson Import. I have seen enough from those teams to be confident in assuming they’ll make the dance.
When I look at spots seven and eight, I am not so sure about No Porkin Around and Vengeance. The former has gone (2-2) over their last four games. That run includes solid wins over Stables and [Enter Team Name Here], but they also have a bad upset loss versus Super Bock, and a tough defeat against Flag Dealers.
Their defense is legit, as they give up an average of 15.7 points per game, are tied for first in interceptions and third in sacks with 13 apiece. They will need the unit to step even more than they have already, because their remaining schedule sees them play Illegal Aliens, Molson Import, and Trailer Park Boys. They do have a game against the Robins sandwiched in there. I don’t see them finishing better than (2-2).
When I look at Vengeance, they are a scrappy team who makes their opponents earn whatever they get, as evidenced by the fact that four out of their six games have been decided by one possession.
I also see a team who benefitted greatly from subpar Quarterback play in their win Tuesday night versus Special Agents, lost to Still an Inch Short, and barely got past both the Robins and Super Bock. The common theme with those four teams is that they are all on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Vengeance who currently sit in eighth should be handling them with ease and not struggling just to get by. Add that on to the fact that they close out the regular season taking on Tops'n Tops, Trailer Park Boys, Flag Dealers and Rosemere Rhino Pills. I don’t like their chances.
I think that both teams will get beaten out by the duo of [Enter Team Name Here] and Super Bock. The former has an elite defense with a ton of playoff experience, while the latter has won two in a row, and has a less daunting remaining schedule as they close with Special Agents, Still an Inch Short, Tops'n Tops and you guessed it, [Enter Team Name Here].
I could be wrong on both picks here, but until I see otherwise, I am standing by what I wrote.
7. Which team will finish with the top defense?
No Porkin Around and Illegal Aliens lead the way with 13 interceptions. The Flag Dealers have 15 sacks, and the Trailer Park Boys have allowed the least number of points with 80. Tops’n Tops sit in the top fifth in both categories, while No Porkin Around, Molson Import and [Enter Team Name Here] sit in second, third and fourth respectfully.
This is one battle that will go down to the last week of the regular season which coincidently enough will see Illegal Aliens take on both Stables and Trailer Park boys, Super Bock go up against [Enter Team Name Here], Flag Dealers versus Molson Import, Tops’n Tops take on Still an Inch Short, and Trailer Park Boys face off with No Porkin Around. The plot thickens.
8. Which team is the biggest sleeper in Division E2?
There are a couple of teams to chose from, but I am going with Molson Import. I am not a big Molson fan (I am more of a Sapporo, Heineken, or Sleeman man) but the team has looked crisp and smooth as of late. They have won two in a row, and three out of their last five overall. Their two losses during that span were to both the Trailer Park Boys and Tops'n Tops by a combined two points.
The team is led by veteran Emile Descoteaux, who has five championships on his resume in higher divisions. Clearly, he knows how to win. Can he lead this squad to the promised land? We will find out shortly.
9. Which top four team is in most danger of being one and done?
The top four teams in order are:
Trailer Park Boys
Flag Dealers
Tops'n Tops
Stables
I was tempted to go Flag Dealers here, but their offense is too powerful. I don’t think the Stables are as good as they were last winter, but I don’t see them getting bounced in the first round. The next question will tell you what I think about the Trailer Park Boys.
That leaves Tops'n Tops. They are currently sitting at (4-1), but when you dig beneath the surface, besides their (51-50) shootout win over Molson Import in Week 2, they haven’t beat anyone of consequence.
If the playoffs started today, they would face No Pokin Around. Tops'n Tops has a top three offense, while NPA has the second ranked defense. That looks like a toss up in my book.
Just to be clear, I am not saying Tops'n Tops will be one and done, I just think out of the current top four teams they have the best chance of going home early.
10. Who do I think will make the Finals?
I have the Finals being a rematch of a Week 11 showdown that will have the Illegal Aliens taking on Trailer Park Boys. The two teams have speed, depth, and playmakers on each side of the ball with players like Adam Chiappetta Chiappetta, Lucas Crivello, Michael Giannini, Xavier Maranda-Levesque, the criminally underrated Jean-Sebastien St-Arneault, and the Meunier brothers. Both squads also have Quarterbacks in Dante Crivello and Antoine Meunier who seemingly improve each game.
There is a lot of football to be played between now and Finals weekend, and things can change, but right now at mid-season, I have the Trailer Park Boys and Illegal Aliens locking horns for the championship. To the other 12 teams that make up the division, please feel free to prove me wrong.
Picks
[Enter Team Name Here] vs Molson Import – Molson Import
Tops'n Tops vs Vengeance – Tops’n Tops (My pick for Game of the Week)
Regular Season: (4-6)
Upset Special (0-1)
That is it for this week. Good luck to everyone in their games next week.
I put up a couple of poll questions on the FPF Facebook page. Go check them out.
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.