Division A: The Second Half Starts Now

By Keyon Cyrus

Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 01:25 UTC

With Division A on a break this week, it's the perfect opportunity to take a step back and evaluate how each team has performed through the first half of the season. While there won't be any FPF games this weekend, the action certainly doesn't stop.

The Senior Flag Football National Championships are taking place this weekend, and several Division A players will be representing their provinces in one of the highest levels of 5v5 flag football in Canada. I'd like to wish all of them the best of luck throughout the tournament. We'll be back to Division A action next week, but for now, let's dive into these midseason team reviews.

Braves (4-1, 37.6pts for, 29.8pts allowed)

Overall Grade: A

MVP: Gabriel-Charles Dabe Champagne

It should come as no surprise that the standard of flag football in FPF is once again sitting at the top of Division A. With only five teams in the division this season, everyone is becoming even more familiar with one another, making every matchup feel like a chess match. Even with several players unavailable throughout the first half due to Team Canada commitments, injuries and summer obligations, Braves continue to find ways to remain among the league's elite.

The recent loss to Fins Up certainly caught some people by surprise, but if history has taught us anything, it's that the regular season isn't what defines the Braves. Year after year, they're the team that's still standing when the championship is on the line. Until someone proves otherwise in the playoffs, they're still the team to beat.

At quarterback, the trio of Jo Maheu, Guillaume Beland and Will Trottier has continued to give Braves stability despite the absences. With Trottier sidelined by injury and Beland away representing Team Canada, Maheu has done an excellent job leading the offence. The team has also welcomed new contributors such as Wedens Alexandre and Georges Gariépy to help fill the gaps left by missing players, showing once again the depth this organization has built over the years.

Emile Chateauvert has been the only Brave to appear in every game this season, while Dabe Champagne continues to be one of the team's biggest difference-makers on both sides of the ball. Looking ahead, the question isn't how the Braves will perform during the regular season. The real question is who will be the next team to challenge them when it matters most. Every season someone gets a chance to dethrone the kings of Division A, but until it actually happens, the championship still runs through the Braves.

OneStop (4-1, 31.2pts for, 23pts allowed)

Overall Grade: A

MVP: Charles Cossette

The team many believe has the best chance of knocking off the Braves when it matters most is OneStop. They came within a convert of forcing overtime against the defending champions but couldn't quite get over the hump. Even in defeat, that performance showed they're capable of going toe-to-toe with the division's gold standard.

Michael Caparelli is playing some of the best football of his career and is on pace for one of his most efficient seasons in FPF, especially since making the jump to Division A. The chemistry with his receivers continues to grow, while Charles Cossette has emerged as one of the division's premier two-way players. Tied with Jahnai Lewis for the team lead with five touchdowns while also recording four interceptions, Cossette has been just as valuable on defence as he has on offence.

What has impressed me the most about OneStop this season, though, is the defensive side of the ball. Everyone knows this team can score points with Caparelli under center, but allowing a division-best 23 points per game while leading Division A in interceptions tells me they've taken a tremendous step defensively. Considering the amount of football experience on this roster, it's no surprise they're buying into that side of the game as much as they are offensively.

If OneStop can carry this momentum into the playoffs, they might finally be the team capable of dethroning the Braves. They've already shown they can compete with them. Now it's just a matter of finishing the job when the opportunity presents itself.

EZW (2-3, 29pts for, 27pts allowed)

Overall Grade: B

MVP: Jeremy White

EZW has done an excellent job flipping the script from last season. After finishing last in the winter with a 2-8 record, they've already matched that win total by the halfway point and have been much more competitive across the board. They're currently riding a two-game losing streak against Braves and OneStop, but what's encouraging is that they had legitimate opportunities to win both games with the ball in their hands late. We can't live in a world of hypotheticals, but that's a much different conversation than the one surrounding this team just a few months ago.

Jeremy White continues to be one of the division's top quarterbacks, currently sitting second only to Michael Caparelli in passing yards. The biggest challenge for EZW hasn't necessarily been their play, but rather their availability. Only Théo Cliche, White and JC Ferland have appeared in four games, while no player has suited up for all five contests. That's a tough way to build chemistry in Division A.

Even with the constant lineup changes, EZW has shown it can compete with the division's top teams. The question now is what this roster looks like if everyone is finally available at the same time. If they can get healthy and keep their core together for the second half of the season, they're more than capable of pulling off an upset and creating problems for the teams sitting above them in the standings.

Fins Up (2-3, 28.4pts for, 33.6pts allowed)

Overall Grade: B

MVP: Carl Achy

Two weeks ago, Fins Up and Vultures were battling to see who would pick up their first win of the season. Since then, Fins Up has completely changed the narrative. They first defeated a depleted Vultures squad while also missing several key players of their own, then followed it up by hanging 53 points on the Braves in one of the biggest surprises of the season.

Car Achy put together a statement performance against the defending champions, finishing with five touchdowns on eight receptions while adding an interception on the defensive side. Fins Up's defence also deserves plenty of credit. Yes, Braves were without several regulars, but you can only play the team that's in front of you. Holding an offence led by Jo Maheu, Emile Chateauvert and Louis Pierrecin to 25 points is still an impressive accomplishment. One of the biggest momentum swings came on the second play of the second half when Justin White intercepted Maheu and returned it for a touchdown.

The turnaround didn't begin with the Braves game either. Earlier that week, Fins Up was only one play away from forcing overtime against OneStop, proving that the slow start is firmly behind them. With five games remaining, Fins Up controls its own destiny and currently holds the inside track on the final playoff spot. Vultures will likely need to defeat them in their Week 10 rematch if they hope to leapfrog them in the standings, setting up what could become one of the biggest games of the regular season.

Vultures (0-4, 19.8pts for, 35.8pts allowed)

Overall Grade: C-

MVP: Olivier Joly

While most teams in Division A have taken a step forward since the Winter 2026 season, Vultures have unfortunately gone in the opposite direction. The biggest issue has been availability. Week after week, the roster has looked different and it's made it difficult for the team to build any consistency. The departures of Anthony Brisebois and Daniel Mancini have also been significant, as both were major contributors on offense and defense and helped define this team's identity last season.

Ben McMahon has had a difficult start to the season, but it's important to recognize the circumstances around him. Losing two players like Mancini and Brisebois isn't something you simply replace overnight. Kevin Donnet, who led the division in receiving last winter, is still a dangerous weapon, but the production hasn't been the same. Olivier Joly and Zachary Daigneault-Boisvert have continued to provide steady contributions, while Jeremy Steinberg has been one of the bright spots on the defensive side, leading Division A in sacks.

At this point, it feels like Vultures will need something close to a miracle to make the playoffs. The path is still there, but it likely means overtaking either EZW or Fins Up in the standings. After already losing to both teams once, Vultures will need to win those rematches while rediscovering the identity that made them one of the more dangerous teams in Division A last season. The talent is still there, but the clock is quickly becoming their biggest opponent.

Closing Remarks

As we head into the break, next week's Division A article will shift the focus from team reviews to some of the individual award races. With only five teams in the division, the margins are incredibly thin and there are several players making strong cases for year-end honours. It'll be interesting to see who has separated themselves through the first half of the season and who can make a late push before the playoffs begin.

With no FPF games scheduled this weekend, I'd also like to wish the best of luck to the many Division A players representing their teams at the 2026 Senior Flag Football National Championships, taking place from June 26 to 28 at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal. The tournament features some of the best flag football talent from across Canada competing in the Men's Pro, Women's Pro and Competitive divisions, and Division A will certainly be well represented throughout the weekend.

I'll be there competing as well, so if you're around Montreal and looking to watch some of the highest level of flag football in the country, I'd definitely recommend stopping by. Good luck to everyone competing, and I'll be back next week!