Co-Ed 5v5: Six Burning Questions
Welcome to Week 6. We have officially entered the midway point of the FlagPlus Football regular season. Twelve games down, and seventeen more to go.
The second half of the regular season starts tonight in Brossard with Activated taking on Air Buds, in the first of two meetings between both teams, with the rematched scheduled for Week 9.
Before we get to tonight, let’s look at the top six second half questions that must be answered.
Who will finish in the basement?
In a six-team division, finishing last isn’t the end of the world when every team makes the playoffs, as is the case this season in Co-E 5 v 5. That post-season stay however can be very short depending on who you face in the opening round.
Looking at the current standings, Maple Syrup occupies the last spot due to their (46-25) loss to Activated in Week 3.
This talented team has been involved in close games, as well as both on the receiving and giving end of some blowouts. Their lone win was a (46-19) shellacking of a The IG Team that was missing their starting Quarterback in Jeanslee Alexis.
Assuming both teams maintain their post in the standings, Maple Syrup and Activated will lock horns again in Week 11. The loser of that contest will almost certainly be relegated to last place when the playoffs roll around.
When I look at both teams, there is no question that each has the talent to get out of the basement. The problem with Maple Syrup is that they are consistently inconsistent on both side of the ball. In Week 1 they put up 24 points, while giving up 28. In their next three games they went 46/19, 25/46, and 42/48. That type of play will lead you nowhere fast.
The other problem for Maple Syrup is that they are starting to run out of runway. Activated have only played two games, while the former has already played four times. In short, Maple Syrup will need to start stacking wins before the games in-hand disparity becomes too much to overcome. If they can’t find any consistency soon, I think the team will stay stuck in the basement.
Who do I think will make the Finals?
I have The IG Team taking on Flag Moi D'quoi. Both teams are completely different in their makeup and style of play.
The IG Team are fast, aggressive, and on the attack like a hot knife through butter. Flag Moi D'quoi comes at you more methodically, with a pace looks to attack your weaknesses and take advantage of mistakes.
A lot of attention goes to The IG Team’s three-headed monster of Jeanslee and Jordanson Alexis, along with Gucci Omombo, and rightfully so, as no one in FPF can match their speed, chemistry, and ability to always be around the football.
The females on this team in Heidi Ocana Lynch, Sharlyn Vixamar, and both Victoria and Marika Bouchard have more than held their own when given the opportunity. All four players have showed the same speed, nose for the football, and confidence in what they are doing, just like their male teammates. In short, they have proven that they belong and aren’t afraid of the moment.
When I look at Flag Moi D'quoi, I see another veteran team led by the usual suspects in the Nadeau-Piuze brother, Francois Rocheleau, and JP St-Pierre who have created a true FPF pillar team in Flag Moi L’Sac.
Just like The IG Team, when you look at the females on this squad in Kayla Gauthier, Anouk Benalil, Ève Charbonneau, and Mylene Lariviere, you see players who have played a huge role in the success of team and will continue to do so the rest of the way.
This team is deep, and they are getting contributions from everyone. Winning a championship especially in 5 v 5 is a collective effort, and this team has proven that. It is also the main reason why I think they will make it to the Finals.
Who will finish the regular season in first place?
Right now, the top of the standings has The IG Team in first place. They are tied for points with Air Buds as both have six, but the former holds a dominant (43-12) victory over the latter in Week 3.
Both teams are two points up on Touski and Flag Moi D'quoi. The IG Team have one game in-hand on Air Buds as we hit the halfway point. Keeping that in mind, I still think that Air Buds will finish in first. My main reason for thinking that is because I feel that this is the only squad that can match the athleticism of The IG Team. I mentioned earlier about they type of challenge The IG Team posses. When you look at Quaysie Gordon-Maule, Emma Townsend-Asselin, Emerson Peterkin, Jaylan Greaves, Constance Millaire, Isiah Allard, and Rachel Shea, this lineup doesn’t lack speed, length, or a nose for the football either.
Winners of three in a row, this team has a chance to extend their streak as they take on Activated twice and have a meeting with Maple Syrup in the middle. I think they win at least two of those games.
Can Touski bounce back?
They started the season off with two big wins over Flag Moi D'quoi and Activated. The first one was a shootout (56-52) and the other had a little less fireworks but was still an exciting (36-33) contest.
Since then, it has all gone downhill, as Touski has been on the receiving end of back-to-back blowouts. First, they got hammered (55-24) by Air Buds, then last Tuesday in a game I score kept, they were easily beaten (40-0) by The IG Team. In fairness to Touski, there were a few blown calls in the latter loss, but not enough to change the outcome of the game.
Touski was without the services of Quarterback William Trottier in those two defeats. As you can see, their offense was humming with him as it averaged 45.5 points per game, and just 12 without him. Assuming he returns to the lineup soon, I expect to see the unit look more like the first two games than the last two.
The schedule monster might make the that hard, as they only have two games in July, this Sunday versus Maple Syrup, then three weeks later against the IG Team before three in seven days in the month of August as they take on Flag Moi D'quoi, Maple Syrup, and Air Buds.
Are Air Buds better off with Emerson Peterkin at Quarterback?
Since team Captain and regular starting Quarterback Jeff Rosenblatt injured the thumb on his throwing hand versus Flag Moi D'quoi in Week 4, the veteran passer has been relaced by Emerson Peterkin. Since the move, the team has gone a perfect (2-0). The offense has seen a spark, as they went from averaging 23 points a game under Rosenblatt, to nearly 51.5 PPG with Peterkin behind Snapper, including a season-high 55 in their (55-24) win ver Touski in Week 5.
Both Quarterbacks are entirely dissimilar players that bring completely different skill sets to the position. The duo are team players who have won championships in this league in various divisions. The adage that you shouldn’t lose your spot to injury will probably hold true, especially when consider that this is a league where you pay money to play. Keeping that in mind, we can’t just ignore what Peterkin has done, going 39 of 46 for 469 yards 15 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a completion percentage of 83.9% in his two starts.
When Rosenblatt does return, should we expect to see a bit more of the uber athletic and talented Peterkin taking a few more snaps behind Snapper? We will find out shortly.
Can Activated climb the standings?
Through no faut of their own, they have only played two games so far. Due to that scheduling quirk, they will find themselves playing six games in July, including four over an 11-day span. This is a fairly young team, with the majority under the age of 30, so the amount shouldn’t be too hard on the joints, but that still is a lot of football over a shot span.
Assuming the team can get over the hump unscathed and with a winning record, they will set themselves up nicely for the stretch run of the regular season, as they take on The IG Team, and have a make-up game versus Touski from Week 4 to close out the campaign.
This is the ultimate control your own destiny because of games in-hand scenario. Activated could finish as high as first, and as low as last. I think they end up exactly in the middle, third place.
Picks
Activated vs Air Buds – Air Buds
Last Week: (1-2)
Regular Season: (2-3)
Upset Special: (0-1)
That is it for this week. Good luck to all the teams in their games tonight 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.