Division D1: Midseason Reviews Begin feat. Xavier Couture & Antoine Clément
As we enter one of the quieter stretches of the schedule, it's the perfect opportunity to take a step back and evaluate how each team has performed through the first half of the season. With only two games played last week and four more on the schedule for Week 7, the playoff race is beginning to take shape as every point becomes more valuable.
Over the next two weeks, I'll be breaking down every team in Division D1 while also hearing directly from some of the players about their season so far, what's been working and what they expect over the final stretch. Let's get right into these midseason reviews.
Snowdon Deli Degens (5-0, 30.2pts for, 22.4pts allowed)
Overall Grade: A
MVP: Lewis Epstein
Another season, another strong start for Snowdon Deli Degens. This core has spent several years near the top of Division D and they're clearly determined to erase the disappointment of last season's championship loss.
At 5-0, they've done exactly what was expected. The interesting part, though, is that several of their wins have been much closer than in previous seasons, showing that the rest of Division D1 is slowly closing the gap. Even so, Adam Malinoff continues to be one of the division's premier quarterbacks and Lewis Epstein is once again producing at an elite level on both sides of the ball. Their biggest test of the season comes this Sunday when my Junior XL Special Ed. team puts its undefeated record on the line against them. It'll be a great measuring stick for both teams and could end up being a preview of something we'll see again later in the season.
Pacemakers (4-2, 33.3pts for, 31.4pts allowed)
Overall Grade: B
MVP: Justin White
I got an up-close look at Pacemakers in Week 1 when my team intercepted Jason Rossie three times for pick-sixes. I knew that performance wasn't representative of the team they actually were and they've certainly proven that over the past month.
Outside of that 36-18 loss to us, Pacemakers have scored at least 40 points in every game. They've developed into one of the most explosive offences in Division D1 and are capable of putting pressure on anyone they face. The bigger concern remains the defensive side of the ball. They've surrendered quite a few points throughout the season and without Justin White, those numbers could be even worse. White continues to be one of the best two-way players in the division and his ability to create turnovers and make impact plays will be critical if Pacemakers want to make a deep playoff run.
Ball Hawks (3-3, 24.3pts for, 24pts allowed)
Overall Grade: B-
MVP: Rayray Franklin & Jerry Beauboeuf
Seeing Ball Hawks with someone other than Richie Mondesir at quarterback has taken some getting used to. Richie has been the face of this offence for years, so handing the keys over to Xavier Couture was always going to come with a learning curve.
Couture admitted the adjustment wasn't just difficult for himself, but for the entire offence.
"La transition de QB a vraiment été dure dans les deux premiers matchs. Moi et Richie avons un playbook complètement différent et des ajustements différents, donc les receveurs et moi-même avons pris un peu de temps avant d'être vraiment sur la même longueur d'ondes."
That showed early as Ball Hawks opened the season 0-2. Since then, however, they've looked like a completely different football team, winning three straight before narrowly falling to Snowdon Deli Degens.
For Couture, the turnaround started on the defensive side.
"Notre réussite des trois derniers matchs a vraiment été grâce à notre défense qui a step up et effectué beaucoup plus de stops que dans les matchs précédents."
The offence is still developing chemistry, something Couture believes will continue to improve. Unfortunately, Ball Hawks now enter a month-long break, making that process a little more difficult.
"Nous avons une pause d'un mois sans match donc j'espère qu'on va réussir à garder cette chimie malgré la longue pause."
Looking ahead, Couture already has one matchup circled.
"Le match que j'attends le plus est celui contre Junior XL Special Ed. que je trouve la meilleure équipe restante à affronter."
As the captain of Junior XL, I appreciate the compliment and I can honestly say it's one of the games I'm looking forward to the most as well.
When discussing team MVPs, Couture split the honours between Rayray Franklin and Jerry Beauboeuf.
"Le joueur par excellence en attaque est Rayray Franklin et en défense Jerry Beauboeuf. Pour assurer une place en séries, je pense que Pierre Augusma est le coéquipier qu'on devra compter le plus."
Franklin continues to lead the offence with six receiving touchdowns while Beauboeuf has anchored one of the team's strongest stretches defensively. Couture also highlighted Pierre Augusma as someone who could play a major role down the stretch. With four games remaining, Ball Hawks likely need to win out if they want to comfortably secure a playoff berth.
Studz (3-4, 34.7pts for, 37.2pts allowed)
Overall Grade: B-
MVP: Philippe Gélinas
When I saw Studz sitting at 3-4, I honestly did a double take. Philippe Gélinas is still under center, so I expected this team to once again be near the top of the standings. After speaking with star receiver Antoine Clément, though, it became clear that this isn't quite the same Studz team we've seen over the past few seasons.
"Nous avons présentement une saison plutôt difficile avec plusieurs nouveaux joueurs. Donc je dirais qu'on essaye de partager notre expérience avec les nouveaux joueurs pour qu'on soit en mesure de retourner sur une fiche gagnante."
Despite the changes, the offence hasn't been the problem. Studz is still averaging nearly 35 points per game and Clément is putting together another outstanding season after carrying over the momentum from the winter.
"Je dirais qu'il s'agit d'un mélange de bon jeu de mon quart-arrière et des ouvertures en défensive. Sortant d'une bonne saison en hiver, je voulais continuer sur ma lancée."
The bigger concern has been on the defensive side of the ball. Giving up over 37 points per game isn't a recipe for success in Division D1 and that's ultimately what's putting their playoff streak in jeopardy.
With only three games remaining, Clément knows the urgency has arrived.
"Avec une autre défaite, on ressent encore plus l'urgence de faire les séries. Avec plusieurs saisons consécutives à se tailler une place, il serait très décevant de les manquer."
When I asked him about the team's MVP, there wasn't much hesitation.
"Selon moi, c'est clairement Philippe Gélinas, notre quart-arrière. Il est le pilier de notre équipe et mes performances ne seraient pas aussi impressionnantes sans lui. Cependant, plusieurs autres joueurs contribuent aussi à rester compétitif."
It's hard to disagree. Gélinas currently leads the division in passing yards and touchdown passes and is my frontrunner for Quarterback of the Year. If Studz can tighten things up defensively, their offence is explosive enough to beat anyone in this division. The margin for error, though, is almost gone.
No Flag Zone (2-3, 22.2pts for, 27.8pts allowed)
Overall Grade: C+
MVP: Hermes Zepeda
For No Flag Zone, the biggest issue has been putting points on the scoreboard. Defensively, they've actually been respectable, sitting in the top half of the division in points allowed. The problem is the offence hasn't been able to consistently reward that effort.
Natan Girouard-Langlois has protected the football fairly well, but a completion percentage under 50% has led to too many empty possessions. Even in games where opponents have been held under 30 points, No Flag Zone has only managed one victory. The good news is they still have five games remaining, giving them more opportunities than several teams around them. The challenge is that many of those opponents can score in bunches. Unless No Flag Zone finds another level offensively, it'll be difficult to climb back into the playoff picture despite the defence giving them opportunities to stay competitive.
Nighthawks (2-3, 30.2pts for, 27.8pts allowed
Overall Grade: B-
MVP: Fabrice Robillard
Nighthawks almost feel like the opposite of No Flag Zone. Their offence has been one of the better units in Division D1, but the defence has struggled to consistently get stops. One of the biggest positives has been Fabrice Robillard. In previous seasons, turnovers were sometimes the biggest criticism of his game. This year, he's been outstanding. With just one interception thrown all season and a completion percentage approaching 70%, he's playing the most efficient football of his FPF career.
Eliav Ari has also made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, already recording nine sacks. Unfortunately, the secondary hasn't been able to capitalize often enough. The defence sits near the bottom of the division in interceptions while also ranking in the lower half of points allowed. They're right on the edge of playoff contention and certainly have enough offensive firepower to compete with anyone. If the defence can start creating more takeaways over the final stretch, Nighthawks could quickly become one of the tougher teams to face in the postseason.
No Punt Intended (0-4, 19.2pts for, 28.2pts allowed)
Overall Grade: C-
MVP: Geoff Graham
After an underwhelming season in Division 5A, No Punt Intended returned looking for a fresh start. Unfortunately, the results haven't changed much.
To their credit, the offence has shown signs of improvement over the last two games, but that progress has come at the expense of the defensive side of the ball, with opponents taking advantage more frequently. Michael Khazaka has struggled to find consistency, completing just 43.4% of his passes. In a division where offensive efficiency is so important, that's made sustaining drives extremely difficult. The talent is still there. Mathieu Khazaka, Geoff Graham and even my own teammate Ryan Vanslet are all capable of making big plays and keeping the offence moving. Graham has been one of the league's top ballhawks defensively, sitting near the top of the division in interceptions.
At this point, making the playoffs will be an uphill battle, but there's still value in building momentum. If the offence can continue improving while Graham helps elevate the defence, No Punt Intended can at least finish the season playing much better football than their record currently suggests.
Closing Remarks
As we hit the midpoint of the Division D1 season, I'd like to thank Xavier Couture and Antoine Clément for taking the time to answer my questions and share their thoughts on how their teams have navigated the first half of the schedule. It's always great to get the players' perspectives and better understand what's happening behind the numbers.
With several teams having a lighter schedule over the next week, it's the perfect opportunity to reflect before the playoff race really heats up. Every game from here on out will carry more importance as teams battle for one of the eight postseason spots and begin building momentum for August.
Next week, I'll continue the Division D1 midseason reviews by breaking down more teams and highlighting more players who have stood out through the first half of the season. As always, if you'd like your team or a teammate featured in a future article, don't hesitate to reach out.