Division E1: Veterans Set the Standard feat. Garner Ross & Vincent Demers
Last week, we kicked off the Division E1 midseason reviews as we entered the quieter stretch of the FPF season. Week 6 featured only three games, while Week 7 has been just as light with one matchup postponed because of the rain, one game played Sunday evening and two more set for Monday night. With another quiet week on the schedule, it's the perfect opportunity to continue taking a closer look at the teams and hear from some players about what's fueled their success through the first half of the season.
TuneSquad (6-0, 31.8pts for, 20.3pts allowed)
Overall Grade: A
MVP: Charles Presser
Not only are they undefeated, but they've done it against some of the division's toughest competition. Three of their six wins have come against teams currently sitting in the top five, with another major test against Armed Robbery taking place Monday night.
When I spoke with quarterback Garner Ross, he credited the team's success to something much bigger than talent.
"I think the biggest reason for our success so far is our experience. We've been playing in FPF for many years. Last year we split into two teams, but this season we decided to come back together. At the end of the day, we're just having a great time playing with our friends, and I think that's really been the key."
That chemistry has been evident every time TuneSquad takes the field. This isn't a group that was put together overnight. It's a core of friends that have spent years playing together, and now they're enjoying one of the best starts in team history.
Despite the undefeated record, Ross knows there's still plenty of work ahead, beginning with Monday's showdown against Armed Robbery.
"Armed Robbery is a really good team. Speaking from a quarterback perspective, Mike is having a fantastic season. One of the keys will be trying to slow him down as much as we can. Their defense is really good too, but FPF is an offensive league, so if we can get a stop or two, that'll make a big difference. After that, it's pedal to the metal. We can't let up just because we've had a good start. Every team in this division can win, so we need to bring the same effort every single week."
I completely agree. The schedule eases up after Monday's matchup, but Division E1 isn't a division where anyone can afford to take a week off. One thing I'd like to see from TuneSquad heading into the playoffs is generating a few more takeaways. Their defense has been outstanding, but forcing extra turnovers could separate them even further once games become tighter in August.
The other storyline surrounding TuneSquad is that, despite years of success together, this group has never captured an FPF championship. Ross knows how difficult summer seasons can become once vacations start affecting rosters, so while the ultimate goal is obvious, he's trying not to look too far ahead.
"We definitely want to win a championship. We've come close before but haven't been able to finish it off. At the same time, summer seasons are tough because vacations happen and guys miss games. Right now, we're really just focused on having fun. We do this to spend time with our friends every week. I'd be lying if I said winning a championship wouldn't be a nice reward for all these years together, but that's not our only focus."
Ross himself is putting together one of the best quarterback seasons of his career, completing just over 70% of his passes while throwing 22 touchdowns compared to only two interceptions. With so many playmakers around him, though, he was quick to spread the credit before naming his team MVP.
"It's so tough because we have so many talented players, but if I had to choose one, it'd probably be my guy Chaz Presser. He does everything for us and never takes a snap off. On offense, he's the engine of our receiving corps, making big catches in key moments. On defense, he plays outside corner and does it extremely well. Arno's been outstanding at safety, Alex has made a huge difference, Jesse's having a great season and Justin has been an underrated piece as our rusher. Everybody contributes, but if I had to pick one, it'd be Chaz."
It's hard to argue with that choice. Presser continues to be one of the league's most complete players, making difficult catches, turning short gains into explosive plays and anchoring one of the division's top defenses alongside Ben Arnovitz.
If TuneSquad can get through Monday still undefeated, they'll be in firm control of the race for the number one seed. More importantly, they'll put themselves in an excellent position to finally accomplish the one thing this group has been chasing together for years: an FPF championship.
South Shore Crashouts (5-1, 25.5pts for, 21.5pts allowed)
Overall Grade: A-
MVP: Mathis Pilon
Outside of a tough loss to TuneSquad without Mathis Pilon in the lineup, South Shore Crashouts have been nearly flawless. That game alone showed just how important Pilon is to this team. To be fair, it wasn't just his absence that hurt them. Thomas Côté was the only regular starter available, making it difficult to judge that performance too harshly. Hopefully, that was simply a one-off and the full roster will be back together for the remainder of the season.
Pilon continues to be the frontrunner for another Defensive Player of the Year award and has the ability to change a game with a single play. With four games remaining, it'll be interesting to see if anyone can slow down South Shore Crashouts before the playoffs. They still have challenging matchups against Airs and Armed Robbery, two games that should provide a good indication of where they stand before the postseason begins.
Underdogs (4-2, 28.3pts for, 20.2pts allowed)
Overall Grade: A-
MVP: Hubert Noel
Both of Underdogs' losses have come against teams currently above them in the standings, TuneSquad and South Shore Crashouts, so there's certainly no reason to panic. Whether it's Quentin Leduc or Noël under center, the offense has continued to find its rhythm. Mathis Cousineau has been the team's most consistent receiver, while Noël continues to impact games on both sides of the ball.
This is a young, athletic group that's only going to keep improving. Hed Losthy may not be the tallest player on the field, but his speed and ability to high-point the football will leave opponents wondering how he came down with it as he leads the team with 4 INTs. With upcoming matchups against Airs and Armed Robbery, Underdogs will have another opportunity to prove they belong among the division's contenders. They're a team I wouldn't want to face once the playoffs begin.
Practice Squad III (3-4, 19.1pts for, 22.9pts allowed)
Overall Grade: B-
MVP: Charles Perreault
A player I've talked about a lot in this division is Vincent Demers, who I believe is one of the best rushers in the lower divisions. I genuinely think he has the ability to rush in higher divisions and every time he gets that opportunity, he delivers.
When I asked Demers what advice he would give to newer rushers, he immediately focused on one thing: staying under control.
« Je pense que l'erreur que je vois le plus souvent chez les nouveaux rushers est de ne pas arriver en contrôle. Ils courent à pleine vitesse essayant d'enlever le flag du QB le plus rapidement possible. C'est dans ce genre de situation que le quart-arrière peut facilement éviter le rusher et avoir un temps immense pour lancer le ballon ou lui donner l'occasion de courir. »
He also believes too many rushers get caught chasing highlight plays.
« Je conseille aussi au rusher de sauter ou de plonger le moins possible. Le nombre de fois que j'ai vu une passe rabattue par un saut du rusher est probablement dix fois plus petit que le nombre de fois que j'ai vu un rusher se retrouver huit verges en arrière du QB après avoir sauté dans le vide. Continuer de suivre le QB est souvent le bon choix. À la première feinte de celui-ci, le rusher est prêt pour lui enlever son flag. »
For more experienced rushers, Demers believes that's when situational awareness separates the good from the great.
« Pour un rusher avec plus d'expérience, prendre conscience de la situation et observer les tendances est ce qui fait sortir un rusher du lot. C'est dans ces moments-là que le rusher peut prendre des risques. Bref, garder son contrôle est le plus important et, une fois en contrôle, prendre des risques calculés dans des situations importantes sont mes conseils. »
Watching Demers rush, that's exactly what stands out. He's patient, disciplined and rarely puts himself out of position. With 11 sacks already this season, it's hard to argue with that philosophy.
Back to Practice Squad III, though, the 3-4 record is a little concerning considering the experience on this roster. Even Demers admitted the season has been tougher than expected, but he believes the team's culture has allowed everyone to stay together through the ups and downs.
« Je pense que la force de la culture de cette équipe est le fait que c'est une culture d'équipe et non individualiste. Tout le monde dans l'équipe veut gagner, mais il n'y a pas d'arguments sur le temps de jeu, la position à laquelle les joueurs jouent et personne pointe des coéquipiers du doigt quand une erreur peut arriver. »
That chemistry didn't happen overnight.
« Sept joueurs sur neuf sont des joueurs qui sont allés au même secondaire et le reste sont des gars qu'on connaît depuis plusieurs années. Nous connaissons les forces et les limites de chaque joueur ainsi que les personnalités de chacun. Malgré certaines rotations de joueurs de saison en saison, nous sommes une équipe bien soudée et qui a du plaisir à venir jouer au flag, bon temps, mauvais temps. »
When I asked Demers about the toughest quarterback he's ever had to rush, he admitted mobile quarterbacks are always the biggest challenge.
« J'ai tendance à me préparer mentalement quand je joue contre des quarts-arrière mobiles. Mais c'est souvent dans ces parties que je domine le plus. J'ai souvent un avantage de vitesse contre les quarts-arrière adverses, mais il y en a un qui me donne toujours du fil à retordre : Kenny Boutilier. Je crois qu'en ligne droite je peux le battre de vitesse, mais avant de faire ses feintes, il ne donne aucun indice sur la direction où il va aller. J'ai souvent eu l'air d'un amateur face à lui. »
He also brought up another memorable duel.
« La saison dernière, j'ai affronté Félix Déry-Bernard. J'ai eu une bonne performance, mais cette fois-là je n'avais pas un avantage athlétique et je suis très heureux qu'il ne court pas dans ma division cette saison. »
Despite the slower start, Practice Squad III still controls its own playoff destiny. Winning at least two of its final three games will likely be crucial to securing a playoff berth.
When discussing the team MVP, Demers immediately highlighted Charles Perreault.
« Notre début de saison est en effet plus difficile qu'espéré. Mais un joueur qui, à mon avis, a eu un grand impact cette saison est Charles Perreault. C'est sa deuxième saison complète de flag football et je crois qu'il a pris son envol. Il amène un aspect que nous n'avions pas dans l'équipe, un receveur de grande taille qui peut être utilisé pour attaquer verticalement. »
He also credits Perreault's basketball background for making him such a dangerous target.
« Avec son parcours de joueur de basketball, il est en mesure d'aller chercher les ballons à leur plus haut point, nous donnant souvent l'avantage contre la majorité des DBs. Des bonnes performances de Charles et du reste de l'équipe seront donc primordiales pour la course aux séries avec seulement huit équipes qui se qualifient. »
Perreault has certainly lived up to that praise. He leads the team with seven touchdowns and has become the vertical threat this offense was missing. If he and the rest of Practice Squad III can finish the regular season strong, they'll be a difficult matchup for any higher seed once the playoffs begin.
Head Tops Only (0-6, 20.5pts for, 25.8pts allowed)
Overall Grade: C-
MVP: Zachary Linhares
It's very surprising to see Head Tops Only sitting at 0-6. Yes, this is still a relatively young team, but they've now been together in FPF for a few seasons. Alessandro Storto appears to have taken a step back after the strong Spring 2025 season he put together, while the core of the roster remains intact with players like Zachary Linhares, Dino Perillo and William Cipolla.
They've certainly had their share of tough opponents, but they've also faced teams where I expected them to be much more competitive. The 32-point loss to Sans Pression was especially surprising given the talent on this roster. While they're all but officially eliminated from playoff contention, I hope the final three games better reflect the potential I've seen from this group in previous seasons. They close the month against Shonuff, and there's a real possibility both teams will be battling for their first win of the season. It won't change the standings much, but it would be a positive way for one of these young teams to end a difficult summer.
Closing Remarks
A big thank you to Garner Ross and Vincent Demers for taking the time to answer my questions and share their perspectives on both TuneSquad and Practice Squad III. It's always great hearing from players who have been around FPF for several years and getting a better understanding of what has made their teams successful both on and off the field.
Next week, we'll wrap up the final batch of Division E1 midseason reviews before turning our attention toward the individual award races and the playoff push. As always, if you'd like your team or a teammate featured in a future article, don't hesitate to reach out.