Division A: Midseason Award Predictions
We have reached the quiet part of the season, with no Division A games taking place this past week. With the action returning tomorrow evening, it's the perfect time to take a look at the award races.
I'll be honest, this one wasn't easy to put together. A common trend throughout the division has been players missing games, whether due to Team Canada commitments, injuries or availability. With Division A shrinking to just five teams this season, there are also fewer players to nominate compared to previous years. By the end of the regular season, I expect the All-Star Team to be smaller than in years past, making each selection even more meaningful.
Given where things currently stand, let's get into my midseason award predictions.
Quarterback of the Year
|
Name |
Team |
YDS |
TD |
INT |
COMP % |
QBR |
|
Michael Caparelli |
OneStop |
817 |
16 |
3 |
75.5 |
128 |
|
Jeremy White |
EZW |
813 |
18 |
6 |
69.2 |
108 |
|
William Power |
Fins Up |
784 |
16 |
5 |
62.9 |
106 |
|
Jonathan Maheu |
Braves |
453 |
10 |
3 |
81.4 |
121 |
|
Benjamin McMahon |
Vultures |
280 |
5 |
3 |
61.2 |
85 |
The statistics for Jonathan Maheu and Benjamin McMahon come from just three and two games played, respectively. I expect McMahon to be back under center for Vultures for the remainder of the season, but with the team's inconsistent availability, it'll be difficult for him to climb back into this race.
For Maheu, I expect him to remain Braves' primary quarterback while William Trottier continues recovering from his knee injury, even though Trottier looked strong at Nationals.
Looking at the three frontrunners, each has a legitimate case and plenty of football left to strengthen it. At this point, though, I'm predicting Michael Caparelli to capture his first Quarterback of the Year award since joining Division A. He's on pace for his most efficient season since making the jump to the top division.
Receiver of the Year
|
Name |
Team |
REC |
YDS |
TDs |
YDS/REC |
Convert PTS |
|
Carl Achy |
Fins Up |
20 |
328 |
9 |
16.4 |
2 |
|
Charles Cossette |
OneStop |
16 |
216 |
5 |
13.5 |
6 |
|
Gabriel-Charles Dabe Champagne |
Braves |
13 |
191 |
5 |
14.7 |
5 |
|
Jahnai Lewis |
OneStop |
13 |
215 |
5 |
16.5 |
8 |
This is another award where availability has played a major role. Players like Kevin Donnet and James Drysdale haven't played enough games to seriously contend at the moment, opening the door for some new faces.
Right now, Carl Achy leads the division in every major receiving category. Unless he misses significant time, he's the clear favorite. His statement performance against Braves in Week 5, finishing with 128 receiving yards and five touchdowns, put the entire division on notice.
That said, Division A has too much talent for anyone to get comfortable. One explosive game from another contender could quickly close the gap.
Defensive Player of the Year
|
Name |
Team |
TKLs |
INT |
PD |
SKS |
Def PTS |
|
Ryan McNally |
OneStop |
11 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Charles Cossette |
OneStop |
11 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
6 |
|
Carl Achy |
Fins Up |
9 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jean-Christophe Ferland |
EZW |
7 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
The current frontrunners both come from OneStop.
Ryan McNally and Charles Cossette have combined for nine of OneStop's 12 interceptions this season and have transformed the defense into arguably the league's best unit.
McNally continues to be the leader of that defense, while Cossette has shown everyone he belongs among Division A's elite. If co-winners were possible, these two would have an excellent case.
Personally, I think McNally's interception total will continue to climb, and I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes the regular season with double-digit takeaways.
Rusher of the Year
With several elite rushers making the move to 5v5, Division A has welcomed a new wave of opportunity at the position.
Just because the league has a Rusher of the Year award doesn't necessarily mean it has to be awarded every season. Right now, Jeremy Steinberg and Jean-Christophe Ferland lead the way with four sacks each and are both on pace to finish with at least 10.
For me, reaching double-digit sacks should be the minimum benchmark to seriously earn this award.
Both players bring different strengths. Ferland uses his size to close throwing lanes and disrupt quarterbacks, while Steinberg excels particularly in double-quarterback situations, where his closing speed creates sacks when plays begin to break down.
Even though Steinberg has played one more game than Ferland, I'll give the early edge to the veteran. Of course, a few games against backup quarterbacks could quickly inflate anyone's sack totals before the season ends.
Two-Way Player of the Year
The most prestigious individual award in Division A always generates plenty of debate.
While several players deserve consideration, Charles Cossette is my current favorite.
I didn't project Cossette to win either Receiver of the Year or Defensive Player of the Year because I believe he'll ultimately take home the division's biggest individual honour instead. He should continue finishing near the top of the interception leaderboard while remaining one of Michael Caparelli's primary offensive weapons.
With half the season still remaining, there's more than enough time for another player to emerge. But if Cossette continues producing at this pace on both sides of the ball, he'll be very difficult to beat.
Closing Remarks
With Division A returning to action this weekend, these award races will undoubtedly begin to take shape. Right now, several players have only played a handful of games, making it difficult to separate the contenders, but that should change quickly over the second half of the season. One standout performance can completely reshape an award race in a division with this much talent.
The second half of the regular season should also feature more complete rosters as teams begin preparing for the playoff push. It'll be interesting to see which players continue building their case for year-end honours and which new names force their way into the conversation before the regular season comes to a close.