Division F: Final Midseason Reviews feat. Jonathan Caron, Oscar McCavour & Antoine Caron
The playoff picture is slowly shaping up for the largest division in FPF this Spring. The top 16 teams will qualify where 6 teams won’t. Even for the teams on the outside looking in, there’s still time to make a push but the urgency is now. We have reached the final week of team reviews with several teams awaiting how I would grade them out. With three special guests that we will get into, let’s get right into it.
Baby Sharks (7-0, 36pts for, 15.4pts allowed)
Overall Grade: A+
MVP: Maxime Sharkawi
The best team in Division F currently sits at 7-0, and it's hard to argue with what Baby Sharks have accomplished. Their roster is loaded with talent, but what has impressed me the most is how well everything has come together under first-year quarterback Jonathan Caron.
Stepping into the quarterback role hasn't been without its challenges, but Caron believes the biggest adjustment has been learning to see the entire field rather than forcing the ball to one option.
« Je pense que la plus grande leçon que j'ai apprise, c'est qu'il faut vraiment bien distribuer le ballon et surtout être capable de s'adapter à l'adversaire. Si la défense décide de mettre beaucoup d'attention sur notre meilleur receveur, ça ouvre des opportunités pour les autres. Je pense que la plus grande force que j'ai développée comme quart-arrière, c'est justement cette capacité à m'adapter à ce que l'adversaire me présente. »
That adaptability has been evident all season. Baby Sharks don't lack offensive weapons, and Caron has done an excellent job finding favorable matchups while keeping defenses guessing. Even with the success of players like Maxime Sharkawi, Caron deserves just as much credit for putting them in positions to succeed.
Part of the team's success comes from continuity. Baby Sharks returned with a strong core from last winter's finals appearance, while the newcomers weren't complete strangers either.
« Je pense que ce qui a facilité les choses, c'est qu'on a conservé un noyau de joueurs avec Benjamin, Maxime, Alexandre et moi. La majorité des nouveaux joueurs étaient des joueurs avec qui on avait déjà joué au football ou au flag. Les vétérans ont servi de lien entre tous les nouveaux joueurs pour bâtir rapidement une bonne chimie. »
Caron was also quick to recognize the impact of the younger players, particularly Eli Lecavalier and Zacharie Choko Caron, who are just 16 and 17 years old.
« Honnêtement, ça se passe même mieux que ce à quoi on s'attendait. On a plusieurs jeunes joueurs comme Élie et Zachary, qui n'ont que 16 et 17 ans, et ils remplissent leur rôle à merveille. C'est vraiment agréable de voir tout le monde contribuer aussi rapidement. »
The only game remaining before the playoffs is a highly anticipated showdown against TGs, and it's one that could easily end up being a championship preview.
While the standings likely won't change much regardless of the outcome, Caron believes the game carries plenty of importance.
« Je pense que ce sera une rencontre très serrée entre deux excellentes attaques. Même si le résultat ne changera probablement pas grand-chose au classement, ce match sera très important pour le moral et la confiance de l'équipe. Que l'on gagne ou que l'on perde, il y aura du positif à retenir avant les séries éliminatoires. »
The veterans will also have an important role to play if adversity strikes during the game.
« Si jamais on traverse une période plus difficile pendant le match, leur façon de réagir pourra faire toute la différence. Ce sont eux qui devront garder le groupe calme et concentré. »
When it came to naming a team MVP, Caron admitted the obvious choice would be Maxime Sharkawi.
« Évidemment, le choix le plus facile serait de nommer Maxime Sharkawi. Quand on regarde les statistiques, il se démarque énormément, mais en même temps, ce n'est pas vraiment une surprise. »
I couldn't agree more. Sharkawi uses his size, strong hands and route-running ability to consistently create mismatches and remains one of the most dangerous receivers in the division.
Caron also wanted to highlight several teammates who have exceeded expectations.
« Pour moi, celui qui mérite vraiment une mention spéciale, c'est Nicolas Vigier. Pour quelqu'un qui n'avait jamais joué au flag football auparavant, il s'est vraiment très bien adapté. Je pourrais aussi parler de Zachary... Élie mérite également d'être mentionné. Honnêtement, je pourrais nommer pratiquement tous les nouveaux joueurs parce qu'ils ont vraiment dépassé les attentes. »
It's hard to disagree. Nicolas Vigier currently leads the team with six interceptions while contributing offensively, Zacharie Choko Caron has consistently turned broken plays into explosive gains with his instincts, and Eli Lecavalier continues to make timely plays on defense.
The expectations for the newcomers have already been exceeded, while the veterans continue to perform at the level everyone expected. With the way Baby Sharks has played through the first half of the season, they have to be considered the championship favorite heading into the playoffs.
Sweet Bonanza (5-1, 30.8pts for, 21.2pts allowed)
Overall Grade: A-
MVP: Thomas Duval
One of the underrated storylines this season has been the rise of Sweet Bonanza. After a few difficult seasons in FPF, the team finally seems to have found its rhythm, sitting at an impressive 5-1 record. I spoke with dual-threat weapon Antoine Caron about what has changed for this group, and he pointed to one thing above everything else: consistency.
« Le succès qu’on connaît cette saison s’explique grâce à notre constance de match en match. Nous sommes en mesure de compléter des drives et de mettre des points presqu’à chaque fois que nous sommes dans la redzone. »
It's been several seasons where Sweet Bonanza has chased a winning record, and this finally looks like the year they'll achieve it. Caron originally took the reins at quarterback when the team first entered FPF, but over the past few seasons, Jean-Philippe Lamaute has become the team's full-time signal caller. The transition has paid off, as Lamaute currently sits with 25 touchdown passes compared to only four interceptions.
Caron has remained the team's top receiving threat and believes Lamaute's growth goes far beyond the statistics.
« Sa vision du jeu s’est grandement améliorée. Son choix de jeu et sa prise de décision une fois le ballon dans les mains est de mieux en mieux au fil des saisons. Il peut aussi compter sur sa course, ce qui fait de lui un dual-threat QB. »
Despite the 5-1 record, Sweet Bonanza knows it hasn't been a perfect season. A few games could have easily gone the other way, and Caron understands the importance of staying focused throughout the second half.
« Nous ne devons pas relâcher et faire attention aux surprises. En effet, quelques équipes ont bien failli nous surprendre pendant la saison, surtout au niveau de notre défense. »
When it came time to name the team's MVP, Caron didn't hesitate.
« Je pense que Thomas Duval représente bien notre joueur MVP. Il a réussi à step-up et prendre la position de snapper, tout en gardant une présence en défense. Il joue tous les matchs et presque toutes les drives. »
t's hard to argue with that choice. Switching positions is never easy, but Duval has embraced becoming the team's snapper while continuing to make an impact defensively. Caron even joked that Duval has earned the nickname "Kadarius « Thomas Duval » Toney" within the team, a fitting comparison considering his versatility and willingness to do whatever the team needs. With all the praise he received during our conversation, I figured it was only right to give him a little extra recognition, so here's the man himself.
Camwins (4-2, 26.2pts for, 26.3pts allowed)
Overall Grade: B
MVP: Victor Larsen
With a 4-2 record, Camwins are in a great position to finish the regular season near the top of the standings. I had the opportunity to speak with first-year quarterback Oscar McCavour, who has embraced the challenge of learning a completely new position.
Known for his success as a receiver with Win Diesel in the higher divisions, McCavour explained that quarterback has given him a completely different perspective on the game.
"The transition has been good but challenging. It's a lot of fun being able to run the offense, but it also comes with its own difficulties. One thing I've learned is the processing speed required. You see everything at once and have to quickly determine what's open and what's not. The second is the creativity required to play quarterback. Coming from a receiver background, you're only watching the defenders on your side of the field. As a quarterback, it's hard to see everything that's happening at once and determine what's there and what isn't."
Even with the learning curve, McCavour has been producing. He has already thrown 20 touchdown passes while adding another dimension with his legs, averaging nearly 13 yards per rushing attempt. For a first season under center, it's been an impressive transition.
Despite the strong record, McCavour still believes there's plenty of room for improvement, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
"The biggest key to tightening up the defense is tackling. When you play with a lot of players who are new to flag, they aren't accustomed to pulling flags. It looks simple enough, but when someone is running at you full speed and the flags are flying around, it's more challenging than it looks. Once we improve our tackling, I think the rest of our defense will take care of itself."
I understand where he's coming from. Even though Camwins ranks fourth in the division with 11 interceptions, there are still opportunities to clean up the fundamentals. As newer players become more comfortable with the defensive side of flag football, I wouldn't be surprised to see this unit continue improving throughout the second half.
When asked about his team MVP, McCavour didn't hesitate to recognize Victor Larsen.
"I'd name Victor Larsen as our team's MVP. Victor is only in his second season of flag football and didn't come from a football background. In a short amount of time he's made tremendous strides and developed drastically as a football player. He's been great on both sides of the ball and continues to get better every game. I'm excited to keep playing with him during the second half of the season and see how we continue to develop."
It's hard to argue with that choice. After playing in Co-Ed 3 last season, Larsen has taken a significant leap, emerging as Camwins' top receiving threat while making plays defensively as well. With four games remaining, the development of McCavour, Larsen and the rest of this roster will go a long way in determining whether Camwins enters the playoffs as a legitimate contender or simply another team in the mix.
Over/Under Achievers (3-3, 26.2pts for, 25.3pts allowed)
Overall Grade: B
MVP: Kyle Wagland
It's been a much-improved season for Over/Under Achievers compared to previous years. After speaking with Chris Cacciatore earlier this season, it was clear this team had begun finding its identity, and the results have reflected that.
Kyle Wagland has continued making an impact on both sides of the ball, showing just how valuable he is to this roster. Meanwhile, Aidan Yardley-Jones has emerged as one of the division's top rushers and is currently on pace to finish the season with more than 10 sacks.
This is a team I'm genuinely rooting for because of the improvements they've made and the positive culture they've built. They have every opportunity to finish above .500 and, if they do, they'll be a team that higher seeds won't want to see once the playoffs begin.
Junior XL (2-3, 23.2pts for, 29.2pts allowed)
Overall Grade: C+
MVP: Marcus Kulczycki
My second season at quarterback hasn't gone exactly how I envisioned it, but my teammates have done a great job helping me through the growing pains. We've had two close losses where a few mistakes on my end ultimately changed the outcome of the game.
Marcus has continued to be my number one target and has made plays at every level of the field, putting himself near the top of the division in receiving touchdowns. We still have areas to improve on both sides of the ball, but I think our team has continued to develop each week.
With more experience calling the offense and defense, I also feel I can do a better job getting players like Thamil Muthiah and rookie Nicholas Theodorakis more involved offensively during the second half of the season. If I can simply eliminate some of the costly interceptions, I truly believe we'll be able to score much more consistently.
With five games remaining, we still control our playoff destiny. The schedule won't be easy, but if we continue improving, I believe we have what it takes to earn a playoff spot and compete for a top-16 seed.
Sharknado (1-3, 19.8pts for, 31.5pts allowed)
Overall Grade: C
MVP: Ritchy David
A completely new team in FPF, Sharnado landed in what I believe is the perfect division to begin their journey. They've only played four games so far, giving them an advantage over the teams around them in the standings as they continue to chase a playoff spot.
The season looked like it was going to be a long one until they picked up their first win over WestLuc. Looking ahead, the remaining schedule is actually quite favorable. They still have several games against teams around their skill level or below, giving them a legitimate opportunity to climb the standings.
I haven't had the chance to watch Sharnado play yet, but they'll face Clique du Château on Monday night, a game I'll be attending. One player I'll definitely be keeping an eye on is team MVP Ritchy David, who has emerged as one of the division's biggest home-run threats. Averaging an incredible 26 yards per reception, he has the ability to change a game every time the ball is in his hands.
Frenza’s Bush (0-6, 13.8pts for, 35.8pts against)
Overall Grade: D
MVP: Dylan Di Costa
With the majority of the roster being new to FPF, it's not too surprising to see this team going through some growing pains. Quarterback Jack Ciaravella is no stranger to the league, but this marks his first full season under center. They've also brought in experienced FPF players like Daniel Alessandro and Antonio Di Vincenzo as subs, but it hasn't translated into wins.
The first two games of the season were encouraging, as they scored 24 and 26 points, respectively, but they haven't eclipsed the 20-point mark since. The playoffs are still within reach, but they'll likely need to win three of their final four games to earn a spot. Based on their recent form, I don't see that happening, but I do believe they'll find a way to pick up at least one victory before the regular season comes to an end.
Closing Remarks
I'd like to thank Jonathan Caron, Oscar McCavour, and Antoine Caron for taking the time to answer my questions and provide some great insight into their teams. It was great hearing from each of them throughout the midseason reviews.
With the reviews now wrapped up, it's time to turn our attention back to the games themselves. The playoff race is only going to get tighter from here, and we'll also begin breaking down the individual award races as players continue building their cases for year-end honours. It should be a fun finish to the regular season.