Division 4A: Offensive Explosions in Week 5 featuring Julien Gravel
Hey everyone, let’s go over Week 5 in Division 4a. Another week has passed and teams are slowly creeping towards the 10 game season total. This week, we have Trapstars who have won twice; firstly in an offensive battle with Nighthawks and then another close one against Dak To The Future. QB Noah Lieblein would throw 10 TDs with zero INTs this past week. The young veteran squad is sitting nicely atop of the 4a standings.
The Penetrators would have their week starting strong with a second half surge, outsourcing Rick and Marty 20-6 in the win. Luca Chiricosta, one of the underrated players in this division in my eyes, would score 3 TDs and make his impact known on defence with a sack. In the second game for The Penetrators,a scoring battle where both QBs would score 5 times would be on the short end of the stick of a 36-33 loss to Nut N’ Run. On the scoreboard, it seems that Nut N’ Run would get a 6-0 lead out the gate, likely due to The Penetrators not having enough players to start the game, it came back to bit them. What hurts more is that Nicolas Katerelos would find Daniel Garcia for the winning TD on the final play for Nut N’ Run.
The Last Chance have had a rough start to the season, however, would get a victory over Bible Study 39-25 to enter the win column. With 4 difference scorers and a mix of QB play assumingly by Natan Girouard-Langlois and Hermes Zepeda, this team has a variety of talent but can they find consistency in their second half of the season.
Before we have another player spotlight, let’s go through the fantasy football recap from last week:
Fantasy Football Recap
Noah’s Roster
Adam Malinoff: 26.56 pts
Michael Schiller: 10.65 pts
Noah Groper: 6.55 pts
Stefano De Seta: 10.65 pts
Cooper Young: 26.10 pts
Lewis Epstein: 26.25 pts
Rocco Christiano: 44.85 pts
Nut N’ Run: 4.25 pts
Total Points: 156.86 pts
Keyon’s Roster
Nicolas Katerelos: 30.06 pts
Felix Sebag: 13.30 pts
Charles-Antoine Nadeau: 9.60 pts
Nathanael Dinku: 20.05 pts
Etienne Chabot: 19.10 pts
Matthew Fixman: 11.10 pts
Nicholas Fon: 19.15 pts
Ducks: 8.50 pts
Total Points: 130.86 pts
For this week’s player spotlight, meet Julien Gravel. I’ve seen Julien play for a few seasons now under the team from Nicolas Katerelos. A solid defender who especially takes pride on that side of the ball and a good overall teammate with a great group of guys.
For people who don’t know you yet, who are you?
Julien Gravel, halfback for Nut N' Run and probably the only Jacksonville Jaguars fan in Quebec! You can probably tell from that previous statement that I am a football fan for quite a bit. I’m a defensive player by nature, originally a defensive lineman, and I transitioned to halfback in flag football starting in 2024. This year, I’m also beginning a coaching career as a defensive line coach for my alma mater, the Laurentian Wildcats!
How did you end up playing flag football?
To be honest, I tried flag football in another league back in 2019. I was done with competitive football at the time and joined a recreational team, which really wasn’t the right move for me then—I didn’t enjoy those 50–6 losses very much! Fast-forward to 2024, when Nic Katerelos recruited me to his team, and everything really fell into place for me. It was the perfect way to get back into football without worrying about going to work on Monday morning with a concussion or a torn ACL. I was a defensive lineman throughout my football career, so switching to halfback required quite an adjustment, but I still have that flair for the ball and for tackles!
How would you describe your game in your own words?
I’d say I have a good feel for the ball and I’m a physical player. Like I said, I was a D-lineman during my football career, and I was never really able to get rid of those instincts. My first step is always forward, which is why I switched from cornerback to halfback three weeks into flag football. I’m usually among the tackle leaders on my team, as I rally to the ball quickly. Otherwise, I’d say I bring good energy—#1 hype man and always ready to stand up for my boys. I didn't experience it a lot with FPF, but we also enjoy playing the mind game, and I’m also a fan of a little well-placed (respectful) trash talk once in a while!
Who makes game days more fun?
Zach Bryan and Rod Wave in my ears make it even more fun! Otherwise, I really enjoy seeing every guy on the team on game day—we all share the same focus, but we can still crack some jokes.
What role do you enjoy most?
My role is definitely the one I enjoy the most. We have an extremely talented group of guys, which allows everyone to excel in their roles. Nic Katerelos is one of the best ball slingers in the league; Charles-Antoine Nadeau, Julien Pacheco, and Sam Deland have reliable hands and are excellent route runners; Max Bastien is a lockdown corner, which allows me to focus on being the best halfback I can be—and that’s all I could hope for. I let the boys score, and I focus on preventing—that’s in my DNA!
Who’s winning in a race on your team?
Sam Deland is definitely the fastest guy on the team, but if we’re talking a marathon, I think Charles-Antoine Nadeau or Nic Katerelos are actually training for one, so I’d definitely put my money on them!
Closing Remarks
There you go for 4A and I wanted to thank Noah and Julien for taking the time to be part of this week’s article. We’re finishing Week 6 at the moment, so make sure you get your 5 games for playoff eligibility. The latest episode of the First & Goal Podcast is now up on Youtube so go check it out! As always, if you didn’t get a chance to respond or want to be included in future pieces, you can reach me on Facebook or Instagram @keyoncyrus.