5v5 Competitive: Week 8 Preview with Dan Lazzara

Hey everyone, we are back after a packed Week 7. KGP Elite started their season in Week 6 and went 2-0. They would play two games in Week 7 as well but fall to 0-2. Given that KGP Elite were in Oshawa for the Adult Flag Circuit Oshawa Open, it was not a surprise that the team that played Raw Dawgs didn’t win. The real shock would be the next night as Bleue Dry 10.1 picked up their first win in Competitive against KGP Elite. The players may have been fatigued from the tournament the previous day but their team was present and a last minute TD from Frederic Juneau to Yvan Desjardins would be the deciding factor. Naproxen would also get their first win of the season against #NR. Looks like Dimitri Sinodinos is back and his high QB play has shown to elevate this offence. Great job for Naproxen but I am curious how they will fare against higher competition. The last game I was able to watch in full was PartyCrashers defeating MTL Magic 29-26. A game where Dan Lazzara threw 3 INTs, all of them to former MTL Magic player Jeanslee Alexis, might have been a tough pill to swallow. Justin McLean had a game for MTL Magic with 128yds and 4 TDs but this team was still missing some key playmakers in the lineup. For PartyCrashers, this was a statement game as maybe they are the team to compete with Braves and not MTL Magic.

I got a chance to speak to Dan Lazzara about the look of MTL Magic as of today and what he thinks his team needs to do ahead of a big Week 8. They open on Sunday night against Flag Moi L’Sac and end the week in an anticipated matchup vs Braves. Let’s see what Dan had to say:


This MTL Magic roster looks different from recent seasons. What’s been the key to starting 2-1? And how has the defence adjusted without Jeanslee Alexis and Raff Morelli?




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This roster surely has some tweaks if we compare it to last season, for sure. We lost some guys but as we all know flag is all about adapting to what’s in front of you and I feel like we’re doing a pretty good job of doing so. We had our star rusher Raff Morelli injure his thumb last season, which required surgery so that was a hit, no doubt. Raff has been with us at the national level and is one of the premier rushers in/outside of FPF. He’s currently rehabbing & we hope for a speedy recovery because we need the Italian stallion repping the magic yet again. 

However, with all that being said, sometimes the stars just align. What are the chances that the year Raff goes down, Thanos flicks his wrist, you look up, and you get to see an old friend back on our side? The one and only stud rusher: Isiah Allard. A true specimen at the rusher position—Isiah completely takes away the middle of the field & makes QBs second-guess their reads. Occasionally, he might anticipate the read, tip a pass, track the ball, pick it off, outrun the QB for a touchdown—the usual for this Goliath, right? You know how when Halloween comes around & Myles Garrett fills his front lawn with skeletons of all the QBs he's sacked during his career? Isiah has something similar: Instead of sacks, it's for INTs, which is pretty impressive. He’s gotten half the league on his list already: myself, Jesse Dupuis, Jeanslee Alexis, and the goat himself, Mr. Kevin Wyeth included. He told me he's gotten others for only INTs such as Maheu, Panetta, Cutler.. Needless to say, he’s a game wrecker in the higher divisions, & we’re glad he’s repping the boys in red! 

Bottom line, losing some guys frees up space for others to play both ways, and as an athlete in FPF you never want to leave the field. Let’s not forget, guys like Felix Boutet, Nick Groppini, and Justin McLean are 2 way studs and I’m happy they’re getting the opportunity to show the league what they’re all about playing both sides. 


The last time you faced Flag Moi L’Sac was a 40-25 win last spring. What’s the history like between you and Alex Nadeau-Piuze as two proven QBs?




Alex is a tremendous QB. He's got a wicked arm, crazy mobility, is extremely cerebral and possesses that gunslinger-Brett Favre-type of mentality. It’s always a fun game playing vs Flag Moi because you know that you’re going to be involved in a shootout if you want any chance at winning. Not only are they explosive offensively, but defensively they are quite sound as well. They have a team of high-IQ athletes that played at the university level. Whenever we play against them, it's not just about calling the right defence, as they often adjust on the fly based on the coverage they are seeing. Pulling off those kinds of audibles takes years of chemistry, and they have all the necessary tools to do so. I think it's cool to see that kind of development he has with his receivers. Alex is also a coach so he's around the football world on a daily basis. This provides great knowledge about the game, along with concepts that will usually set players up for easy pitch and catches. Every time we face each other, I try to steal a concept or 2 from his system that I can implement into mine. He's a baller and a QB that defences definitely fear playing against. I look forward to seeing Flag moi this upcoming sunday for some (late) SNF. 


On the defensive side, how do you game plan for weapons like Francois Rocheleau and Samuel Nadeau-Piuze who can stretch the field and force coverage adjustments?

It helps having a guy like Isiah rush a pocket passer like Alex. He might be the rusher we need to cause havoc for the opposing QB, and give our defence the best chance to create turnovers. On the flip side, Alex's brother Sam clearly has 99 chemistry with him, it also helps when you have a dominant Team Canada WR in Rocheleau playing alongside him. Both are crafty WRs,  so it’s going to be a challenging matchup. We have to make sure we don’t fall into the trap of following Alex’s eyes because his no-look passes can lead to lethal 45-yard bombs down the sideline in the blink of an eye. We have to stay disciplined and try not to give up the easy plays downfield. A lot easier said than done of course, but I'm confident in the group we have to find a way to get the job done. 


The rivalry with Braves has drawn a lot of attention, even if recent playoff results haven’t gone your way. How are you approaching this matchup knowing a potential postseason rematch could matter even more?



The Braves play a lot of football throughout the year and it shows on the field as they all have great chemistry amongst themselves. It is to nobody’s surprise that they are one of the top teams not only in FPF, but also in all of Canada. I think that’s what makes every matchup with them so much fun. The intensity of the game can be felt from miles away. There is a lot of barking going on throughout the game & both teams are always willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. It kind of reminds me of the classic Dboys/MTL-Finest rivalry from back in the day when I first got into the league. I used to drive to Brossard on a Saturday night when I had no game scheduled, just to see that matchup in person. It was must see TV. Both teams respected each other, but simultaneously wanted to rip the hearts out of every individual on the opposing side. To be honest, I believe it's the way football should be played. Whenever we match up against them, we know we have to bring our A game if we want any shot at winning. It comes down to who can be more creative and who can execute at a higher level. This season will be no different and I look forward to getting our opportunity to swing at bat yet. 


Could we see AJ Gomes at some point this season? And if so, what impact do you expect him to bring to this year’s roster?


AJ’s been nursing an injury of his own with his back. We’re hoping to get him back on the field as soon as possible. He’s a gamechanger, one of the best 2-way players in all of FPF. Most importantly, he's one of our leaders whom we've missed over the last few weeks. He opens up the field and gives others opportunities to get big plays due to how much attention he requires. I know that whenever AJ is out there, he is a threat to any defence, and more so, a guy that I can trust to make a big play when it's needed.His route running gives him an unmatched ability to get open, complemented by his incredible reach that allows him to pin-point any high ball sent his way. These are some of the few reasons why I believe he separates himself from many other WRs in this league. Being a coach certainly helps because he brings a high level IQ to the game. This is evident in every game regarding how he adjusts his route depending on the defense's coverage. I could tell him to run a deep route, but if he sees a defensive back waiting at 15 yards, begging us to do anything else but throw the deep ball, he'll sit down his route into the open zone. For the most part, I'll see what he sees and we'll be on the same page to get the job done.  We've played together for years, so that connection never really fades away. We don't even need to discuss what's in front of us but we both know what will work and that's what makes AJ such a great player. His defensive awareness is also quite impressive, which is why QBs don't really enjoy testing the waters by throwing his way. Additionally, he is extremely vocal and doesn't shy away from being who he is. I think our team embraces that. We understand that's how we'll get the best version of him on that specific day. It's what makes him the leader that he is. We surely expect him back sooner rather than later. 


Now that Isiah Allard is on your side, have you picked his brain about how Braves might try to defend you on the 25th?


Most definitely. He brings us that championship pedigree we need. We know that having him on our side of this battle will help tremendously. He’s a QB's nightmare, and we are sure as hell glad to have him on our side this time around. He's been playing in this league with them for a while so it's without a doubt he'll be a key factor when we face off against them. It’s a long season, so regardless of how the game goes on the 25th, we know the playoffs are what really matter. So we just wanna keep getting in rhythm and building off what we got going on.  

As a 2019 FPF Hall-of-Famer with many accolades under your belt, what goals or milestones are you still chasing in FPF or in the wider flag-football world?

I love the game of flag football, and I love the way I see it grow on a yearly basis. I've had the pleasure of coaching some QBs who are now playing in this league, and it’s incredible to see what they've accomplished thus far. It’s all about trying to grow the game. Let's be real, we aren’t getting paid for this, we're just here for the vibes. However, I think every QB would agree that It’s always 200000x more fun when you put up 50 in a win! The motivation kicks off when I'm signing up the team. I don't take for granted hearing my teammates give me the green light to go into battle alongside them. Every season, the challenge is meeting the expectations my teammates have of me. They hold me to a high standard and I wouldn't want it any differently. We are a competitive bunch that wants to win. The awards, accolades, stats.. That all falls into place when you’re winning.

The last few years have been personally challenging. Not only did I tear my bicep tendon in my throwing arm, but also in terms of adapting to the new 5v5 format—entertaining, yet demanding. One day I'm playing 6v6 with the 450Ballers. The next time I saw the field, a year later, the requirements had changed from needing 4x10 for a first down to 4x25. A 7-second shot clock was introduced, and I was told about QB runs (not that I'm planning to take off as if I have speed like Benny). Regardless, It’s kinda crazy when you think about it. This is the format of the nationals, so evidently, we want to maximize our practice throughout the year by playing in the 5v5 world. In this format, you can no longer dink n' dunk your way to the red zone. You need to pull off big plays. I think that’s challenging but at the same time, exciting. The MTL Magic competed at the national level last year. We fell short in a thrilling final, however I have no doubt we’ll be there again this summer with a chance to write our wrongs. 

Regarding FPF, we are chasing the Goat's accolades. Wyeth’s been the one that set the bar so high since I got into flag. I'm hoping he hangs it up soon so it’ll be easier to catch him but by the looks of it, the guy will play till a doctor tells him his arm doesn’t work anymore. So who knows when that day will ever come. Nonetheless, It’s incredible to see his competitive nature, as he competes at such a high level every season. It’s someone I see as the benchmark for what it takes to be great. 

At the end of the day, when we’re old and only playing 35 plus because the days of being a young buck are past us, we’ll only have these memories to look back & laugh on. So I’m trying to have as much fun as possible, continue to inspire the next generation of athletes, throw as many TDs as I can, and be involved in as many experiences as this beautiful game of football has to offer. Flag football is an up & coming QB's dream of being thrown into a competitive pass shell and I urge all young players to step into the world of flag and see what it has to offer. You won't have any regrets!

Closing Remarks

There you go Competitive with this week’s article. Thanks Dan for answering some questions and best of luck in this big week for MTL Magic. This week will include 3 great games which can start to change the landscape of these teams’ seasons. 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.