We are back for this week’s article in 5v5 Competitive. Both Braves and MTL Magic played twice this week where a few teams didn’t have any games to play before a packed Week 9. We do have a lot to talk about as there’s only 6 more weeks of games until playoffs. 

Flag Moi L’Sac Dismantles MTL Magic 49-18

I had a chance to see a bit of the first half of this game and I was able to witness Samuel Nadeau-Piuze score on the first three possessions and the game was slowly over before the half ended. It was tough watching MTL Magic as they were missing quite their roster in this one and it showed they were outmatched early on. Alex Nadeau-Piuze threw for 299yds and Francois Rocheleau was able to lead the group with 112yds and score 3 times. It was quite a FPF debut for the recently retired Marc-Antoine Dequoy as he would score a TD along with 3 INTs on defence. The former DB for the Alouettes and Carabins made it clear that if he were to play FPF full time, he would have no issues fitting in. If Dequoy were to turn out to be a full time flag player for Flag Moi L’Sac, I’m jumping ahead but that would be a game changer to this already talented team. For MTL Magic, it’s not easy with an inconsistent roster but they will get the chance to bounce back in a huge game against the Braves.

Braves get back into the win column beating Naproxen 38-18

Speaking of the Braves, they were able to get back on track in a 20pt victory over Naproxen. Braves would have four different TD scorers as Jonathan Maheu would have zero INTs in the loss and James Drysdale would score on both sides of the ball in the win. For Naproxen, Dimitri Sinodinos finally had a down game after a strong first two games of QBing for this season. Naproxen has an opportunity to get back into the win column against Bleue Dry 10.1 before they go through what I consider the roughest end of the season. Braves get back into the win column after losing to PartyCrashers two weeks ago and can use this before a rematch of the Fall 2025 Competitive Finals against MTL Magic only two days later. 

Braves beat MTL Magic to end Week 8 34-20

In this highly anticipated rematch, MTL Magic had only three guys from the Fall 2025 Finals playing in Dan Lazzara, Felix Boutet and Justin McLean. They now had Isiah Allard, taking him from the Braves and I know he was eager to play his former team. For Braves, only JD Chevalier wasn’t playing in that game for Braves back then but Chevalier is quite familiar in this rivalry. Braves were able to score on all 3 possessions in the first half while MTL Magic were unsuccessful in their final drive of the half. Braves would get the ball to start the 2nd half but William Trottier was picked off by Boutet which led to McLean narrowing the gap. The game got away from MTL Magic after Emile Chateauvert was able to sack Lazzara for a safety and on the ensuing play on offence, Drysdale would score a 45yd TD to extend the lead and that would be the nail in the coffin. This game wasn’t as climatic as their finals but these teams are in different states at this time. MTL Magic are still finding their groove given the changes in their roster since last season. Braves are not being seen as that dominant team as they have been over the past year (yes they are still a top contender for sure). MTL Magic could have a different roster come their season finale against Braves but the next games for them are crucial to build momentum.

Week 9 Power Rankings

1️⃣ PartyCrashers (4-0)

Week 7 ranking: +2

Beating MTL Magic in a close contest still shows that PartyCrashers are the team to beat in 5v5 Competitive right now. Will any shocking upsets in their two games in Week 9 change my thoughts?

2️⃣ Braves (4-1)

Week 7 ranking: -1

Braves get back to work with winning two key games with a total margin of +34pts. Will they be able to stay on track against Bleue Dry 10.1 before their long break until Week 12?

3️⃣ Flag Moi L’Sac (3-1)

Week 7 ranking: +1

They only played once but dismantled MTL Magic. With two big games in Week 10, can their defence be ready for the challenge?

4️⃣ Raw Dawgs (2-1)

Week 7 ranking: +2

Raw Dawgs beat a team of subs replacing KGP Elite on Valentine’s night with ease. With a big matchup in Week 9 against MTL Magic, will they be able to to do the same?

5️⃣ MTL Magic (2-3)

Week 7 ranking: -3

It’s been a tough two weeks for MTL Magic but they can’t think too hard about it as they are back against Raw Dawgs this week. Given they have played against ¾ of the top teams, will this game be a way to prove that they still belong with the elites?

6️⃣ KGP Elite (2-2)

Week 7 ranking: -1

I’ll give them the loss to Raw Dawgs as KGP Elite were in Ontario in a tournament. The next night against Bleue Dry 10.1, I won’t use fatigue as an excuse in this one. With a long break now, will KGP Elite look rusty when they are back in action on March 21st?

7️⃣ Bleue Dry 10.1 (1-2)

Week 7 ranking: -

Picking up their first win was a huge confident boost for this team. Speaking with Fred Juneau, I know he’s passionate about competing with the best and he feels his players can rise up to the challenge. The next game is against Braves, will that be a reality check?

8️⃣ Naproxen (1-4)

Week 7 ranking: -

Naproxen got their first win against #NR and no matter who is against them, a win is a win. Now with that win on their belt and then losing to Braves, how can they respond against Bleue Dry 10.1 in Week 10?

9️⃣ #NR (0-5)

Week 7 ranking: -

Zach Deschamps played his best game of the season but it still wasn’t enough. With two straight games against PartyCrashers in the next two weeks, is the season too late to save with #NR?

Closing Remarks

There you go 5v5 Competitive with this week’s article. For those who don’t agree with my Power Rankings, I’m happy to be proven wrong. 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.