2 Go In, But Only 1 Can Emerge Victorious: A Rematch for the Ages!

THE FINALS ARE HERE!!!! After a killer Semi-Finals round, only 2 teams remain: THE INFANTRY and EZW! Both teams had some hard fought games in the semi-finals, but ultimately, came out on top, knocking out ONESTOP and KISS MY INLAWS respectively. Now we get a rematch of last season’s semi-final game – INFANTRY vs EZW, where EZW were able to overtake THE INFANTRY and become our Winter Champions in Division 3! They meet again with slightly different rosters and a whole Divisions higher, but I expect, with the same intensity. 

Before we break down this upcoming game, let’s take a quick look at how these teams managed in the Semi-Finals: 

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MATCHUP REVIEWS:

THE INFANTRY vs ONESTOP

If this game ended after the 1st half, I think ONESTOP would have been much more pleased with their performance. Hell, if they even had a repeat performance in the 2nd half, they would have been able to put the game away. Both teams threw an INT in the first half which ended 16-18 in favour of ONESTOP; Unfortunately for ONESTOP though, THE INFANTRY adjusted very well in the 2nd half and completely shut out ONESTOP! Will Power was able to score 4 TDs and pick up an extra 5 points on Converts, while Michael Caparelli struggled to throw the 5 TDs I had predicted he would need to win the game and could not punch it into the endzone at all in the 2nd half. 

While both QBs were able to move the ball, it seemed to be a much harder task than usual since they only accumulated about 150 yards each. While Mr. Power was able to hit all his usual suspects, AJ Zeppetelli on ONESTOP notably did not score a TD, but was supported by Ryan Mcnally who brought in 2! On the defensive side of the ball the teams were incredibly similar, much closer than I thought it would be: Both teams got 2-3 PDs, both Ethan Adrian and Luca Lecesse got 2 sacks a piece, but it was the INT at the end of the 2nd half by Charles Olivier Vachon that prevented ONESTOP from scoring and trying an Onside Kick! 

All in all, a lower scoring game than I thought would happen. ONESTOP did keep THE INFANTRY to under 5 TDs, but in the end were not able to come up with the offensive performance to match (including 0 Converts)! A tough 30-18 loss for ONESTOP, but a big win for THE INFANTRY to push them into the finals! 

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KISS MY INLAWS vs EZW

A shock through my heart and to my core! My INLAWS lost! In a spectacular game (that I would call an upset) EZW managed an incredible 47-30 victory over Iggy Magnets and family! EZW must have heard my recommendations in my last article and put it into practice immediately! Not only did they outscore KMI on converts (4pts – 0pts), but despite Manu Allard-Roy’s amazing rushing performance that got him 3 sacks and stopped Jeremy White from running all day, Jeremy still managed to throw up an amazing 7 TDs and almost 300 Yards!!!!! WHAT!?!?!? 

EZW started off with a bang and scored a 40 Yard TD on the first play of the game, throwing off the INLAWS. In Iggy’s attempt to respond, he inadvertently threw an INT after getting sacked – 2 things that I rarely see happen to Mr. Ignacio! If that wasn’t harsh enough, it happened again on their next possession – Sack into INT. All the while, Jeremy White marched the field and was able to capitalise on the INLAWS’ mistakes… By the end of the 1st half the INLAWS were down 27-6 and despite being able to rally and put up 24 points in the second half, they would not be able to catch up to the giant lead EZW had made for themselves. 

I have to say, I did not see this result happening. I predicted that it would be a close game, and obviously thought my boys would bring it home! This just goes to show how much I underestimated last year’s Division 3 Champions; With every EZW receiver recording a TD, it’s clear that the INLAWS had a harder time putting a stop to the EZW shenanigans. Now, EZW moves on to the Finals to see if they can pull off back-to-back Championships! 

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GAME PREVIEW:

THE INFANTRY

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EZW

Previous Matchup: THE INFANTRY (53-22) Week 6

Well lookie here! These 2 juggernauts have fought hard for their right to be in the Finals and although I talked about this breakdown on this week’s Calling the Audible (Go check it out), I’ll try and give a more in-depth preview of how I think these teams might clash. Both of these teams got a break down in my last article, so I’ll be focusing on their previous matchups to predict this Sunday: 

To start, not only have these 2 teams faced each other last season, but they also met earlier this season in Week 6 which resulted in a BIG win for THE INFANTRY! Both Will Power and Jeremy White were in attendance for this game, but it was clear that Jeremy White did not have his best game. While Will was able to drive the field and do basically whatever he wanted (8 TDs and 282 Yards), Jeremy White struggled to get his usual offence moving and was only able to put up 3 TDs, struggled to get around Ethan Adrian, and threw 3 INTs… Almost as if it was the KMI vs EZW Semi-Finals, their 1st half ended 35-6 in favour of THE INFANTRY who continued to outscore EZW in the 2nd half. 

Although not a blowout, this was a stark difference from EZW’s win last Winter, where they were able to score 40 points against a Zack Stacey lead INFANTRY. Seeing EZW plow through some of the competition this year, I want to chalk this up to a bad showing for EZW, but I have a nagging voice in the back of my head telling me that THE INFANTRY is coming out for a repeat performance. 

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OFFENCE:  

Both of these teams have shown that they can put up the necessary points to win a game, whether it’s 4, 5, 6, or 7 TDs! The depth on both offences cannot be understated: INFANTRY has Marc-André Lapointe – their #1 receiver this season and top 5 receiver of Division 2, Charles Olivier Vachon – a recent addition to FPF these past few seasons that has been tearing it up, Rory Semerjian – an INFANTRY staple that had the most yards on the team, and Nicholas Di Maulo – an FPF vet who I’ve played against and can attest, is a great pick up for some consistent hands! This means that INFANTRY will always have a threat on the field for Will to choose from, regardless of their matchup!

On the flip side, EZW has some BIG names helping out their offensive core, though, only 1 receiver boasts a double digit TD season. Jean-Christophe Ferland – No stranger to the league, has been Jeremy’s #1 target this season and will probably be a big threat in this matchup. Alexandre Barros and Nathan Desjardins – both recent additions to FPF that have found themselves quickly in the higher divisions. They have spent most of their careers with EZW, so they should be used to the pressure of being part of the core of the offence! To fill out their roster EZW also has Fritzgerald Cenatus – a Dime and Bougie regular who recently had an All-Star offensive performance. 

Despite these great players and All-Star performers, I can’t help but give the edge and depth to THE INFANTRY. They have experience, speed, and now with Will Power at QB, they seem to have everything they need for consistent explosive offence showings that I just haven’t always seen from EZW!       

OFFENSIVE ADVANTAGE: THE INFANTRY 60% – 40% EZW

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DEFENCE: 

Both teams can be explosive on offence, but like they say: “Offence wins games, Defence wins Championships!” Let’s take a quick look (on paper) and compare some stats: 

Interceptions: THE INFANTRY – 20 // EZW – 14

Sacks: THE INFANTRY – 20 // EZW – 15

PDs: THE INFANTRY – 24 // EZW – 25

PICK-6’s: THE INFANTRY – 2 // EZW – 2

On paper, THE INFANTRY have the advantage in stats, but we all know that anything can happen in the Finals! THE INFANTRY have been blessed with the performance of Charles Olivier Vachon who seems to be a power house on Offence AND Defence! Despite both Rory Semerjian and Michael Khazaka having 3 INTs each and rounding out this defence well, I have to give MUCHO credit to Rusher extraordinaire – Ethan Adrian! He regularly puts up double digit sack seasons and this season is no difference with 14 sacks in the regular season! He is a nightmare against any QB, whether they are a pocket passer or a scrambler, and definitely is the catalyst for many of his team’s INTs! I do wonder just how strong this team’s defence would be without him….

As for EZW – they may not have the star power on defence as most other teams I have seen, but any of their players can be Play-Makers! Jean-Christophe Ferland is no slouch at the Rusher position himself, and has found himself a good 8 sacks in the regular season, picking up an additional 2 in the playoffs for his own double digit season! BallHawks for this defence are Fritzgerald Cenatus and Nathan Desjardins who boast a combined 50 Tackles and 10 PDs! Again, on paper, not as explosive as THE INFANTRY, but having played against multiple of these players, I’ll be the first to admit: the stats do not tell the whole story and these young bucks can turn any play into a possible turnover! 

DEFENSIVE ADVANTAGE: THE INFANTRY 55% – 45%  EZW

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Overall, I expect this game to be a high scoring, big momentum shifting game that can go either way! EZW will have the task of keeping up with a proficient and strong INFANTRY offensive unit. They will need to pull out all the stops on defence and hope that Jeremy White can match Will Power’s inevitable 5+ TDs. If EZW can pull ahead with converts and get 2-3 defensive stops, I think they will be able to come away with a big win, just like they did last season! However, Will Power isn’t here to play around, and although he didn’t throw for INFANTRY last season, he is staking a claim to the position and is hoping to give THE INFANTRY their revenge they have been longing for.

While EZW will have the uphill battle against a team they previously lost 53-22 to, 1 INT can completely change the game! There is a lot of youth and explosiveness on this team, and I wouldn’t count them out, even if they are down late in the 2nd half. If INFANTRY cannot pull ahead early in the first half, I expect EZW to be able to not only keep up, but get a much needed turnover late in the game to put them in the position to win! I predict this game to be determined by Converts, which EZW have been able to score many of in their last few games. 

OVERALL PREDICTION: THE INFANTRY 43 – 38 EZW

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And that’s it for this season’s articles! Hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. Thanks for following this season and hope to see all you studs on the field next season! If you have the time for it, make your way to Brossard this Sunday to check out the Finals in person. There is nothing better than the feel and energy of Championship FPF and watching the best that each Division has to offer! Good luck to both teams, and may the FPF Gods be with you!