2nd-and-Short (Div 4) – Season Preview – FlagPlus Football League

Time flies. It feels like just yesterday I was lacing up my cleats for my first-ever FPF game—a 27-26 win in Division 4 in which I contributed all of one catch for five yards. I’ve grown a lot since that game two years ago, and so has the league. Added field locations, new rules, more players, and with them, more teams—52 to be exact in Division 4. Fifty-two! That’s more than the number of teams in the top three FPF divisions combined, and yet somehow still less than the number of touchdowns Peyton Manning has thrown this season.

But I digress. It’s probably time I introduced myself: my name is Justin Blanchard, and I’ll be your English guide for what promises to be a crazy season in Division 4. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect from me this winter:

Thursday article

– Recap of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday games

– Scoping Saturday (an in-depth look at some of the weekend’s games to come)

– Random Thoughts

Monday article

– Recap of Saturday and Sunday games

– Top 10 (where I rank the top 10 teams of the previous week)

– Picks of the Week (where I pick more winners than Simon Dagenais)

Preseason Top 10

Division 4 will not only see a new champion but a new championship game altogether, as last year’s winners The Incredibles and finalists Les Buddays have both moved up to Division 3 this season. With a March Madness-inspired playoff format wherein the top eight teams from each of the four subdivisions will move on to the postseason, your guess as to who will be left standing alone at April’s end is as good as mine at this point.

Speaking of guesses, my preseason top 10 is just that: one big guess. I don’t know even half of the teams in the division yet, so the following list is admittedly mostly an excuse to get some buzz going. Be prepared to see this list change drastically in the weeks to come:

The Family: They get the preseason crown by default considering they’re the only of last year’s Division 4 semi-finalists to not have moved up or disbanded. That being said, it wouldn’t be so surprising to see them win this season’s championship: nine of the 10 players on last year’s team are back for this season.
The Replacements: Longtime FPF veteran Matthew Bishara looks poised to take over The Replacements’ (previously Gators) quarterbacking reigns from Jon Young this season. Bishara is far from the prototypical drop-back passer, and it might explain why he wears a Tim Tebow jersey during games. But like Tebow, Bishara always seems to find a way to make a big play when the game is on the line, and that may be just what this team needs to go on a deep playoff run.
Sea Assassins: Quarterback Daniel Lazzara threw for 51 touchdowns—third-best in Division 4—as he led his team to a divisional round appearance last year. Entering just his second season in FPF, things should only get better for Lazzara and his deadly group of wideouts this winter.
Playground: Of cannon-armed quarterback Gabriel Côté’s five leading receivers this past spring season, only one—Maxime Mercier—won’t be returning. That spells bad news for anyone set to face these explosive 2013 Division D quarter-finalists.
Mustangs: They’ve dropped the “du Gridiron” from their name, but the team’s core, including gunslinging quarterback Simon Vallée and his top receivers Frank and Mathieu Boulard, are all back. With the team coming off a 7-3 regular season record and a playoff win last winter, it figures to be yet another successful winter for the boys in blue.
Predators: If you think James Floreani’s 54 touchdown passes and his team’s playoff run in Division E this past spring were simply a matter of playing weaker competition, think again: the last time he quarterbacked an entire season, in Division C in spring 2012, Floreani tossed 47 TDs and led his team to a one-point semi-final loss. If he can do it in C and he can do it in E, you can bet Floreani can do the same in D4.
Pickle Fiasco: Last year’s Toute Garnie will be without touchdown-catching machine Timothy Godber and this season’s 10-member team features seven newcomers to the league. Chances are their point differential of plus-210—second-best in Division 4 last year—will take a hit, but any team led by QB Edward Shoshan has a good chance of making some noise.
Smokin’ Aces: The Aces are likely to experience a drop-off in success with Anthony Bozzo—who threw in Division 5 last year—looking poised to replace Daniele Gentile—who led the team to a 7-2-1 record with 58 touchdown passes last season—at quaterback. But that drop-off should be only a slight one considering leading receivers Alex Apostolakis, Nick Meti and Matthew Petrone are all back for this winter’s team.
Ball Busters: They weren’t able to take advantage of a glistening 7-3 record last year in Division 4, losing their opening playoff game on converts, while their one-win season in Division C this past spring was one to forget. But the team has taken the necessary steps to get back on track, most notably adding a valuable defender in Alex Lewis and a proven wideout in Stephan Osman. This team has the ability to do a lot more than merely busting balls over the next few months.
Eskimo Brothers: What’s a preseason top 10 list without at least one surprise? This year marks the Eskimo Brothers’ first winter season as a team, and they’ll be looking to show that their Division E championship this past spring was no fluke. Two-way player of the season Shawn Steen will have little trouble adjusting to the higher competition, having already played in Division C. The bigger question is whether the rest of the team can adjust, too. If so, don’t be surprised to see them do some damage this season.

Picks of the Week

After leaving Peeze in the dust with my picks last season, next in line to feel the wrath of my Nostradamus-like prophetic abilities is Simon Dagenais, your French Division 4 writer. Let the games begin: (picks are in bold)

The Replacements vs. Quack Attack

Lockdown vs. Gotham Knights

Les Prédateurs vs. Broccasion

Channel 4 News Team vs. Coyotes

Lynx vs. The Family

Les Affreux vs. 69ers

T.C.O. vs. Primetime

Fruit Loops vs. Predators

Flying Comics vs. Trapstars

Two and a Half Dans vs. Healthy Scratches

Smokin’ Aces vs. Team Ethnik

Les Maloudes vs. La Sauce

BearSkins vs. Backyard Bullies

Sea Assassins vs. Angry Beavers

Ball Busters vs. Playground

Outlaws vs. The Junks

Fools of the Country vs. Pickle Fiasco

ZOO vs. Jaggerbomb

Mustangs vs. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan (N/A)

57 vs. Knights

Checkmate vs. KGP Lite

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That’s all for today. Be sure to send any questions, criticism or six-pack ab workouts (you know, New Years resolutions and all) to [email protected]. I’d also like to mention that you can send all the hate mail you’d like to [email protected]. Here’s to a good season, everyone!