Rehan’s Report (D1) – Week 7

So what was that word that we kept on repeating at the beginning and most throughout the season? You know the word that signifies how insanely tight division 1 is this Winter season? That word is parity and look at week 7 match ups, every game was won by one score only which only proves that as the season winds down, there should be a lot of close battles and to win division 1 in its entirety will be a great feat, something well deserved. Who will it be? I wish I could even narrow it down to 3 however I believe that 5 teams in division 1 can take the title this season but we’ll leave that to another day. Next week I’ll start slowly getting into the possible playoff match ups but for now I’ll recap last week’s action.

 

Last weekend’s games started with a rivalry which stems back to Winter 2008 season when the Demons were upset by the Express. This time around it is a different division and a somewhat different team however the intensity was about the same. You almost feel that whenever Carmine Pollice and Patrick Chenard go head to head, it is the QB who stays more focused on the game who will win and in week 7, Carmine Pollice had the edge. The Demons won a close game in 31-26. Patrick Chenard only threw for 97 yards however had 4 TDs and only 1 INT whereas his counterpart, Carmine Pollice, threw for 153 yards, 5 TDs and also 1 INT. The Demons did a somewhat decent job of containing Mr. Chenard in the pocket as he only rushed for 40 yards however the key interception by Carmine Pollice would prove to be the difference. Rochdi Benabdelkader, Paul Lapierre and Benny Goodfriend caught the touchdowns while Mike Harrington was only limited to 1 catch for 6 yards. The Express incorporated the big man they called Zecevic into the offense, he had 2 catches for 2 TDs and perhaps they can use more of this down the road as it only makes sense to stand him up and throw high. However some questions have risen up about Express, have they really stepped up their game or do they just know how to play well against the Demons? We have to give the Express some credit because moving to a higher division was an honorable move on their part and despite being 1-6, they have played some great football in their first season in division 1. I truly do believe that they can run with the best of them however might not have the experience at this point in time that the other teams have due to the fact it is their rookie season in the elite division. Nonetheless we should give them a few years and they shall explode, like a young Moe Khan after talking to a girl for the first time.

 

Moving on to Montreal’s Finest who took on the surging Rainmakers, this game finished very tight with Nathan Taylor ripping a ball out of the Rainmakers’ receiver, hence securing the game for the Finest. Rainmakers can take some positive from this match up, they went toe to toe with the first place team and were a TD away from a tie. The final score was 41-34. Kevin Wyeth had a regular day at the office as he threw for 159 yards, 5 TDs with no INTs and Ryan Kastner threw for 141 yards, 5 TDs and also no INTs so what was the difference? The points after TD? NO! Kevin Wyeth rushing TD proved to be the difference. It seems to me that Mr. Wyeth is on a mission especially since he was called a “choke” artist by someone in this league, which was definitely misinterpreted. Keep in mind however that he will have a rematch against the Demons next week, which I am sure he wants more than anything. Nevertheless, after a great performance this past weekend I have decided to nickname this young man Wyeth Earp. Kevin Challenger had a great day as well catching three passes for three TDs and also contributing on defense with an INT. An interesting thing to note is that Kishon Thompson was held off the score sheet and had no catches but he did have 6 tackles on offense. The Rainmakers defense wasn’t able to disrupt Kevin Wyeth’s flow all game. The Rainmakers are criticized for their lack of physical and gritty play in games because they are seen as a team whose style is finesse. Even though I believe that is their strength and you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, they still need to get more physical and gritty if they intend to go far in playoffs but lets not take anything away from Montreal’s Finest, they played a “helluva” game especially after losing their first of the year to Demons in week 6 but they will get a chance at redemption in week 8.

 

The last match of week 7 featured Hurricanes and the CLR Forces who were coming off a bye week. Would the week off affect them? Can the Hurricanes lose three in a row? Well it seemed like the week off affected the CLR Forces a little bit because they were slow at the start however they kept it close and at the end of the first half the game was 19-13 in favor of the Hurricanes. In the second half, the CLR Forces couldn’t get an edge on the Hurricanes and both teams put up 13 points each resulting in a Hurricanes win with the final being 32-26. Rick Nincheri played solid as he threw for 178 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT and had a 73% pass completion. Frederic Dupuis had good stats as well but not excellent, he threw for 137 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INT but only completed just over 50% of his passes. A major reason for the latter is the Hurricanes defense who was determined to slow Freddy Dupuis down and they did not only that but limited the CLR Forces best receiver, Guillaume Ward, to 2 catches for 24 yards and no TDs. For the Hurricanes, Shane Williams contributed quite well to the offense as he caught 6 balls for 79 yards and 3 TDs. The Hurricanes definitely needed this win to gain some momentum especially we are 3 weeks away from playoffs. As for the CLR Forces, they were only one score away from beating the Hurricanes so they have to regain the intensity they had before the bye week if they intend to go far in playoffs. They play two games in week 8 so this would be the time to not only go 2-0 but gain some confidence heading into the post-season.

 

And that rounds up this week’s review and it is now time to name the three STARwars of the week.

 

3rd star: Shane Williams (Hurricanes) did a great job on offense, providing some clutch receptions. He had 6 catches for 79 yards and 3 TDs.

 

2nd star: Rick Nincheri (Hurricanes) went 19-26 for 178 yards with 5 TDs, helping the Hurricanes stop a two game losing steak.

 

1st star: Kevin Wyeth (Montreal’s Finest) went 15-22 for 159 yards with TDs while also rushing for a TD while keeping his squad still in first place.

 

 

Sarwar’s Spread

 

Yes, this portion of my article has returned. Everyone should keep the following in mind: I only allocate the spreads, I don’t pick the teams who will win or cover it. Since that is now clear, I am free of any responsibility of owning a losing record. .

 

1. Hurricanes (4-3) vs. Express (1-6): Hurricanes are happy that they are now back on the winning side but shouldn’t get too excited just yet, they face a very streaky team in the Express. The Hurricanes defense will be challenged with containing Patrick Chenard in the pocket and Rick Nincheri will have to look past the big man they call Zecevic. If the Hurricanes stay focused, they can definitely come out with the victory but it won’t be as convincing as it was back in week 2. Hurricanes – 9.5

 

1. CLR Forces (3-3) vs. Rainmakers (4-4): This game is the FlagPlus Football Game of the Week. It all comes down to finesse versus intensity. CLR Forces will need to play physical against the Rainmakers to slow them down otherwise it will be a one way score-fest. If the Rainmakers defense can get into Freddy Dupuis’ head early, they should win this game comfortably. Rainmakers – 6.5

 

1. CLR Forces (3-3) vs. Wolverines (1-5): The Wolverines definitely need to win this game however they will be in tough against a strong CLR Forces squad who will already played once this week and therefore will be in game shape. If Tony Tabet is at the helm, I see the Wolverines putting up some points but the key will be the Wolverines’ defense and how they try to slow down Mr. Dupuis and Mr. Ward. CLR Forces – 7.5

 

1. Montreal’s Finest (6-1) vs. Demons (5-2): This game will be the best game this weekend and it will be for first place in division 1. It might be fairly obvious to say this but the QB who makes the least mistakes will win the game but more important, the extra points will determine the winner. I am giving Demons the slight advantage because I believe the experience of Carmine Pollice will prove to be the difference. Demons – 2.5

 

 

For the most part, the playoff teams are set right now. The only two teams battling for the last spot are Express and Wolverines, with the Express holding the tie breaker. The Wolverines need to rekindle some of the magic they once had in division 1 or they might be staring at their first non-playoff season. Furthermore they will need to do it by winning at least one of their remaining 4 games while hoping the Express loses their 3 remaining games. It will be a daunting task but as we have learned and seen so far in division 1, anything is possible.

 

 

Well that wraps it up for this week’s report. I will sign off and let everyone get back to their work or whatever it is that you guys do to pass time. If you have any comments/suggestions don’t hesitate to message me on Facebook or [email protected] and I’ll catch you next week same STARWAR time, same STARWAR article.