Rehan’s Report (D1) – Week 8

 

We are two weeks away from the playoffs and five out of the possible six spots are filled, however, where they will be placed after week 10 still remains to be seen. The last spot for the playoffs will either go to the Wolverines or the Express but currently the Express has the advantage due to point differential; more on this later on in the article. This past week we saw a tie between the Montreal’s Finest and the Demons, what does this mean? Keep reading and you’ll find out. Also, the CLR Forces went 2-0 over the weekend and are ready to battle the Montreal’s Finest. So at this point in season what else can be said but the following: As JR would say on the WWF (now WWE) “business is about to pick up”. We are nearing the end of season yet the fun is just about to begin. OK it is now time to quickly recap last week’s action.

 

Week 8 Report

 

In week 2, the Hurricanes obliterated the Express by a score of 51-20. They faced again last week and a lot has changed since then; the Express won a game and more importantly the Hurricanes lost three (2 more games than they did all of the Winter 2008 season). Therefore one could draw a conclusion that the Hurricanes might win again but the margin of victory would be small. We learned the more things change, the more they remain the same. The Hurricanes annihilated the Express by a final count of 53-22. Rick Nincheri went 13 for 19 for 211 yards with 6 TDs. Robby Robinson caught 5 passes for 82 yards and 2 TDs and dropped another sure TD in the end zone on long pass. Every Hurricane receiver caught a TD pass. At the half, the score was 26-0 which speaks volume for the Hurricanes defense as they controlled Patrick Chenard quite well. In the second half, Patrick Chenard got it going a bit by throwing a TD pass and running two in, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Shane Williams had a great game defensively showing he is an elite two-way player, he had 1 tackle, 3 PDs and a “pick six” special. The Hurricanes’ defense had 6 PDs, 4 INTs and 1 sack in total. Does this mean the Hurricanes are back? Hardly! Sure they performed well but it was against a team with a 1-6 record. One thing is certain; they should use it to build confidence and momentum going forward. The Hurricanes will take on a desperate Wolverines team next week and rival Demons squad in week 10. As for the Express, they get a rematch against the Demons next week followed by the Rainmakers in Week 10.

 

Moving on, CLR Forces played two games this past weekend. The first game was against the Rainmakers which they won 32-22. Fred Dupuis and Guillaume Ward had a great outing. Dupuis completed 15 of 26 passes for 186 yards with 5 TDs and 1 INT while Ward had 4 receptions for 120 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively, Ward had 1 tackle, 2 INTs and 3 PDs. This game was all about the CLR Forces’ defense though, as they sacked Ryan Kastner three times and picked him off twice, thus never letting him get into his rhythm. Furthermore, the CLR Forces put the points on the board when it was required. CLR Forces won the season series 2-0. Speaking of the Rainmakers, questions regarding the toughness of the Rainmakers squad have come into question. I touched on this a little bit last week but it seemed to be a factor again this past weekend. They must address this issue going into the playoffs and can do so when they play against the Express in week 10. CLR Forces are definitely a great combination of grit and talent and they would show that again on Sunday evening when they took on the Wolverines. If the Wolverines weren’t already aware (which definitely surprises me given the fact that it is common knowledge now) of the great duo of Freddy Dupuis and Guillaume Ward, they definitely learned that lesson the hard way. Dupuis went 17-27 for 221 yards with 5 TDs and Ward had 5 catches for exactly 100 yards with 3 TDs, quite similar to the stats they put up Saturday evening. The Wolverines were up 13-7 at the half but were outscored 26-14 in the second half. The game would come down to a last minute play in which the CLR Forces squeaked out a victory with a final score of 33-27. CLR won both games this weekend and face a great team in Montreal’s Finest in week 9 and the Wolverines again in week 10. The Wolverines were oh-so-close, but at this point in the season, it is not good enough! A little more on them a bit later.

 

Finally, the main event of the weekend was Montreal’s Finest facing the Demons. Two weeks ago, these teams met in a game in which the Demons won closely, the Finest definitely had revenge on their minds. More importantly, Demons were two points behind Montreal’s Finest, so beating them would tie the two teams and would propel the Demons into first place. With all the talent that resides on both teams, it is no wonder that this game ended in a tie (the first this season). Both QBs put up solid numbers. Kevin Wyeth was 18 of 23 for 206 yards with 5 TDs and Carmine Pollice was 25 of 40 for 241 yards with 5 TDs; both QBs also threw 1 INT. It was a back and forth type of game, something we all expected, and each team made the most out of their opportunities. The game came down to the last couple of plays where the Demons had a chance to win but weren’t able to punch it in. Rochdi Benabdelkader had 11 receptions for 110 yards and 2 TDs while Keishon Thompson was the top performer for the Finest, 3 catches for 2 TDs and 6 tackles along with 2 PDs. Like I said before, a tie is a fitting result provided both teams are equally strong. What does this mean for Demons chances to finish first overall or even a first round bye? Demons will need the Finest to lose at least one of their next two games (CLR Forces and Wolverines) while winning both of their games to clinch first overall. If they can’t finish first, they can finish 2nd by winning their remaining two games. However they can also finish 3rd (which would mean they would play in the first round of playoffs) because the Hurricanes are only 1 point behind them (they play in week 10) and also hold the head-to-head tie breaker. For the Montreal’s Finest it is simple, win the next two and you clinch first overall.

 

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

 

3rd star: Rochdi Benabdelkader (Demons) had 11 receptions for 110 yards and 2TDs, enough said.

 

2nd star: Frederic Dupuis (CLR Forces vs. Rainmakers) definitely engineered great drives to help his squad beat a very talented Rainmakers team. He was 15 of 26 for 186 yards for 5 TDs and 1 INT.

 

1st star: Guillaume Ward (CLR Forces vs. Rainmakers) has a sensational performance proving why he is one of the top wide receivers in this league. On offense he had 4 receptions for 120 yards with 3 TDs; on defense he had 1 tackle, 3 PDs and intercepted Ryan Kastner on two occasions.

 

 

Playoff Picture

 

The top four teams are close in points in which the 4th place team CLR Forces are 3 points behind 1st place Montreal’s Finest, 1 point behind 2nd place Demons and tied with Hurricanes in points but don’t have the head-to-head advantage. Hopefully week 9 will clarify this picture a little more since Montreal’s Finest take on CLR Forces. Rainmakers are pretty much locked in the 5th spot and won’t play until week 10 and they should use that game to tune up for playoffs. So what happens to the last playoff spot?

 

Currently the Wolverines and the Express, 1-6 and 1-7 respectively, are battling it out for the last spot. If both teams finished with 1 win at the end of the season, the Express would likely have the advantage based on point differential (the teams split their season series). Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they don’t face the Express again this season so they must try to get one win in the last three games while hoping the Express lose their remaining two contests. Here are the remaining opponents for both teams:

 

Express: Demons, Rainmakers

Wolverines: Hurricanes, Montreal’s Finest and CLR Forces

 

It is quite possible that the Express could go 0-2. In that case, the only team I see the Wolverines beating is CLR Forces. I say this because last weekend the Wolverines almost won against the CLR Forces and might be better prepared for their next encounter in week 10. How exciting would it be for the Wolverines to clinch playoffs on the last game of their season and furthermore the last game of division 1 2009 regular season! It would be a perfect ending to an already remarkable season we’ve experienced thus far. You better believe that if the Wolverines’ playoffs hopes come down to that Sunday evening, I’ll have my popcorn ready.

 

 

Sarwar’s Spread

 

Montreal’s Finest (6-1-1) vs. CLR Forces (5-3): CLR Forces are turning it on again as they went 2-0 last weekend. Montreal’s Finest are definitely a more complete team but you can never underestimate the intensity and ferociousness of the CLR Forces, especially since they know they have a possibility of getting a first round bye. I see this as a close game but I will make this my upset special of the week with the CLR Forces pulling out a close victory. CLR Forces – 2.5

 

Hurricanes (5-3) vs. Wolverines (1-6): Hurricanes had a “confidence” win last week and will look to build on it again in week 9; it will be a comfortable win. Hurricanes – 10.5

 

Demons (5-2-1) vs. Express (1-7): Every time these two teams meet, the game ends up closer than expected. Week 9 contest will be no different. The Express need this win to inch closer to a playoff spot however they will be in tough against a talented Demons squad that has their eyes set on a first round bye. Demons – 6.5

 

 

Keep in mind, every team has something to play for in week 9 and that is why every game will have a playoff like atmosphere. 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.