Division 4B Finals: Nothing feels better than winning (it all)

Nothing feels better than winning. For 4th & Schlong, that is all they have known since Valentine’s day. On the 14th of February, after a disastrous 0-3 start, 4th & Schlong faced a tough opponent in a game of struggle for both offenses and prowess from both defenses. In the end, 4th & Schlong proved victorious and haven’t looked back. They have won 10 straight games to make it all the way to the finals, in which they will face the team they beat to start this fabulous run: The Penetrators.

It hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine for The Penetrators this season. They finished the season with a disappointing 6-4 record, which created a tough road ahead for them in the playoffs. After getting rid of Mengoose in the wild card round, they were to face a relentless force in X-Men. While many thought this would be a close contest between two very talented teams, the Penetrators just proved themselves too strong winning by a dominant score of 45-25. The road to the finals was still far from assured, as they had to face the mighty Renard Vifs, who had steamrolled through opposition all the way to a 9-1 record. The Penetrators once again asserted dominance to punch their ticket in the finals with another splendid performance, scoring 40 points and allowing only 20 to what had been the most prolific offense in 4B. They now have their sights locked and loaded on the championship trophy.

I had the pleasure of interviewing The Penetrators’ quarterback Justin Goodman. Here’s what he had to say about his team’s season and his mentality coming into the Finals.

Question 1: Despite a somewhat disappointing 6-4 record, you guys just destroyed two of the favorites in X-Men and Les Renards Vifs. How confident are you about the finals vs. 4th and Schlong?

JG: “The 6-4 record was deceiving. We beat Les Renards Vifs quite easily earlier in the season however forfeited due to an illegal substitute that we were unaware of. And 2 other losses were on the last play of the game (4th & schlong and Wolf Pack, which was a miracle Hail Mary). So we easily could’ve and probably should’ve been 9-1. I would be very confident going into the finals if we were a full team, however the timing is not ideal and I believe in this group, but it will be tougher to pull off the win.”

Unfortunately, it seems that The Penetrators will only be 6 players for the Finals…tough break, but if any team can pull it off, it’s them.

Question 2: You’ve just had 2 of your best performances of the season. How are you feeling about your game at the moment?

JG: “I’ve had an up and down season personally, but recently I’ve altered the offence slightly and found a dynamic rhythm with my guys as we continue to build chemistry and it all has clicked in this playoff run. I’m feeling great about my game and I’m looking forward to carrying this forward into future seasons.”

Justin has only been playing FPF since Winter 2022, has consistently improved and is looking to make another step in Division C next spring.

Question 3: I’ve raved about your team’s defense throughout the season. Does having such a defense backing you up influence how you approach the game offensively?

JG: “Obviously as a quarterback it always helps a great deal when your defense can create turnovers and hold opponents to a few touchdowns or less per game. But it doesn’t influence how I approach the game offensively. I always want to score on every drive regardless of the defense I have backing me up.”

Justin has shown an impressive level of maturity and composure since his start in FPF, one of the most valuable skills for quarterbacks.

Question 4: Matthew Caponi exploded and had the best season of his career. What makes him so special as a player (offense and defense)?

JG: “The main word that comes to mind with Matt Caponi is feisty. He’s always ready to go and eager to make plays on both sides of the ball. He has a nose for the ball and whether that’s getting open on offence or making his way to the ball in the air on defence, he seems to be involved in more plays than anyone else on the field. He’s a natural born soccer player, but you would never guess that by the aggressiveness he shows on the football field.”

Matthew Caponi’s best season before Winter 2024 was in Winter 2023 when he had 200 yards, 7TDs, 1INT and 7PDs. This season, he’s scored 13TDs, has added 493 yards, has intercepted opposing quarterbacks 7 times (2pick-6s), and has deflected 10 passes. It’s also interesting how well soccer players translate to flag. The first two players that came to mind are Felix Boutet and Phil Pharand, who’ve both been dominant thanks to their elite speed and route running.

Question 5: You fell to 4th & Schlong in the regular season by a score of 20-18. Do you view this as a revenge game or is this just business as usual for you guys?

JG: “That game was a tough game as both defences really stood up to the challenge and they ended up winning on the last play of the game. I believe that game started their incredible run that led them to this point. So of course we would like to be the ones to end their run that started with us.”

No matter what the result of this game will be, it’s an amazing storyline that 4th & Schlong’s invincible run may conclude with a championship over the first team they beat to start it, but that it also might end on a loss to the very same team.

Bonus question from Iggy Magnets:

You’ve played in a Finals somewhat recently, in the Fall Cup 2022, where you made a huge comeback, down 3 possessions. What edge do you believe that gives you, if any, for your team over 4th and Shlong?

JG: “That finals game was incredible for us, however I don’t think that will give us much of an edge over 4th & schlong. I know they have a few very experienced FPF players and while they may not have won a championship together, they probably do have championship experience so we’re not putting anything past them. Hopefully we’re not in a situation where we need a miraculous comeback again too!”

It’s truly a shame that The Penetrators will not be at full power for this Finals Game, but they can be absolutely proud of what they’ve accomplished along the way. Thank you to Justin Goodman for his very insightful answers regarding this season and the finals.

4TH & SCHLONG: Against all odds, invincible?

As an Arsenal fan, it made just too much sense to have the 2004 Invincible run as the feature picture for this article. It made even more sense when I heard that some of you love soccer and might hate the Gunners. Anyways, what 4th & Schlong have accomplished is unprecedented in FPF. Starting off the season 0-3 and winning all remaining games on the way to the chip would be an astonishing feat. I called it. I said on the CTA podcast that I believed 4th & Schlong could go undefeated the rest of the regular season, and it happened. What I had not foreseen, however, is that they would carry it into the finals. With teams such as Les Renards Vifs, X-Men, The Penetrators, Killer Rays and Pocket Rockets, I was not expecting 4th & Schlong to make it all the way here. It was not necessarily pretty, but they overcame Voodoo, upset Pocket Rockets, and surprised the mighty Killer Rays and Tyler Gurberg.

In his first full season in FPF (not counting Jr.), George Koutsoukos excelled. Perhaps it took a bit of time to get truly into it and figure out concepts, but he’s shown to be one of the young QBs with the most potential. He’s only improved as the season got along and is truly one to watch in future seasons.

4th & Schlong’s story is way more than just Koutsoukos’ though. It’s a story of new faces and a story of OGs. Let’s start with the new faces.

Alexandre Dessureault is a newcomer to FPF with lots of potential. In his first season, he’s scored 9TDs (team leader) and has added 295 yards receiving. It is also Philippe Trudel‘s first full FPF season, in which he has 7TDs and 281 yards.

Now the OGs. Justin Lerner, Nick Madimenos, John Madimeno and Daron Migdesyan have been playing FPF together since 2015, but have only won one championship (except Lerner, who’s won another), which was in 2016, their second season, with Small Giants, back when Lerner was the QB. It has been 8 years since they’ve won a championship, and they will surely look to remedy that on Saturday. Michael Caparelli hasn’t played FPF as long as Migdesyan has, but he was 4th & Schlong’s QB for the past 3 season. He has yet to win a championship.

Justin Lerner has always been a fantastic receiver, but had taken a more modest role in the regular season only having 3TDs and 107 yards. He seems to have gone back to his old ways in the playoffs, leading the team in both yards (199) and touchdowns (4).

Enough with the storylines, what about the game?

Alright, enough yapping. These 2 teams have great stories, but what about the actual game? Who is the better team?

From what I’ve seen, The Penetrators have beaten the better teams in this playoff run, and they have done so with dominance. I do have to take into consideration the fact the team will only be 6, and playing with 6 is always a risk (Injury, OC). I also don’t know who will be missing. I know that if Mathew Caponi and Nicholas Fon are there, the Penetrators have a great chance of winning, but if either or is missing, it might get much harder. We’ve yet to talk about Nicholas Fon, who I believe is just as key to Caponi, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I said in a previous article that Fon probably should have won defensive player of the year, and he’s only proven it more in the playoffs. He’s got 3INTs, 3 sacks and a pick-6 in 3 games. Luca Chiricosta has also been crucial for this defense, as his excellent rushing has allowed Fon to go into coverage when needed. Mass Chiricosta is also a great depth piece for this team, as he’s proven his reliability in a smaller role. It’s also the case for Jared Boidman, Jeremy Naimer and Joshua Ginsberg.

For 4th & Schlong, it’s going to be a tough ask to guard the athletic receivers of The Penetrators. They do have a lot of intelligent players on that defense with Daron Migdesyan and Michael Caparelli. Every player but Dessureault has gotten an interception this postseason. Justin Goodman will have to carry his great postseason play into the finals.

My prediction

I think that despite only being 6, The Penetrators have the edge here. They have the two most dominant players in Caponi and Fon (if they’re present), and have great supporting pieces. But as has been made clear this season, 4th & Schlong are not to be underestimated, especially not after winning 10 in a row. I will predict a 33-32 victory for Penetrators.

The last one

Well, this is it. This is my final article for the Winter 2024 season. It has been an amazing season with great storylines and fun thought exercises, but all good things must come to an end.

I would like to thank everyone who has read and supported my articles. I hope to keep seeing you guys around at the fields and keep covering some of your FPF careers.

Thank you.