Spring 2024: Bring On The Heat

Whats Up FPF and all Division D readers! Im very happy to be back with you all so soon after our winter season. Our Winter season was filled with excitement, great performances and memorable moments and I expect the same this Spring. Congratulations on all the Winter season Champions and all Individual award winners. I hope we see great award races and huge performances all season long. Theres a lot of talent in this division and I can’t wait to see how these teams perform.  Many higher division players have presented themselves on division D rosters such as Ben McMahon, Felix Boutet, Nick Groppini and Noah Groper to name just a few. Division D-1 and D-2 Champions Les Renard Vifs and Idaho Udapimps have both moved up to division C so no team is here to defend their Championship which means we will see a new Champion this year and the division seems wide open to me. To kick off week 1 ill introduce my top 10 power rankings and highlight some week 1 matchups that have caught my eye. Week 1 is huge in division D as there are many teams that are playing a double header Sunday night. More then 5 teams are playing a 2 games and usually week 1 is a not as important but in this case, now one wants to go 0-2 off the bat. So lets dive in FPF fans. 

Pre season rankings 

Power rankings are something that I’ve been wanting to have in my articles for quite some time now. They are essentially a snapshot of who’s considered the best at that particular point in time. I have chosen a top 10 Power Ranking as there are a-lot of teams in div D (25) and a top 10 seems like it fits. At the beginning of the season, I’m basically just predicting things from what I see off of rosters and schedule. My power rankings will certainly change once we get on the field and start playing. Ill also assume who’s playing quarterback based on ratings and what I believe would put each team in the best condition to win every week.

Here’s what typically influences power rankings:

• Recent Performance: This is a big one! Recent wins, losses, and the margin of victory/defeat all play a role. A team on a winning streak is likely to climb the rankings. Big performances from star players will also weigh heavily on where I think you’re team belongs in the top 10. 
• Strength of Schedule: Not all wins are equal. Beating a weak team is less impressive than beating a strong team. Power rankings take this into account, giving more weight to wins against tougher opponents. Beating a team that is in the top 10 will surly move you in the rankings. 
• Historical Performances: A team’s past record can also influence their ranking. A team that has consistently been strong is unlikely to plummet in the rankings after a single loss. The start of my rankings will obviously be weighed heavily from this and how well I predict these teams to succeed this spring. 
• Advanced Statistics: Beyond wins and losses, my rankings will consider advanced metrics that attempt to measure a team’s true underlying strength. This is a power ranking, not a standings page so this can include things like points scored and turnovers committed to show how well a team is actually playing. Essentially bring at the top of the rankings means I believe in that team the most to win a playoff game if the season ended that week. 

1. Cookie Monsters

Cookie Monsters last fall went 5-3 in tier 4 but suffered a tough loss in the Quarter Finals to Tune Squad in a heart breaker 39-36. Felix Boutet, Dime and Bougie Allstar is under center for this team throwing for 1000 yards 28 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in their 8 game season. I except them to be a top team as he rostered Jules Regimbald, Arthur Doyon and Noah Davies from division 3’s Dime and Bougie. Felix’s impact rushing the ball and on defence will be hard enough for most division D teams to handle. If he can add being a real threat with his arm this should be a top 3 team all year. Predicted record (9-1)

2. Ambush 

I assume Phil Roberts will play quarterback for this versions of ambush. Ive played against and covered this team in division B and 2 with Ben McMahon as QB. He’s really fast and can play receiver/DB just as well as he plays Q. Last time Phil Roberts threw was in winter 2023 where he threw 38 TDs and 18 INT’s. Their team did mediocre in Division 4 as they only went 5-5 despite having one of FPFs top receivers James Drysdale. Without James, Ben will have to carry the load on the receiving end. This is at least a 7 win team here in division D as I think Phil Roberts can be one of the best statistical quarterbacks in the entire division. Week one will tell a lot after their game vs Cookie Monsters.

3. Love Me Sexy 

First time QB Nick Groppini takes the stage under center. After years of playing in FPF in the higher divisions and becoming an Allstar receiver/ DB Groppini looks to take on a new challenge. After winning Championships in Division A and B last spring, Nick wanted to create a new way to win football games; by throwing touchdowns. Nick feels like with his experience and knowledge after years of playing with some of the best Qbs in FPF like Kevin Wyeth and Jesse Dupuis he can call plays with perfection and execute them as well. With a strong supporting cast with players like myself, Alessandro Barazzoni and Sebastian Gomes this can be a dangerous squad. Rounding out our roster with some young and talented players I expect my team to be one of the stronger teams all season. I see 8 wins coming from my squad led by Nick Groppini. 

4. The Process

In the winter 2023 season, The process led by Noah Groper ended the season 6-3-1 in division 5A. Noah Groper had a good season throwing for 1400 yards 39 touchdowns and 12 INT’s. A few ints less and Groper could have had an amazing season. He also added 300 yards on the ground to his total so it seems to me like his offence should be in check this season. Speaking of offence for The Process, their #1 receiver Ariel Librati is on this roster. Last winter he caught 600 yards an 16 touchdowns. Sounds like an all star stat line to me. This team does play some strong teams this season like Ambush, Cookie Monsters and Hail Marty’s but I still think the Process will be a top team this season. Predicted record (7-3)

5. Notorious C.I.G 

This is a team I think will be able to compete with every team, much like they did last winter in Div 5A. Ending with a record of 4-5-1 and losing in the Quarter Final but also being able to tie the Division 5A champions Sleeping All-stars. I think this team will play to the caliber of their opponents rather then to their teams strengths week to week. Nevertheless this team with Joey Notaro and George Spano can score at will like they did last season connecting for 530 yards and 13 touchdowns. Joey also hauled in 8 converts all season proving to be Spano’s #1 target. This team needs to work better defensively if they want to compete with the top 5 of this division but a top team regardless. Predicted record (7-3)

6. Pack a Punch 

This is a team that has come off an undefeated regular season in division 5B. Their season came to an abrupt end as they got eliminated in the wild card round against Les Sacrifiés 2 in a crazy upset. Pack a Punch had a great season defensively but were unable to stop Les Sacrifiés 2 as they lost 36-20. Turnovers were also a problem for QB Marc Antoine Martin as he threw 3 costly interceptions. His season stats were average for an undefeated team as he threw 25 touchdown and 12 interceptions. He did use his legs well and scored 6 touchdowns on the ground. James Vogas, Stefano De Seta and Micheal De Seta need to be the big dogs for pack a punch if they want to stay in the top 10 power rankings. I think avoiding teams on their schedule like Cookie Monsters and Ambush will fair well for them and their record. I see this team taking some hits compared to last winter but still a 7 win team. 

7. Hail Marty’s 

Veteran team Hail Marty’s is back for another shot at ultimate glory. Their last two playoff runs saw them unable to make a finals appearance despite some good regular season play. Last Spring in Division E Hail Marty’s ended with a record of 9-1 and was a top team in the division. This Winter in division 5A the team saw less dominance but was still 6-4. QB Marty Freedman has played well in both season as he threw for 35 touchdowns and over 10 interceptions in both seasons. Freedman is also very good at using his legs to pick up yards as he has rushed for over 100 yards in both season as well. One thing that worries me about this Hail Marty’s roster is that they might be without their best overall player Brandon Vickers. Catching 10 touchdowns and snagging 5 ints last winter he was Hail Marty’s clear MVP. I still predict this team to win games and be competitive but they might be missing their X factor without Vickers. This is a difficult team to predict their record but I’m assuming 6-4 as they probably lose 1 or 2 games by one possession. 

8.  VTown 

VTown is back for their 4th season here in spring 2024. The last time they put together a squad was two years ago where VTown competed in div 6 and ended with a 5-2-3 and in division D and finished with a 3-7 record. Although their records are a little underwhelming I think this team has been trending in the right direction and get another crack at division D. Johnathan Velasco is the presumed starting quarterback as he has been the one of two quarterbacks to throw for VTown. My biggest concern for this team is weather their #1 target Vito Rizzuto will be playing this season. He has been the best source of offence for this team as his height,speed and solid hands make for a great receiver. I can see this team being successful, assuming Vito will be present, especially early on in the season as their schedule seems a little light to me through the first 5 weeks. Predicted number of wins; 6.

9. GloGang 

GloGang is back in Div D after a 2 year hiatus. Spring 2021 was an average season as they finished with a 5-4-1 record. I think Glogangs biggest issue that season was inconsistency at the quarterback position. They had 5 different guys play quarterback for them. Im not sure if that was because Bruno Provencher was unable to attend most games but having different Qbs week after week is horrible for chemistry and connection. Top receiver for GloGang Olivier Suri does not appear on the roster and I do think that could impact GloGangs ability to put up points on the board. I can’t lie GloGang has one of the toughest schedules this season, set to face off against Cookie Monsters, Ambush, Love Me Sexy and 3 other teams I have included in my preseason top 10 rankings. This team has a chance to get quality wins as well as some tough losses so I foresee this team bouncing up and down the power rankings week to week. I predict a minimum of 6 weeks nonetheless. 

10. Slippery Slopes 

This team is basically last winters Div 5A RudBoyz. With players like Jeremy Pelletier, Trevor Ruffner, and Sevag Mikhlian the top players of RudBoyz are here. I assume Raffi Bastadjian will be under center even though last season was filled with INTS. Bastadjian threw 25 touchdowns and 21 INTS and RudBoyz only won 3 games. Now you might be wondering why I have this team here in the top 10. The 2 reasons for that are; 1. I believe that after a season full of turnovers Raffi Bastadjian will protect the ball better and keep it out of harms way as he saw what will happen when you turn the ball over frequently. The second reason is that despite their losing record, this squad has some strong performances against teams that are in Div D this season such as beating Hail Marty’s and losing a close 26-24 game to Notorious C.I.G. I’m predicting these teams to be successful so, if Slippery Slopes can compete with them last season, I don’t see why they can’t teeter around the top 10. I see this team surprising div D with 6 wins  

I would like to note that I have been covering Division C, Tier 2, and Div 1 & 2 , so many of these teams and names are new to me. I am excited to discover the up and coming names of FPF and if you feel like I left your team off the top 10 and deserve to be there all you gotta do is go out and show me why you belong. Prove to me why your team should be higher on the list and lets have a great competitive season. When Divisions are top heavy it becomes a little stale when covering and playing in a division. But after covering division 2 last season, watching #2 and #3 seed get knocked out of playoffs by #10 seeds was really fun to watch. 

Game of the week 

Big Week 1 Matchup: Ambush vs. Cookie Monsters 

Week 1 kicks off with a blockbuster as pre-season favourites Ambush take on the high-powered Cookie Monsters in Division D. This game has all the makings of a banger, with both teams ranked #1 and #2 respectively in the power rankings.

All eyes will be on Phil Roberts, the veteran quarterback for the Ambush. He’ll need to establish dominance early and walk all over the Cookie Monsters’ passing defence. With James Drysdale missing from their roster, the question remains: who will step up as the #2 receiver alongside Ben McMahon? Kevin Donnet, with his past success, seems the most likely candidate. Can he replicate his double-digit touchdown seasons and provide a reliable target for Roberts? On the other hand, Felix Boutet: The X-Factor for the Cookie Monsters. The Cookie Monsters’ success hinges on the performance of their quarterback, Felix Boutet. If Ambush struggles to contain him, Boutet’s scrambling ability could extend plays and pick up crucial first downs. This could spell trouble for the Ambush defense in their season opener. This game boils down to a battle of strengths. Can the Ambush effectively pressure Boutet and force him into errant throws? Or will Boutet’s mobility and the Cookie Monsters’ passing attack dismantle the Ambush defense, especially with the absence of a proven #2 receiving threat and a ball hawking safety. 

While Ambush hold the edge on paper, the Cookie Monsters should not be underestimated as I firmly believe they will be a top team this season. This is a game that could go either way especially after having seen none of these teams on the field making a prediction is tougher then you may think. The team that executes their game plan better and avoids crucial mistakes will likely emerge victorious. Be prepared for a nail-biter! I have no choice but to choose my #1 ranked team in the power rankings in a tight one possession game 36-34 Cookie Monsters

Weekly Predictions 

Glogang  Vs.  Cookie Monsters 

Brewers  Vs.  Snowdon Deli Degens 

Jägerbombers Vs.  Les Studz

Ball Hawks    Vs.   Ambush

Bandits Vs.  SNP

No Punt Intended Vs.   Les Studz 

Knights 2.0 Vs.  SNP 

The Process  Vs.  Hail Marty’s

Hail Marty’s   Vs.   Black Shinobi  

Brewers    Vs.   Jägerbombers

Ball Hawks  Vs.   Pack a Punch 

Old Pats   Vs.   VTown 

LargeLifeSyle   Vs.   Bandits