Categories: Division 2

Division 2: Contenders, Pretenders, and We’re Not Sure Yet

This is the final week of the regular season All of the Division 2 playoffs spots are accounted for. The only thing that needs to be decided is who will finish where, as there are still a few seeds that haven’t been settled.

This is the perfect time to release my annual Contenders, Pretenders, and We’re Not Sure Yet article. The categories are self-explanatory. Each team will be placed in a category based off how they played this year, and how real I think their chances are at winning the championship.

I have done this article for every division that I have written for. As I always say, if you don’t agree with where I place your team, prove me wrong.

Contenders

Dirty Birds (8-2)

The Dirty Birds have led wire to wire the entire way. Besides having the top record in the division, they also have a high-scoring offense and the top defense in Div 2. They’ve won games via blowout, and more importantly, the team has shown that they can come up with a play when they need it to pull out a nail-biting victory.

The Dirty Birds are the odds-on favourite to it all, as they have length, speed, size, the clutch gene, and championship pedigree. Just because you are the number one seed, however, doesn’t guarantee you will walk away with the trophy.  Just look at my Duke Blue Devils. Can the Dirty Birds fulfill their destiny and win it all? We will find out shortly.

EZW (7-3)

The hottest team in Division 2 has ripped off a seven straight wins, and in the process staked a claim to being the top team in the division.

The key to the team’s success has mainly been driven by their offense, as Quarterback Jeremy White has erased any doubt as to who will win the QB of the Year award, as he leads all passers in touchdown passes (63), yards (2534), QB Rating (128.2) and is tied for second in completion percentage at 72%. All five of this starting Receivers have at least six TD catches and 20 receptions. This tells you that White is not only getting everyone involved, but he is also reading defenses with ease, and dismantling them with his arm, feet, and mind.

The only worry I have about this team is on the other side of the ball. While they have held two of their last four opponents (#NR and OneStop) to three touchdowns or less, EZW has also given up 50 points on two occasions (Idaho Udapimps and FINS UP). In their regular season finale, they allowed 63 against the Vultures.

EZW’s win streak has been one of the biggest storylines of the season. Their plan to win it all might simply be to just outscore everyone. That could work, even as things get tighter in the playoffs defensively. An easier route would be getting a stop or two per game. Can EZW make that happen?

Shake & Bake (6-3)

This team is deep and talented. They have proven they can go score for score with anyone. They possess signature victories over OneStop, FINS UP, Silent Ticklers, and Idaho Udapimps. Those wins matter, as does the fact that they came within a play of beating both EZW and the Dirty Birds.

Heading into the post-season, Shake & Bake is playing their best ball of the year, as they have won three out of their last four games. Their only stumble was a heart-breaking (34-33) loss to Kush & Korinthians 13 three weeks ago. The group has a chance to make it four wins in their last five, and three in a row if they can get past Dime & Bougie tomorrow night in Laval, in what should be a solid matchup. Can they get it done?

The Infantry (6-4)

A regular season-ending loss to the Dirty Birds not only halted their four-game winning streak, but it also killed any chances The Infantry had at finishing first in the standings.

The loss doesn’t bump the team from the contender category however, as The Infantry still have the skill and championship experience to get the last laugh in mid May during the Finals. The only question that needs to be asked is can they make it happen, and will their Quarterback in AJ Gomes, be able to avoid the same mistakes he did in the four-interception performance he put up last Monday versus the Dirty Birds, if he sees them, or any other ball-hawking and dominant defense like OneStop, Shake & Bake, Dime & Bougie? We are about to find out.

OneStop (6-3)

They have the fourth ranked defense in Division 2. It should be no surprise as the unit is led by ballhawks in Charles Cossette, Jahnai Lewis, and Ryan McNally.

Offensively this team may not be a top-5 unit (they currently sit in 9th place) but they still can put points on the board. Quarterback Michael Caparelli gets the ball out quickly and into the hands of his playmakers in variety of ways. His ability to hit his targets in stride and launch the ball from different angles especially on the run, is what makes OneStop so lethal on that side of the ball.

The QB clearly believes in sharing the wealth as all 10 players who caught a pass for OneStop this season has at least one touchdown. That is impressive.

OneStop has gone (2-2) in their last four games, with wins over Vultures and the next team on the list. They suffered setbacks versus EZW and Shake & Bake. They finish off the regular season against the Silent Ticklers tonight in St. Laurent, in a crucial showdown for both teams. A win for OneStop would give them another statement victory to add to their total.

I picked OneStop as my sleeper to win it all back in January. This team is anything but a sleeper at this point. Can they live up to the hype?

Pretenders

Silent Tickers (5-4)

This team has talent, playmakers, and chemistry. What they are lacking is signature wins. Besides their Week 12 victory on the final play of the game versus FINS UP, that was controversial to say the least, the Silent Tickles are winless against the likes of the Dirty Birds, Shake & Bake, and Idaho Udapimps. The last two of those games have taken place over their last four games.

The Silent Ticklers have an opportunity to make a statement tonight as they take on OneStop in a game I will be scorekeeping tonight in St. Laurent. A win by the underdogs would not only have me re-evaluating their position, but it would have them entering the playoffs with some solid momentum.

FINS UP (6-4)

They have a quality win over OneStop and were the last team to beat EZW. Both games were impressive. Those victories, however, get balanced out by losses to the equally tough Dirty Birds, and Idaho Udapimps.

Losses at the hands of the Silent Ticklers and Shake & Bake, does FINS UP no favors, when it comes to making an argument that this team is a contender, but those aren’t as bad as barley escaping with wins versus winless #NR, and (1-9) Mangoose, which was their only victory in their last four games. Those two reasons are why this squad is a pretender in my book.  

Party Ballers (5-5)

This team finished the regular season on a two-game winning streak, with victories over both KGP and Kush & Korinthians 13. They also came within a possession of becoming the first team to beat EZW since Week 3, as they fell (42-35) three weeks ago.

The Party Ballers have two of the best Receivers in the country in El Andre Abbey of the Concordia Stingers, and Hassane Dosso of the U of M Carabins. The duo along with FPF veteran Corey Williams, are the straw that stirs the drink for the team’s offense. On the other side of the ball this team has elite playmaker in the duo of Vincy Biandé and Francois Hogue.

What this team does lack however is depth. Players like Kaylyn St-cyr, Coslens Clairveaux, Jonathan Mambila, and Caleb Faulkner, who have all helped the Party Ballers reach five wins, are as of press time, not eligible to compete in the playoffs, as they have only played four games, one short of the post-season limit to qualify.

Those losses are huge, as they now only have seven players eligible to play starting next week. The lack of depth, and the fact that the team’s starting Quarterback in Ezechiel Tieide, has never led a team to the playoffs playing QB, are the reasons why I have the Party Ballers on the Pretenders list.

Vultures (5-5)

I talked about this team with Quaysie on the podcast this week. I asked him whether the presence of 11-time All-Star James Drysdale, who only played five games this year including the last two straight, would be enough to catapult this squad into contender status. Quaysie felt that it wasn’t.

I also feel that this team isn’t a contender, but it has nothing to do with Drysdale, who most would agree is in the conversation for the best player in the league. I don’t see the Vultures as being a true championship threat because of their defense. They are the only unit that has given up 400 points (411).

To add context, the defense has held only six teams to under 40 points. They have given up 50 once and were on the losing side of the highest scoring game in FPF history, as they surrendered nearly 70 in a (67-63) loss to EZW. In short, the Vultures, can light up the scoreboard with the best of teams, but they can’t keep anyone out of the endzone either. Defense wins championships. This team needs to find theirs.

KGP (1-8)

This team has been playing their best ball as of late, as they have lost three of their last five games by a combined 14 points.

KGP team had a mixture of bad luck, a horrible schedule, missed opportunities, and blown leads impact their season. Add all of that to the team’s inability to get off the field on defense, and not being able to score when they need a big play on the opposite side of the ball, made the hill just too tall for the team to climb.

#NR (0-9)

Staring a winless season in the face, #NR has a chance to avoid that unwanted distinction when they take on KGP tonight in St. Laurent.

Regardless of what happens, this season has been a massive disappointment for this veteran squad. Talent has not been the problem for #NR. A lack of execution, and a consistent roster have kept this team running in quicksand all year. Mistakes in the form of drops, turnovers, and blown coverages account for the former. For the latter, if the playoffs the started today, this team would have only six players eligible to compete, even though 13 different bodies have suited up for at least one game this year. Getting a more consistent roster would go a long way towards fixing the plethora of mistakes this team has made this season.

Mangoose (0-10)

The season did not go how Mangoose planned, as they could never replace the offense that departed in the off-season with the losses of both their leading Receivers in both Vincent and Simon Anctil. The result was an offense that reached the 30-point plateau only three times this season.

Finding a solution for the missing production on offense is a must, or another year of missing the playoffs, or even worse a winless season, could become a reality once again.  

We’re Not Sure Yet

Kush & Korinthians 13 (6-4)

You could literally make an All-Star team with al the current and former USPORTS players on this roster.

On the field this team has impressive wins over Shake & Bake, Idaho Udapimps, The Infantry and Dirty Birds, in conjunction with a head-shaking loss to Party Ballers, and a near defeat to KGP. This team is the posterchild of playing both up and down to your competition.

To the credit of Kush & Korinthians 13, they have won four out of their last five games. They have forced six interceptions in the process from their defense, and have generated offense from three different Quarterbacks, as Emerson Peterkin, Simon Dagenais, and Jaylan Greaves have all thrown several touchdown passes for the team.

Come playoff time, it appears that Dagenais will be the man behind Snapper. This allows them to put their best player in Greaves, at his best position, Receiver, which opens things up for the team’s other weapons in Emyl Gregoire, Juwan Edghill, Justin Blanchard, Owen Bujarsky, and Laurent Foucault.

This team is talented enough to go all the way, but as we have seen at any level of football, talent alone isn’t always enough, and playing to the level of your competition can be a dangerous game the longer you play it.

Idaho Udapimps (6-4)

With names like Brady Ohanessian, Andrew Grant, Marvin Steinberg, Jerome Hovington, and Danick Coulombe it should be no surprise that this team has a top three offense. A lot of those very same name play on the other side of the ball and are a big reason why the unit has recorded 15 interceptions. That should not surprise anyone either. What does, however, is the fact that they have allowed the fifth most points in Division 2, with 374.

The thing that puzzles me the most about Idaho Udapimps, is that you are never sure which team will show up. Is it the one who beat EZW, Dirty Birds, Silent Ticklers, and FINS UP, or the one that lost to KGP, Dime & Bougie, Kush & Korinthians 13, or got blown out by Shake & Bake? I have no clue, and this is why I have them placed in this category.

 Dime & Bougie (5-4)

With names like Manu Allard-Roy, Felix Boutet, Jules Regimbald, Charles Verreault, scoring shouldn’t be a problem for this team. When you look at the numbers however, it is. Going into the final week of action, Dime & Bougie is the lowest scoring playoff team-bound team in Division 2, with 258 ponts. While they have one game left on their schedule Monday night versus Shake & Bake, which will probably see them leapfrog the Party Ballers for points scored, the fact that they average only three touchdowns a game is a problem.

On defense it is a completely different story, as they have the second-best unit in the division. The 253 points they have given up trails only the Dirty Birds. Even though they lack a dominant Rusher, as a group, they still have produced 12 interceptions.

I was going to put Dime & Bougie on the Pretenders list, but I can’t ignore their defense, and I also can’t overlook the fact that they have a win over Idaho Udapimps, and came within a play of beating the Dirty Birds. This team could make a deep run or be one and done. Let’s see which way it goes.

Picks

OneStop vs Silent Ticklers – Silent Ticklers (Upset Special)

#NR vs KGP – KGP

Shake & Bake vs Dime & Bougie – Shake & Bake (My pick for Game of the Week)

Last Week: (4-3)

Regular Season: (15-6)

Upset Special: (3-3)

I will be back next week with a Divisional Round Preview. Don’t forget that the top four teams receive a first round bye.

Good luck to everyone in their games tonight and tomorrow.

If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page.