Division 2: Quarter-Finals Preview

Welcome to the Quarter-Finals of the FlagPlus Football Division 2 playoffs. After the entire division had a bye last week, we are officially back in action tomorrow night in St. Laurent, with the last eight teams battling for the Div. 2 championship.

#1 Dirty Birds versus #12 Party Ballers

Previous Meeting: N/A

The Party Ballers punched their ticket to the Quarter-Finals with a (26-24) victory over OneStop in the Divisional Round two weeks ago. After finishing the regular season with the fourth ranked defense, they relied on that side of the ball to make a huge defensive stop late in the second half to give the ball back to their offense. They were rewarded with a game-winning touchdown from Receiver El Andre Abbey with three plays left in the game.

The Dirty Birds advanced to this round after finishing with the number one seed, which earned them a first round bye.

After starting the year with a perfect (6-0) record, the Dirty Birds finished the year going (2-2). Despite that, the team still finished with the top defense in the division. Surrounded by playmakers in Quaid Johnson, Matt Bond, Markens Valcourt, Anthony Brisebois, and Jamal Noël among others, it should be no surprise that the unit doesn’t give up a lot of points.

What is surprising about the Dirty Birds, however, is their offense. Out of the 12 teams who qualified for the post-season, 10 have scored more points than them. It goes without saying that The Dirty Birds will have to make sure they can find the endzone repeatedly if they want to get the win.

I was hesitant to mention the rust factor, given that the Dirty Birds as a team have not played a game since the last week of March, but individually, a lot of their players have played this week on their teams in other divisions. Still, not playing together in a month could be a factor.

To get their second straight upset win and keep their season alive, the Party Ballers will have to do two things. First, they must eat up the clock while on offense. The trick to doing that is to have long possessions that emphasize the short and intermediate passing game.

The second thing that they must do is simple. Score when they get the ball. Coming into tomorrow, the Party Ballers average 27 points a game. That won’t be enough to advance. Quarterback Ezechiel Tieide, who took over the starting job permanently in Week 5, has been improving every week in his first year at the position. His scrambling ability and big arm are keys to his success. He will need to use both attributes to help his offense penetrate the Dirty Bird’s defense.

This game features some of the best players and athletes in all FPF. It also is littered with a ton of X-factors in guys like Lonnie Johnson, Naz Dhillon, Corey Williams, Francois Hogue, Coslens Clairveaux, and Jaylan Grandison to name a few.

Will we see another, and in this case the ultimate upset, or will the favourites advance as expected? I think it will be the latter.

Prediction: Dirty Birds (36-28)

(2) EZW versus (11) Vultures

Previous Meeting: EZW (67-63) Week 12

The last time these two teams met, they set the record for the most points scored in FPF history, with 130. Quarterbacks Jeremy White of EZW, and Ben McMahon of Vultures combined for 20 touchdowns. The biggest beneficiaries of the QB play were James Drysdale, Oriola Poirier, and Nicolas Blais, who reached the endzone three times. They were joined by J.C Ferland, Kevin Donnet, Anthony Drysdale, Fritzgerald Cenatus, and Chrisley Bazile who scored two TDs each. Think about that for a second. Eight different Receivers recorded at least two TDs in the game. That’s amazing.

Coming into this matchup, EZW have won seven games in a row, and without a doubt, have been the hottest, and arguably the best team in Division 2. Their offense has simply been unstoppable, as they have scored more points than any other team with 434. White, and his stable of Receivers in Nathan Desjardins, Etienne Laurence-Gervais, Alexandre Barros, as well as both Ferland and Blais, have yet to see a defense they can’t open things up against.

The Vultures showed they are no slouch either when it comes to scoring. They put up 415 points in the regular season, and the 50 they dropped on Shake & Bakein the Divisional Round, were the most of any team. McMahon and his group of pass catchers in the Drysdales, Donnet, along with Tysen Peterkin, Felix Clairmont, and Alexandre Szalipszki can all make impact plays, and take over a game when needed.

Their explosive offense aside, the key to a Vultures win will be their defense. Despite having a ton of impact players on their roster, the unit has been less than impactful when it comes to keeping opponents off the scoreboard. The 411 points they have given up are the second most in Division 2. The unit will need to disrupt the timing of Jeremy White and provide glue-like coverage on the EZW Receivers. Tackling will also be important, as the Vultures missed several in the last meeting which resulted in big plays.

For EZW to complete the sweep, they will need to make sure their tackling is up to par as well. For as good as their offense is, only four teams allowed more than the 378 points that EZW has allowed. In addition to tacking, this team will also need to force turnovers. The unit only produced seven interceptions. To remedy that they will need their Rusher in Ferland, to use his length and reach to get in the field of vision of McMahon, and force him to have to reset his feet, rush his passes, and throw the ball from different angles.

I don’t think we will crack the 130-point mark this time around. I believe the scoreboard will be lit, but this time I think we will have to settle for less than 100 points.

Prediction:  EZW (48-40)

(3) The Infantry versus (10) FINS UP

Previous Meeting: N/A

FINS UP got to this point with a (45-20) blowout victory over Kush & Korinthians 13, that saw Quarterback Wil Power throw for five touchdowns in the win.

As we witnessed last week and throughout the regular season, scoring isn’t a problem for FINS UP. Only three teams scored more than the 401 points they put up. Over the last few seasons, Will Power has transformed himself from a good athlete playing Quarterback into a good QB who has put himself into the elite conversation.

The Infantry’s AJ Gomes looks to do the same. A man who many people consider the best player in FPF, is playing the position for the first time in a division higher than Div. 3. The results have been solid, as the FPF Hall of Famer has thrown for 1,786 yards, 45 touchdowns, and a 65% completion percentage.

This game will not be lacking playmakers, as both teams are stacked with difference-makers on both sides of the ball. One of those impact players who might be missing however, is The Infantry’s Rory Semerjian. The 14-time All-Star suffered a hand injury last week. He already missed his Division 1 playoff game with the Allstars Tuesday night versus Flag moi L’sac. There aren’t too many people tougher than Semerjian, but his availability is in serious doubt. If he can’t play, his absence will be huge, as he is one of his team’s defensive standouts, with 29 tackles and four interceptions Offensively, he is tied for the lead in touchdowns with 13.

The Infantry have more than enough weapons at their disposal to try and step up like Quaysie Gordon-Maule, Nicholas Di Maulo, Nicholas Groppini, and Michael Khazaka, but replacing what Semerjian brings won’t be easy.

The Infantry’s loss is FINS UP’s gain, as for the second week in a row, they will potentially be taking on a team that isn’t at full strength, as they beat a Kush & Korinthians 13 squad that has only six players present, as they were missing both Jaylan Greaves and Emyl Gregoire.

To get the win tomorrow night, FINS UP must dictate the pace of the game on both sides of the ball. On offense, they will need to use their speed advantage to get the ball in the hands of Hinsley Adams, James Langshaw, and Joey Notaro in space, and let them create.

On defense, FINS UP, will need to be the aggressor, jump routes, and out physical The Infantry Receivers. That task will fall on the shoulders of Carl Achy, DonnDre Borden, and Simon Duchesne, who have been excellent all season.

For The Infantry to advance, they will need to mix up their coverages on defense to try and confuse Power and buy time for Rusher Ethan Adrian to get after the duo threat QB.

On offense, Gomes will need to protect the ball. For as good as he has been at QB, his 13 interceptions speak to taking to many chances.

 The QB will also need to keep up with his counterpart. Over the second of the season, The Infantry have averaged 32 points. That number is a little misleading, as they only surpassed that total three times, and that was against the division’s three non playoff teams in Mangoose, #NR, and KGP. In their other two contests versus the Dirty Birds and Dime & Bougie, they recorded an average of 22. That’s a noticeable difference.

I think the game will be close, but I see FINS UP getting the upset win, especially if Semerjian doesn’t play.

Prediction: The FINS UP: (38-32)

(8) Silent Ticklers versus (4) Dime & Bougie

Previous Meeting: Silent Ticklers (46-26) Week 5

The first showdown between these teams was a blowout. The main reason for the one-sided affair was Quarterback play. Jordan Panetta of the Silent Ticklers was fantastic, as he completed 14 of 20 for 240 yards and seven touchdowns. Jules Regimbald of Dime & Bougie was the complete opposite, as he had 189 yards, four TDs, and a season-high three interceptions on 19 of 35 passing. When you have three times as many turnovers as your opponents, your chances of winning are slim to none.

For Dime & Bougie to avenge the loss and advance, they will need to score more points, and get better Quarterback play. With 40 passing touchdowns and three more on the ground to go along with a near 10-yard average per run, Regimbald is a solid pivot, who can beat teams with his arm and his legs.

The only question in his game is which QB will show up? In games versus playoff teams in Dirty Birds, Idaho Udapimps, Party Ballers, The Infantry, Shake & Bake, Kush & Korinthians 13, and of course the Silent Ticklers, Regimbald and his offense have surpassed 26 points twice. That will need to change tomorrow night.

To get the sweep, the Silent Ticklers will need to do exactly what they did in the previous meting, and that is push the ball downfield early and often. Back in Week 5, Panetta’s shortest pass in the first half was 15 yards. His seven TD passes traveled an average of 20 yards. This offense loves to air it out. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

Can Dime & Bougie, who finished the regular season with the third ranked defense, but gave up a season-high 46 points in the loss versus the Silent Ticklers, find a way to slow them down and get stops in the rematch? They finished as the fourth seed, so they earned a first round bye, couple that with the division having last weekend off, they have had two weeks to dial up a game plan. Let’s see what they do.

Can the Silent Ticklers keep the good times rolling? Their offense is a juggernaut, and their defense played a big role on their (48-20) blowout win over Idaho Udapimps, as they intercepted QB Brady Ohanessian three times. Will they have a repeat performance against Regimbald and Dime & Bougie?

I feel the rematch will be closer than the first meeting, but I think the outcome will be the same.

Prediction: Silent Ticklers (40-28)

Picks

Dirty Birds vs Party Ballers – Dirty Birds

EZW vs Vultures – EZW (My pick for Game of the Week)

FINS UP vs The Infantry – FINS UP (Upset Special)

Silent Ticklers vs Dime & Bougie – Silent Ticklers

Last Week: (2-2)

Regular Season: (16-8)

Playoffs: (2-2)

Upset Special: (5-3)

That is it for this week. I will be back next week with my Semi-Finals preview.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow night!

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.