Weekday Quarterback (D3) – Week 5

 

Five games into the season, we are beginning to see where teams may land come playoff time. For many teams, the next five weeks will be crucial, as there are very easy wins left on the schedule and some will now begin fighting for their playoff lives. This week we will look at each division race and I will make my predictions as to who will come out on top in each. Very few races look like they are completely wrapped up right now, and there are even some that are neck and neck and will likely remain that way until the final week of the season. Before getting to those division races let’s look at a few headlines.

Headlines

Are the Monarchs falling off track?

Certain members of the WEPL brain trust mentioned to me that while the Monarchs tend to get off to a fast start they also tend to slide a little bit around the mid-point of the season. Are we starting to see that slide right now? After losing to Served with Ice prior to the bye week, they lost again this week a young, up and coming Broccasion team led by the Cerentola brothers and Kyle Lebofsky. Is it a matter of inconsistency or did they just run into some teams that provided bad matchups. Interesting enough, if you compare Brocassion to Served with Ice, you see a similar style of team. Both teams are full of young athletic players who are looking to build a reputation in this league. While I would give the edge to Served with Ice if you compare the two heads up, it is hard to count out Broccasion now, thanks to this signature victory. In terms of the Monarchs struggle, I believe that they will bounce back against a surprising F.A.N team next week. There is too much leadership and experience on this team to lose a third game in a row.

 

D.K beats the Snookers in an all-important divisional matchup

D.K, led by newly anointed Hall of Famer Rochdi Benabdelkader, beat the Snookers 24-21 in a game that the Snookers desperately needed after their heartbreaking loss to the Sandlot Saints. Going down two games in this division could spell the end for the Snookers. Will the Snookers make a change at QB permanently? Vartan Demirdjian has been the starter since week one, but Tony Tabet takes some snaps at key parts of the game. Will the Snookers decide that if they are to have any chance to win they need Tabet back there full time? We will find out soon enough as the clock is now ticking on the Snookers playoff hopes. DK continues to put up points with Rochdi running the offense and hitting big targets Jamal Pierre and underrated snapper, Marc Lachapelle, who has played great for them so far. The next question is how will the DK defense deal with the ultra-mobile Tam Vilaydeth this weekend, who has been great this year for Terror Squad? This could be one of the best games on tap this week.

 

SWAT demolishes the Raiders and stays on top of the standings

I have not spoken in depth about SWAT, this season, mostly because there is sometimes very little to say about a team that is so strong. Gino Di Fazio has once again constructed a team of all stars and they are obliterating their opposition so far. D3 2010 QB of the Year, Nathan Thompson may be having the best season of any QB in division 3 again this year, it also helps to have some of the best weapons around you. Donald Shepherd is too big and too strong for most of the DB’s in division 3 to cover, and is creating match up nightmares for most teams. Shawn Haney is a player with higher division experience and is another player who creates matchup problems because of his height and speed. Defensively, the Perry brothers have played better than expected, especially Rashawn, who seems to have found a comfortable niche playing with SWAT. They beat up on the Raiders this weekend with 41-12 victory, and the game was all but over at halftime when SWAT had a 20-0 lead. Is there anyone out there who can stop this team from going undefeated all the way to the title game? Right now, it seems unlikely.

Division Races

Conference A

East Division

If you look at the east division right now, it seems as though the Rude Bwoys are the run away favourite with a 5-0 record, while the Warriors are 3-2 and the Souljahs are 2-3. While all those teams still have a chance at the crown, I have trouble not seeing the Warriors win this division. I think the Rude Bwoys have had it fairly easy through the first half of the season and with some tough games coming up, I believe the Warriors will close the gap. Trailing by two games is tough to come back from, but with the Rude Bwoys playing the toughest part of their competition in the next few weeks I expect to see this race tighten up very quickly.

West Division

This might be the division that wraps up the fastest, as the Dirty Birds will likely continue to win their games from here on in. They may lose one more game this season, but that will not be enough for Sweet Tangerine Dream and the Big TD’s to catch up. Both those teams will need a major collapse from the Dirty Birds, over the next few weeks, if they are to have any shot. Expect a Dirty Birds win in this one.

North Division

Here is where it starts to get interesting. Three teams are tied at 3-2 in this division and all of them have looked extremely strong at different points this season. Right now, the Monarchs are third in their division based on tie breakers despite the fact that, a few weeks ago, we were talking about them as the best team in division 3. After consecutive loses, including one to division rival Brocassion, it seems tough to see them winning the division. While it may be tough, it is hard to count them out simply because of their experience. It will be interesting to see how the young and athletic Brocassion team responds to this situation. They have a chance of playing the underdog role in this division and really shocking everyone. It could come down to week 10 where the Darkhorses and Brocassion play each other.

South Division

This is the only division in conference A with two teams that have four wins a piece. The Briscoe High Hawks and DK both have each won four games this season, yet have looked shaky at certain points. Both teams are the highest scoring teams in their conference and rely on great play from their Quarterbacks to win games. The Snookers looked to play a big role in this race but thanks to consecutive losses, they seem to have fallen out of it a little bit. In this division race, it will most likely come down to which team can get better production out of their defense. The Briscoe High Hawks have yet to have a player to come up with two interceptions this season. Can they find someone to step up and take a leadership role on that side of the ball?

Conference B

East Division

A two horse race in this division as both the D-Boys and Flight of the Conchords are 4-1. D-Boys are the defending champs and were able to come back strong by adding QB Danny Gentile who has been as good as expected. Flight of the Conchords continue to get off to strong regular season starts with the help of veteran Martin Tougas. These teams are very evenly matched and it is tough to pick a winner out of the two. FOTC will need a better performance than last week as they barely snuck out a victory versus a subpar opponent. If they can bounce back from that effort, I would expect to see this division come down to the matchup in week 9.

West Division

I mentioned SWAT earlier and I do not think there is much else to say. Trojans looked like they were going to give them a run for their money early on this season but after losing two straight games, it makes it nearly impossible to win the division. SWAT will not lose two games this season so this division is all but wrapped up at the midway point.

North Division

Is there a hotter team right now then Served with Ice? They have arrived on the scene and it looks like they are here to stay after two very convincing victories against proven teams. They began by knocking off Monarchs, who were playing great football going into their game, and then went on to defeat last season’s D3 runner up, VPC. All that being said, they only have a one point lead over the Maniax, who are yet to play their best football this season. I would like to be able to who will take this division right now, but it is just too close to call. Maniax may have to run the table from here on in to win the division because SWI has beaten the toughest teams they are going to face this season.

South Division

Terror Squad and the Bandits are tied atop this division and unfortunately for Terror Squad, they drew a much tougher schedule this season. If these two teams were to face the exact same competition, there is no doubt in my mind that Terror Squad wins this division. Both teams have a few tough games coming up and the Bandits have to feel confident knowing that they will draw the Snookers from the south division in conference A, while Terror Squad will have to play DK. One win will most likely be the difference in this division and Terror Squad is going to have to show some real character against their stronger opponents if they want to win this one.

That is all for this week, I hope you enjoyed the article, and I look forward to seeing some great games this weekend. Make sure to tune into the Weekly Extra Point Live for more information and analysis on the past week’s games as well as upcoming matchups.