Inside the Red Zone (D1) – Week 8

 

History was made last weekend. For the first time ever in FlagPlus Football, two teams tied each other twice in the same season. Of course I am speaking of Old Skool and the Redhawks. They tied each other in week one and did so again last weekend. There is a strong possibility they will face each other in the playoffs. So will we see another tie at the end of regulation which will push the matchup to overtime? If I was Moe Khan, I would say the probability is 56.7%.

Last week, I promised I would take a look at Conference B this week, so I will not disappoint. Essentially it is a three team race between the Demons (7-1), the Expos (5-3) and the Rainmakers (5-3). I believe the Demons will win this weekend against the Express, which means they will clinch first place in Conference B and have a bye to the semi finals. Having said that, the Expos and the Rainmakers will probably face each other in the first round of the Winter 2011 Division 1 playoffs.

So even though there are two weeks of regular season action left to play, the playoff scenario is pretty much determined. As always with the end of the regular season, FlagPlus Football hands out awards. Therefore, let’s have a look at the leading candidates. However, before we can do that, here is this week’s edition of Behind The Flag.

What’s wrong with the CLR Forces?

This week I sat down with team captain Frederic Dupuis, who is the heart, the mouth piece and the leader of CLR Forces. You might recognize Fred either by his head gear (T-Shirt sleeve) or his vocal demeanor. CLR Forces are a veteran team in FlagPlus Football. They made it to the Division 1 finals in Winter 2006. Since then, they have been in the playoffs from Winter 2007-2009 but never reached the finals again. To make matters worse, they are not only going to miss the playoffs for a second straight season, but they might not even win a game this season. So what is going on with the CLR Forces? Well I will let Mr. Frederic Dupuis tell you.

1. Why are the CLR Forces doing so badly this year?

I think the main reason we are having so much trouble this year is because we haven’t spent as much time together as we used to, on and off the field. The strong chemistry we had was because we were spending a lot of time doing things together. We will have to manage our life schedules to make more time for football if we want to get things right.

2. Who is the mouth piece of the team?

As a team captain, I won’t point out anybody except for myself. In the past seasons, I’ve always been the one talking loud and getting my team fired up to win games. I still can’t explain the reason why this year my level of intensity was not the same.

3. If you could start the season again, what would you change to have a better season?

I think I would probably do a meeting to set up a roster that would be the same week in and week out because the last two seasons this has been a major issue for our team. I would also prepare our team with couple of more practices at the gym.

4. Last week, Fred Calles had a strong game at QB, do you feel you should step down and let him throw?

Yeah I think I will, I’ll be there backing him up in case, but last week, the guys went out to just have fun and play ball. As a result, with only a seven man roster (All Original CLR Forces players), they were close to winning a big matchup against the Demons.

5. Who do you think will be in the finals? Who will win the championship?

It’s tough to say. I would like to go with the MTL Finest against the Demons. However you got to look out for the Rainmakers and the Expos. Ryan Kastner is having a great season and Chad Byers can always pull out a big one in the playoffs.

6. Who is the toughest rusher for you to play against?

I have to go with ANDRIJA ZECEVIC from the Express. With his size he can easily close some throwing lanes and he’s got some pretty good arm reach. This year there is also Anthony Vendrame (Expos) and Félix Prévost (Redhawks) who are doing well at this position.

7. Now that CLR Forces won’t make playoffs for two straight seasons, what are your plans for Winter 2012 (some people have said to go to Div 2)?

We are all concerned about our season and our future in Division 1. We have been there since our our first year of FlagPlus and we do play with PRIDE and HONNOR every week to be able to play and compete at the highest level. However, if time has come for us to shake things up a bit, we will change things and go in another direction to come back stronger.

8. Any additional comments or words?

No matter what happens next season, there will be an edition of C.L.R. Forces in Winter 2012 for sure. We will discuss a lot of issues in our next meeting after season. Thanks for having me.

I commend Fred Dupuis on taking time out of his busy schedule (U de M training camp) to help us gain some insight on the CLR Forces’ misfortunes this season. It is good to see their passion and determination even though they’re experiencing a rough season. As Mr. Dupuis stated that one way or another, we will definitely see them again. If I have learned something about the CLR Forces, it is that they will not be down for too long. I look forward to a revamped and recharged team in Winter 2012.

The Amazing Race

Quarterback

Kevin Wyeth: 159-222 for 1762 yards with 46 TDs, 2 INTs, 2 sack and 130.7 QB rating.

Chad Byers: 113-152 for 1315 yards with 38 TDs, 4 INT, 5 sacks and 128.7 QB rating.

 

Wide Receiver

Marc Champagnie: 43 receptions, 626 yards, 17 TDs.

Paul Lapierre: 35 receptions, 468 yards, 16 TDs.

Akked Moore: 39 receptions, 450 yards, 15 TDs.

 

Defensive Player

Karim Binette: 11 tackles, 5 INTs, 1 sack, 4 PDs.

Kishon Thompson: 21 tackles, 4 INTs (1 for TD), 4 PDs.

Patrick Chenard: 11 tackles, 5 INTs (1 for TD), 2 PDs.

 

Two-Way Player

Michael Chitayat: 39 receptions, 365 yards, 10 TDs; 20 tackles, 3 INTs

Tim Kraemer: 45 receptions, 437 yards, 11 TDs; 10 tackles, 4 INTs, 1 PDs.

Chad Byers: 113-152 for 1315 yards with 38 TDs, 4 INT, 5 sacks and 128.7 QB rating; 7 tackles, 3 INTs and 1 sack.

 

The Heisman (in that order)

1. Kevin Wyeth

2. Chad Byers

3. Carmine Pollice

 

That’s it for this week’s column. As always please email me for feedback/suggestions at [email protected]. Good luck to all teams this weekend and see you all next week Inside The Redzone.