3 Burning Questions

Hi guys, Week 7 is right around the corner, and we are 2 weeks away from the start of the post-season. Before we get there however, there are a lot of questions that need to be asked and answered. For this week’s article, I will look at the 3 biggest questions that need to be addressed in each division. 

Freshman 

Will anybody stop the Ducks? 

Jamil Springer’s team is without question the deepest in the Freshman Division. Offensively, with the dynamic duo of Quarterback Valerian Cyrenne, and the best player in the division in Kaiden Dewey, this squad has scored at will on opponents all year long.  

On the other side of the ball, they have been just as, if not even more impressive, as ball-hawks Jayden Michel and Malik Sabourin-Danglade, have been a big part of a defense that has produced a division-high 22 interceptions and 7 defensive touchdowns. 

The Ducks, finish the regular season against an improving Fighting Irish, and a tough Wolverines squad, let’s see if they can keep their perfect record intact. 

Who will finish second? 

 Answer to this question will most likely come this Sunday at Kirkland, as the (4-2) Bruins take on the (4-2) Cougars. These two teams locked horns in Week 2, and it ended with the Cougars coming away with a 25-12 victory.  

An asterisks should be attached to that win however, as the Bruins were without their starting Quarterback William Leclerc. The rookie passer should be there for the rematch, but the teams has two question marks in Justin Swaminadhan and Maurizio Mercuri Jr, who have both missed the last two games due to injury. 

With those two in the lineup, along with versatile and solid play-makers in Eloi and Theo Tremblay, Noah and Luca Swaminadhan, and Thomas Hemens, this team is extremely dangerous.  

The Cougars, are clearly a talented team. They have a solid Quarterback in Tristan Dermody, and explosive options in both the receiving and running game with Ryan Whitehouse, Owen Kendall, Damiano Albino-Rodrigues. 

The team’s defense, which is led by Logan Trepanier, Jackson Lovig, Braylen Ramsay, and Peace Mbakadi, is capable of generating sacks and takeaways at any moment. 

Sunday’s matchup has a chance to be a classic, and is definitely a game of the week candidate. The winner will not only get bragging rights, but more importantly, they will get the second first round bye in the playoffs. 

Who will win the battle of 2-4 teams? 

Tomorrow afternoon at the Stinger Dome, the Wolverines will take on the Musketeers. This will be a big matchup that will have playoff ramifications, as the winner will own the tie-breaker, as both sides are currently tied for 4th place in the Freshman Division. Both teams have studs on both sides of the ball, making a clear-cut favorite hard to pick out. 

Sophomore Division 

Who can stop the Hawkeyes? 

This is the question that the other 5 teams in the Sophomore Division must be asking themselves. So far all have tried, and all have failed. Whether it’s dealing with Kaelen Trepanier’s big play ability with his arm and legs, Wide Receivers Noah Smallwood, Camren Muclair, and Jonathan Lebensztajn-Shahrabani shredding coverages, or an aggressive defense led by Sacha Massicotte, and Alexandre Blouin, that has recorded a division-high15 interceptions, and scored 8 touchdowns, this team looks like a juggernaut, similar to last year’s Hurricanes squad that dominated the regular season. 

The only question mark surrounded tis team, is there inability to rush the passer, as they have yet to record a sack this season. 

Who will get the second bye? 

The Buckeyes and Red Devils are the only two option for this question. Both teams squared off in Week 4, and battled to a 12-12 tie. 

Both teams have the unenviable task of having to play the Hawkeyes for a second time over the next two weeks. 

In the first matchup with The Hawkeyes dominated the Buckeyes (24-6), but were less than dominant  against the Red Devils, as they escaped with a 30-14 win. Part of the reason for the struggle, was the defensive performance of the Red Devils, who limited Quarterback Kaelen Trepanier to a season-low 1 TD pass in Week 2. 

Besides playing the division leader, the Buckeyes play the (2-4) Hurricanes tomorrow night at Kirkland. In their previous meeting, the Buckeyes rolled to a 38-14 victor, powered by QB’s Trey Bentley’s 222 passing yards, and 5 TD passes, 3 of which went to Jaden Frenette, who had a monster game with 131 yards. 

The Red Devils will try to keep pace, when they close out the regular season with a game against the (0-6) Seminoles. 

If both teams go 1-1, or 2-0 to close out the campaign, the tie-breaker come down to points scored. At press time, the Red Devils held a 26 point advantage (186 to 160). Besides getting wins, scoring points will be the most important thing for both teams.  

Will the Gators catch the Hurricanes? 

Both teams locked horns in Week 3, and Hurricanes squeaked out a 14-12 victory. Since that game, the Gators have still haven’t found a win, while the Canes’ have lost 2 of 3 contests.  

Round 2 takes place next Saturday at the Stinger Dome. The winner of the game will most likely lock down the 4 seed, and have a good shot at avoiding a second round matchup with the Hawkeyes. 

Varsity Division 

Are the real Spartans finally showing up? 

After weeks of surprisingly poor play, and a 0-4 start, the Spartans have reeled off two wins in a row, and have climbed back into contender status in the Varsity Division.  

A huge matchup this Sunday at Stade Hebert against the undefeated Horned Frogs (more on them in a minute), will be a huge statement for Dylan Garber’s team.  

Part of the turn around, has been the play of the Ryan Garber. After taking the first half of the campaign to get used to a new group of Receivers, the Quarterback has played lights his last 3 outings, as he’s thrown 530 yards, 13 TDs, and only 4 INTs. If the defending QB of the Year can keep up his solid play, they will definitely be a threat to the Hawkeyes. 

Who will win Varsity Receiver of the year? 

The candidates are: 

Kaylem Ferdinand (Horned Frogs) 

Jordan Murphy (Horned Frogs 

Sam Mashtoub (Bulldogs) 

Joshua Peters (Longhorns) 

All 4 players can score from anywhere on the field, and are key parts of their team’s offenses. All three play with Quarterbacks who aren’t afraid to air it out to them, and let their receiver make a play. It’s going to be interesting to see which player ends up with the most yards, touchdowns, and catches over the final 2 weeks. 

Will anybody stop the Horned Frogs? 

Sorry, but I can’t help the fact that there’s an undefeated team in every division.  

Despite the fact that every team in the division except the Horned Frogs sitting at (2-4) and tied for second place, the answer to that question could be the Spartans, as they’ve played them tougher than anybody else in both meetings this season. The first meeting was the biggest challenge that the Varsity Division front runners have faces, as they won a close affair 34-24 in Week 1. The second affair was a bit more of a decisive win, as the Spartans fell 41-25 in Week 4.  

Needless to say, Sunday’s aforementioned meeting between the Horned Frogs and Spartans will be a must-see affair. 

That’s it for this week guys, I will be back next week with a new addition to the weekly article. Stay tuned to find out what it is. 

Once again, just a reminder, to check out the weekly FlagPlus Junior podcast on Tuesday night, hosted by yours truly, and FPF Founder and President Rob Campana.  

Have a great week-end everybody, and enjoy the Super Bowl! Let’s go Falcons. No, they aren’t my team, but I can’t stand Brady and the Pats. 

If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt that I left something out, feel free to reach me at [email protected]