Midseason Breakdown – FlagPlus Football League

Peeze’s Playbook

by Paolo Della Rocca

Week.5

Pride and Friendship

Last week my friend and FPF colleague was admitted into the FPF Hall of Fame. Alex “The Eagle” D’Aquila earned more votes than, myself or any other FPF staff member who was nominated in this category. I myself, voted for Alex D’Aquila.

To understand our working dynamic is to understand our friendship. For those who have ever been around the FPF media team or have ever been a part of it, you know it<s a cesspool of self indulgence and trash talk. We tease each other and make fun of those who we work with to make this league as great as it is. Eagle is and always has been the leader of this band of misfits.

We first met when my brother, angered by Andrew D’Anna’s division D article in our first season, wrote an email to complain that these media types were more interested in calling people out than helping new teams. Knowing what I know now about FPF I know that this is simply not the case. However, that email prompted Andrew D’Anna and Eagle, then known solely by his birth name to meet with our team and teach us some basic FPF concepts. At the end of the season, league President Robert Campana sent out an email, to all captains, asking how the league could be improved. I sent back an 18 page document that has since been mocked and made fun of by FPF administration at every available moment. One such recommendation was that we move away from the Weekly Extra Point Live (a weekly show breaking down FPF action in a format the resembled sports centre but without the benefit of replay). I suggested that we move toward a podcasting model so that people could listen in their cars, in the grocery store etc.

The next season Andrew D’Anna and Eagle were given the pilot project to launch an FPF podcast for Division 5. One week, I received a call whilst on a fishing trip asking if I could make a guest appearance on the podcast. I sobered up, showered and drove down to participate. It would be a couple of short weeks later before I was essentially a weekly co-host. Initially the set-up was a rock band mic in the middle of a room working overtime to record our voices.

We were the alternative media to the polished WEPL. In it’s infancy, the podcast was looked down upon by some. However, Eagle and I had a vision. This vision was not merely for a Division 5 podcast but rather for FPF media on the whole. We wanted the media to be less stuffy, more approachable but more than anything, truly entertaining. We wanted to expand coverage and truly deliver a top tier product to our faithful.

The first such upgrade was a live podcast where we broadcasted the FPF finals. It was audio only and while the video product took months to produce, the audio product was available in mere days. It was hugely popular and the download numbers were astronomical. Even though, President Camapana did not believe that an eventual live play-by-play product would be a reality, Eagle and I saw this as a necessary evolution.

Even once this was delivered we felt as though this wasn’t enough. We wanted, live replay in our games. This was deemed to be an insane idea given the amount of work and equipment this would require. However, I kept insisting that this was the most important advance we could make as a league when it came to delivering a professional package. Eagle worked and researched tirelessly until we accomplished this feat.

With Eagle at my side I had the confidence to continually push for crazy ideas that he had the technical competence to deliver. He is essentially a magical being who has the ability to make my dreams come to life. We argue about every item vehemently and our goal is always to improve. Their is no one who’s passion for this league is matched. He is the smartest man I’ve ever met andI’m a better person because of our friendship.

From the moment he drove my hungover ass to my first FPF meeting to completing our first successful roadshow to his induction Eagle is truly a friend that inspires and pushes all around him to be better.

On a one-day roadtrip to Toronto and back, Eagle accompanied me so that I didn’t need to drive alone. As it turns out, I was also not alone to get food poisoning at Arby’s. Also, don’t go to Arby’s.

It has been said that Eagle has all of FPF’s great ideas and once President Campana shoots them down, I just say them louder until it actually happens. To be entirely honest, all of our ideas would die on the cutting room floor if it wasn’t for Eagle’s intelligence, persistence and imagination.

I love Eagle as a brother and I couldn’t be prouder that he has entered the Hall of Fame. More than that I am filled with pride because his work is being recognized for the true impact it has had for all these years. If the Hall of Fame is to measure one’s impact on the league, there is no single person more deserving than the man who shaped the approach to our additional content, our operational structure and the future of our league. If these are the differentiating factors between FPF and other leagues, then Eagle is our competitive advantage. Congrats man! No nomination is better deserved.

Midseason Breakdown

The midseason breakdown seems to be every players favourite article. Likewise, it is every FPF writer’s least favourite. t fills us with dread and we simply do it because players love it. There is no other reason. These are hard to write and man are they time consuming.

Before we get into it I wanted to explain my rating system and how the teams are ranked. For the rankings, it does not represent how I think you will finish, but rather how you are doing so far. It’s like dating where your date has decided to sleep with you but is unsure if you will satisfy them sexually.

The grades break down as such:

A-The team is far exceeding expectations.

B-The team is slightly exceeding expectations.

C-The team is living up to expectations

D-The team is not meeting expectations

F-The team is a garbage fire.

Please note that all + and – are given at random and generally are an indicator if the teacher likes you or not. I have explained this rating system every season and despite the fact that the explanation is always in writing, players seem to misunderstand it and it fills them with rage. I would change the grading system but I thoroughly enjoy the chaos. Please send your complaints to @DagenaisFPF.

Division 1

1.Montreal’s Finest (5-0): This is a shocker right? FPF’s most storied franchise, having gone 5-0 to start the season and having already beaten their top challenger (D-Boys). While we always expect this familiar cast of characters to do well, it is Adam Bailey who has caught my eye. He has fit in on the finest better than anyone could have hoped for. Bailey has 5 touchdowns and is averaging 21.2 yards per catch in his first season with the team. Kevin Wyeth has been efficient and is on pace to throw 58 touchdowns this season. That seems par for the course as Wyeth has thrown for 58, 59 and 62 touchdowns in his last three seasons for Montreal’s Finest.

Team MVP: Kevin Wyeth

Prediction: 9-1

Grade: B

2.D-Boys (3-2): They have as many losses as I expected them to have all season and they did come out of the gate a little sluggish. However, much like horseracing, intercourse and bed wetting, how you finish is infinitely more important than how you begin. D-Boys feature the hopeful usurper of the Division 1 quarter backing throne Marco Masciotra, a newly minted hall of famer (Antonio Lanni) and likely the best all-around player in FPF (Theo Ojeaha). For the D-Boys, in all games since their bizarre 0-2 start, it has been a lot of what you’d expect. The aforementioned Ojeaha, Jamal Gittens and Anthony Commeau have gotten the lion’s share of the targets. Other passes have been sprinkled among the rest of the team (such as the newly bespectacled Matt Kirouac who has added 3 touchdown catches). The D-Boys have been known for their defense for years and this season is no exception. The brothers Lanni combined with the skill of Jordan McLaren have stopped many drives in their tracks this season.

Team MVP: Jamal Gittens

Prediction: 8-2

Grade: D

3.Flag Moi L’Sac (3-2): FMS have long since been thought of as a very talented team who just don’t seem to fit in with the truly elite teams in FPF. Despite Simon Dagenais’ preliminary reports that Mikhaïl Davidson would not play with Flag Moi L’Sac, he has appeared I each of the last two games and has had a huge impact thus far. Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze has a remarkable 28 Touchdown-1 interception line so far this season. Samuel Nadeau-Piuze is an early WR of the year candidate having scored 16 touchdowns so far. William Fontaine and Jonathan Beaulieau-Richard lead a ball hawking defense that takes many chances and will allow their share of points. However, while they do give up points, this defense is athletic enough to make plays and get extra possessions for their remarkably potent offense.

Team MVP: Pick a guy called Nadeau-Piuze

Prediction: 6-4

Grade: C

4.Waste Yout (2-3): I had a feeling that, from the get-go, Dan Lazzara would succeed in Division 1. For some time, I have thought that “Tacos” was the next great Qb in FPF. So far it looks like my dude has rewarded my faith. However, this isn’t to say that there wouldn’t be some learning curves. Waste Yout stands at 2-3 and they lost two games by 3 points and while I don’t think there is an actual ability to win games as football at this level does come down to a degree of luck, a bounce or a roll, a drop and a tip. However, there is the game management aspect where Lazzara will need to improve on. In order for some of those close games to fall in their favor, Waste Yout will not be able to get away with missing out on key opportunities. James Ohayon is an incredible talent on both sides of the ball but the receiver that has stood out the most has been Justin Julien Jr. Julien Jr. has caught 10 touchdowns and is on pace for 52 catches and 920 yards. Jarryd Taylor is a veritable unknown and looks somewhat lean but he has made his presence known on offense and he has recorded a couple of sacks as well. Quaysie Gordon-Maule is one of four players to record 10+ tackles thus far as well on a defense that is seemingly everywhere (the other three are Justin Julien Jr, James Ohayan and Michael Asibuo).

Team MVP: James Ohayon

Prediction: 5-5

Grade: C+

5.Got Skills (2-3): Perhaps Got Skills themselves do not consider themselves a true top tier team in Division 1 (as witnessed by them walking off the field in their second matchup against D-Boys with most of the second hald remaining). However, I must say I am impressed with their efforts so far. Nicola Centomo continues to improve as a passer and brother David Centomo is a legitimate receiving talent. Snapper JC Mercille, Eric Deschambault and Anthony “Double Impact” Vendrame have also made solid contributions on offense as they have combined for 41 catches and 12 touchdowns between the three. Corey Greenway and Jean-Francois Marquis anchor a gritty defense who have managed to irritate most opposing offenses on any given week.

Team MVP: Nicola Centomo

Prediction: 4-6

Grade: A

6.Lonatics (2-3): Many talented teams suffer from inconsistent roster composition. That’s as nice as I can say: “Guys, you gotta show up!” Loonatics are led by Paul Lapierre at Quarterback. He hasn’t been altogether that bad. He has thrown 20 touchdowns and has a 5:1 TD to interception ratio half way through the season. I thought this would be an issue this season and given the increasing talent level in FPF’s highest division, I felt that Loonatics would have their struggles. Tony Khoury has been steady for Loonatics. He leads the team in catches (23). Loonatics also have a plethora of receiving talent in Jacques Void, JR Verger and Jonathan Lyristis. Lyristis is also third in the league in sacks. The Loonatcis are a good team. If they expect to improve they will need to resolve their roster issues and Paul Lapierre has to stop making his life difficult at times. There is enough talent on this team to consistently take what the defense is giving him.

Team MVP: Jean-Richard Verger

Prediction: 3-7

Grade: B+

7.DK (1-4): I don’t think anyone would have expected DK to start 1-4 and a 4 game losing skid is a bizarre start for one of D1’s perennial contenders. Pat Chénard and Alex Pilon have helped the DK offense perform beyond its inefficiency this season. An early injury to Serge Pilon Jr. seems to have derailed this typically potent offense. Rochdi Benabdelkader has not been as sharp as we’ve seen in the past. His plays work best when surrounded with a remarkable amount of talent. DK is not short on talent in anyway. A struggling Rochdi is better than most but, Division 1 calls for the best. The speed on defense is impressive, Nicholas Aresenault Hum, and Pat Chénard are two of the best defenders in the league and the rushing of Tam Vilaydeth has allowed the defense to keep DK in most games. They will need to find a way to be more effective offensively if they expect to turn it around for the second half of the season.

Team MVP: Alex Pilon

Prediction: 4-6

Grade: F

8.Rainmakers (2-3): Roster consistency has been an issue and this season has been no different. 15 players have dressed for the Rainmakers this season. A familiar name in Ryan Kastner has done his part. He has thrown for 24 touchdowns and 2 interceptions so far this season. Kastner, in recent years, has not got the credit he deserves because the Rainmakers haven’t returned to their previous form. He is still one of the best there is and their roster is altogether, quite talented. His brother Derek Kastner remains a consistent target as he is averaging 4 catches per game. Michael Chitayat and Bobby Mikelberg are both over 200 yards accumulated half way through the season. Stephen Osman and Teddy Frenette are great two way pieces that excel on the defensive side. However, there just seems to be something missing for Rainmakers. They put up a lot of points and keep most teams in punching range. They have also only had 4 players play all 5 games so far this season. To win more games they need to put their best product on the field.

Team MVP: Ryan Kastner

Prediction: 3-7

Grade: B-

Division 2

1.Clockwork (4-1): Where it starts and ends for Clockwork has been their defense. 89 points against, halfway through the season is absolutely impressive. Analysis over… Alright, I guess I’m contractually obligated to write a breakdown. Clockwork’s only loss came against the Wolverines which now looks less surprising then when it occurred. Marco Masciotra has some great weapons on this team but his connection with Kyle Lebofsky has been amazing. Six of his 11 catches have resulted in touchdowns and he seems to make one big play per game. Rich Humes is right behind the team leader with 5 touchdowns and Mathew Petrone, Matt Kirouac and Phil Cutler all have 4 touchdowns. Masciotra has spread the ball around and has looked good doing it. Masciotra and Lebofsky have bene huge on defense having combined for nine interceptions. Still the most impressive thing about this defense has been Matt Kirouac and his creaky knees having recorded 12 sacks. I chalk it up to good coverage.

Team MVP: Marco Masciotra

Prediction: 7-3

Grade: B+

2.Braves (5-0-1): The Braves likely feel that many of FPF’s old guard is rooting for them to fail. I don’t think that is entirely false. For my part I am pleasantly surprised and really excited to see the Braves playing as well as they have been. Only Chernobyl have managed to keep the Braves to under 40 points scored in a game. I hate to use the word chemistry in football analysis because it generally serves as a blanket statement that covers timing, familiarity, trust, spacing and accuracy. However, given how well Braves excel in all these facets, I feel truly comfortable saying that that blanket statement would be correct. Antoine Boulard, Jason Courchesne, George Gariépy, Guillaume Dagenais, and Mike Pierrecin have all caught double digit passes and Quarterback Jonathan Maheu has been able to use all of these weapons effectively. Maheu’s remarkable athleticism has allowed him to buy time en route to what appears to be destined to be a 2000 yard passing season. Of all the aforementioned receivers Georges Gariépy has had the greatest impact recording 11 touchdowns thus far. The team has an active defensive unit has well as they have recorded 9 interceptions and 20 PDs so far. As talented as Braves are no one could have expected them to adapt to FPF so quickly.

Team MVP: George Gariépy

Prediction: 8-1-1

Grade: A+

3.Grip n’ Rip (4-1): I have doubted GN’R every step of the way. Every season they move up and seem to improve. It is an interesting dynamic with a group of players who have been part of the core from day one and the team picks up key pieces to help make the team more and more competitive as they improve. This shift in the paradigm has created an opportunity for up and coming teams to dethrone established divisional favorites as the team core will have a lot of lower rated players (by virtue of having played in lower divisions and therefore, not necessarily indicative of talent level) and thus leaving a lot of cap room to land an influential player. This is clearly the case hear as Grip N’ Rip added Teddy Frenette and Jamaal Gittens who have had an impact on both sides of the ball. Rusher Phil De Kovachich is not well known in the top divisions as of yet but he is an expert at cutting off angles, removing quick reads and he explosively attacks the quarterback in the second act of his rush. It is also impossible to talk about this team without mentioning newly minted hall of famer Vinny Gualano who has improved drastically from one season to the next. In his last three and a half seasons Gualano has thrown 165 touchdowns as compared to 23 interceptions for a ratio of 7.2 touchdowns for every interception. Those are elite passing numbers

Team MVP: Vinny Gualano

Prediction: 8-2

Grade: A

4.ONS (4-1): Any Kevin Wyeth led team has the chance to be truly a disruptive force in any division. This is certainly the case for ONS. Scott Payne and Chris Pinsonneault have been an unstoppable force over the first half of the season as they have combined for 15 of Wyeth’s 30 touchdown throws. Tyler Jutras and Corey Cook have been steady on what has been a strong defense all season. My worry for ONS has stemmed from how this roster will deal with teams that have truly elite speed. The results have been mixed. Against Dan & Co. they kept their foot on the gas and won the game by amassing 55 points. They faced another speedy team in the Incredibles and took their only loss of the season. While I do think that they will be relatively unhaunted in the regular season, they will likely slip up because despite having the best quarterback in the game, and one of the stronger and more physical teams in the division, they aren’t the deepest when it comes to top end speed. This will likely become an issue in the playoffs unless all the matchups line up just right.

Team MVP: Kevin Wyeth

Prediction:7-3

Grade: C+

5.Dan & Co. (4-1): The name of the team is quite self-indulgent but, I do have to give it to Dan “Tacos” Lazzara, he is exceling in Division 1 and dominating in Division2. Track star Zach Jauniaux is the true story on this team. He has burned receivers on his way to accumulating 13 touchdowns and has added 2 interceptions on the other side of the ball. What I liked most about this team is what I feared most. The core is made up of mostly original Sea Assassins members (Lazarra, Jauniaux, Alex Blanchet, Stephen Casey and Thomas Roadley Trohatos). This was a successful Division 3 team but Division 2 is virtually a different sport. The team has adapted well and among those who are playing best are the Sea Assassins Original Chapter.

Team MVP: Dan Lazzara

Prediction: 8-2

Grade: C

6.STL (4-1): I had my doubts regarding STL’s defense at the start of the season. In my defense, it did appear to be justified at the start of the season as STL allowed 42 points to Clockwork in week 1 and 45 points to Chronic Pain in Week 3. However, it appears as though that may have been slightly reactionary as STL is a defensive unit with some new pieces who are now learning to work together and better communicate and execute defensive concepts. Theo Ojeaha has predictably had the greatest impact but we are also seeing key defensive pieces such as Brent Callender and Julian MacLaren-Thompson play huge roles in this defensive machine as well. Dylan Taylor is growing before our very eyes at the quarterback position. While Theo and Jamie Ojeaha garner a lot of attention, Justene Edwards has had a huge impact for one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Edwards has 7 touchdowns and his Size make him a key redzone target.

Team MVP: Theo Ojeaha

Prediction: 7-3

Grade: A

7.Monstars (3-2) I was excited to see how Monstars would do in Division 2. While wins and losses are the bottom line, the quality of one’s wins and losses is important to measure as well. Monstars lost to Grip n’ Rip, by one score, on the opening week of the season. This doesn’t mean a ton to me. They also lost to division 2’s only undefeated team in the Braves. Everyone else Monstars have faced have been unable to match their pace. Their only issue, given the aforementioned losses is that they may not be in a favorable matchup if other teams meet their pace. Anthony “Crackwood” Brisebois has been a revelation in FPF this season. The underrated two-way phenome has accumulated 296 yards, 12 touchdowns and a pick 6. His division 3 colleague Frédéric Viens has also been a Monstar in his own right. Combined with FPF historic leader in catches (Jad Aridi) who has been a steady quarterback for Rod Mashtoub all season. Monstars are up and coming, I also believe they are one of the top 10 teams of the Division.

Team MVP: Anthony Brisebois

Prediction: 7-3

Grade: C+

8.#NR (3-3)-#NR have come a long way from being considered league trolls and are now considered one of the top emerging FPF franchises. Personally, having played the hash-tagged boys in grey many times, I have never had an issue with these guys. Their play, for the most part has always backed their attitude. They made a change by moving to Corey Pecker at Quarterback. Pecker, throws a ball that is far from perfect but, more often than not, it is effective. Most importantly, Pecker has gotten the ball to Jordan and Travis Moses in space and they have delivered. Jeremy Anderson is a physical receiver who catches balls in tight windows and it has rewarded him with 5 touchdowns. Deemy Feelgood’s long stride and ability to change direction has pushed quarterbacks to make mistakes in key moments and #NR have been the beneficiary more often than not. Their .500 play given their move to a new quarterback and offensive system is impressive. More impressive perhaps is their relative success without captain Kendal Mayers who suffered a wrist injury earlier this season.

Team MVP: Jordan Moses

Prediction: 6-4

Grade: B

9.Wolverines (3-2): Keep telling them they’re done! I have and boy have I been wrong time after time after time. The Wolverines are not without their flaws but Quarterback Tony Tabet has proven once again that there are few play callers smarter than he is. His release is quick and his familiarity with Shane Paquette, Raffi Bastadjian and Sevag Kaloussian is undoubted as the Wolverines season has seen them take advantage of a new EMPS team, a team we thought to be superior in Clockwork and Points R’Us. The season has been somewhat unbalanced as they got blown out by STL and Wild Boys (who were winless prior to this game). Eric Kavaldjian is the team’s most familiar 2 way standout. The Wolverines may need to find less conventional ways to win games but they always do seem to find those non-conventional ways.

Team MVP: Tony Tabet

Prediction: 5-5

Grade: B+

10. Incredibles (3-2): I didn’t think Incredibles would be a great team. I do however think they are a good team. Greg Stern is adapting well to the Division and despite losing to STL last week in the absence of Terry Tam and Vince Nardone. In the games that the Incredibles have won, Greg Stern has thrown 17 touchdowns and 1 interception in games that the Incredibles have won. However, in games they have lost, we see a very different story. In those games, Stern has thrown 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. The two teams that the Incredibles lost to were teams that they couldn’t simply outrun and they are physical defences that disrupted the otherwise wonderfully timed routes by these Incredibles receivers. New toy Alex Pilon has done damage having hauled in 20 catches thus far while familiar tool Sasha Papich has already recorded 10 touchdowns. Relax man, I didn’t actually call you a tool! Fellow east-sider Chris Milard has put pressure on passers while playing a solid role on the Incredibles offence as well.

Team MVP: Sasha Papich

Prediction: 6-4

Grade: C+

11.Served With Ice (3-3): I fully expected Served With Ice to be fairing a little better this season. Honestly, we would probably be reacting differently had Jordan Panetta suited up and quarterbacked last game and SWI had pulled off a victory. Panetta has been good in his own right and armed with Mikhail Davidson and JD Chevalier (who have combined for 11 touchdowns so far). However, perhaps the greatest impact has been David Shopov who leads the team in catches (25) and yards (310). There seems to be a little early/mid season lethargy from one of the returning Division 2 teams. Most Served With Ice games have been close and hasn’t shown us much of anything. There performance has been lacklustre but there is plenty of time to turn the season around.

Team MVP: Mikhail Davidson

Prediction: 6-4

Grade: D

12. Chernobyl (2-2-1): Chernobyl have shown that they are slow starters and this season is no different. Chernobyl started the season 1-2-1. This is far below expectations. However, having beaten Grip N’ Rip, Chernobyl does seem to be on track. Pat Chenard has to start to be more careful with the ball but otherwise, Chernobyl’s offence has been on point. Nicholas Arsenault-Hum has been a force as he has already caught 42 passes for 409 yards and 13 touchdowns. Mathieu Thout has provided a decent amount of secondary production but one hopes that Matt Bond and Mathieu Party can step it up in the second half of the season. Patrick Chenard, Matt Bond and Nicholas Arsenault-Hum are all elite defenders and they have led the was for one of the more aggressive defences in the division. Chernobyl seems to have a decent end to their schedule. I think they can make a push to be relevant in our second season.

Team MVP: Nicholas Arsenault-Hum

Prediction: 5-4-1

Grade: D

13.Usual Suspects (3-3): US are the team we in the media all love to hate. To be entirely honest, Rob White’s group seems to thrive on it. The Silver Fox Rick Nincheri has handled the rotating door of a roster very well and has already thrown for 1001 yards. The fact that this roster has already fielded 13 players is a bad sign for a team that has always had this issue. However, what we do have on our hands is a team that is truly unpredictable and can win on any given week. Andrew Carruthers is a very good player who is playing at the top of his game in Division 2. He has scored 6 touchdowns and he has recorded a trio of interceptions. Carmine Pollice is right behind the team leader in interceptions with 2 interceptions and he has also caught 4 touchdowns. The key stat that needs to improve are under the GP column where Jonathan Grizzley, Antonio Lanni and Keeshon Meyers have only played 3 games.

Team MVP: Rick Nincheri

Prediction: 4-6

Grade: A-

14.Gladiateurs (2-4): Glads have had a rough start to the season. It is hard to pinpoint just exactly what has gone wrong. The glads have talent at receiver across the board, they are led by a Hall of Fame QB in Francois Lebeau and the defence has playmakers on it. Lebeau for his own part is simply not protecting the ball. He has thrown 9 interceptions os far this season and after 6 games the Gladiateurs are in the bottom half of Division 2. Alex Lever has already caught 40 touchdowns for over 400 yards and has recorded 8 touchdowns. Lever leads the team where JP St.Pierre is slightly behind with 5 interceptions.St-Pierre has also had an impact on an otherwise struggling defence. His 6 sacks are a stark contrast to a team that has allowed 216 points and has only allowed fewer than 30 points once. Glads have been scoring but unless they can get a few more stops and be more efficient with the ball they will appear as a cartoon character trying to plug an infinitely increasing amount of holes in the bottom deck of a boat. They’re afloat, but it may not be long before the season sinks completely.

Team MVP: Alex Lever

Predicition: 3-7

Grade: D

15.Terror Squad (1-4): TS never seems quite as good when Pat Jerome isn’t a full time contributor. Jerome has played in the bulk of Terror Squad’s games and still, they have struggled from the outset. The import of David Centomo was required for their one and only win of the season. Furthermore, their win came against CLR Forces who have also struggled mightily. Without this win, Terror Squad would have been undefeated at the half-wast point. Tam Vilaydeth has often been held up as THE example of a mobile quarterback finding success in the higher divisions. However, rushers have been content to break down and let him throw all season as the mobile menace has only compiled 19 touchdowns thus far. Jasmin Rioux and Jo Duclair lead a talented defence that is strong but simply lacking. Terror Squad have simply not inspired terror.

Team MVP: Patrick Jerome

Prediction: 3-7

Grade: D-

16.Chronic Pain (1-4): The most incongruent thing in Division 2 is the amount of talent on this roster when considering their lack of success. Quarterback Rob Robinson is typically a resourceful passer who delivers no looks passes with the confidence of full look passes. Robinson has a combined 20 touchdowns thus far and is making good use of his weapons. Paul Lapierre leads his team in overall height as well as touchdowns (6) and is closely followed by Leonardo Lanni’s 5.Meanwhile, Robinson’s most familiar targets (Dan Dick and Jon Lyristis) have typically contributed a great deal so far. If I had to point to one issue why this team is struggling I would point to their schedule. This team as had the misfortune of facing Kevin Wyeth, Marco Masciotra, Dan Lazzara, Dylan Taylor’s powerful STL squad and Greg Stern and the Incredibles so far this season. The combined record of their firs half opponents is 20-6. The schedule does ease up and while Chronic Pain may not be an elite team they are good enough to have a solid second half of the season.

Team MVP: Rob Robinson

Prediction: 4-6

Grade: D+

17.Points R’Us (1-4): I has said that this team, heading into the season had the makings f a team that was set to break one’s hearts on a weekly basis. So far this has been the case. Points R’Us have lost two games by a point and three by one score. Many of these scores to lose game have happened late in games. Adding to the heart break is the injury to the mirror loving James Floreani, who despite his return does not look quite like himself (in the mirror or on the field). The diminutive Danny D’Amour has played far beyond his size and his 4 touchdowns have been a solid contribution. Kenton Lowe and Jameel Greenidge have been good contributors on both sides of the ball. Jacob Bernett has shown flaws in his game in Division 2. He is a good player but has had games where he has had difficulty adapting. Points R’Us are living a difficult season with the loss and hobbled return of their play-caller. However, it isn’t all that unexpected.

Team MVP: James Floreani

Prediction: 3-7

Grade: C

18.Wild Boys (1-4): Wild Boys have been a wild mess this season. Each week, team starting QB Mathieu Rene looked as though he didn’t want to be there and each week his team looked eager to replace him. Their only win this season has come when Jamil Springer took over at quarterback. The 6 game suspension to Ryan Perry is likely to have a huge impact as well. Rashawn Perry leads the team in touchdowns with 4 and it isn’t due to an inordinate amount of variance. Wild Boys have not scored enough, plain and simple. Avery Thompson has led this defensive unit with his 5 sacks. There is definite room for improvement on this talented roster. However, moving Springer to quarterback and losing Ryan Perry makes this receiving squad far less dangerous than they appeared to start the season. Unless the Wild Boys can find a new pivot to lead them for the rest of the way, this season may simply be a wash.

Team MVP: Jamil Springer

Prediction: 2-8

Grade: D

19.CLR Forces (1-5): The loss of Guillaume Ward was thought to have been mitigated by the gain of Finest teammate Olivier Bourdages. While Bourdages is a very good player, I don’t think he would disagree with the statement : “He ain’t no Guillaume Ward”. However, the team still features stand out quarterback Frederic Dupuis. CLR Forces have a lot of talent in the receiving corps whether it’s Carabins standout Guillaume Paquet or Dominic Lemieux. The defence has amazing rangy players such as Zachary Alexis and Simon Rivard. They also host a second Montreal Finest player who has been on the roster in the past (Karim Binette). CLR’s only win has come in week 1 and they have dropped games to some other struggling teams which doesn’t bode well for their success moving forward. CLR Forces are like my golf swing. There are too many things going wrong to pinpoint one area that requires immediate improvement. This will be a testing season for one of FPF’s more familiar franchises.

Team MVP: Guillaume Paquet

Prediction: 1-9

Grade: F

20.EMPS (0-5): Every Mother’s Perilous Swine. Still no idea what this stands for. I also have little to contribute in the way of analysis. EMPS registered and insisted that they wanted to play in Division 2. It is not surprising that they have struggled. It is less surprising that the team didn’t have the QB position settled prior to the season commencing. Four players have attempted passes and William Marchand (who has attempted the most) has thrown only 4 touchdowns as compared to 11 interceptions. Justin Dion is the leading receiver and in a Kenobian way, their only hope. He is averaging 12.6 yards per catch and has amassed 202 yards. His touchdowns have accounted for 30 of the team’s 43 points scored. What’s more, the team has only forced 2 turnovers on interceptions by Renato-Qujada Campos and Olivier Dubuc.

Team MVP: Justin Dion

Prediction: 0-10

Grade: D

Hungover Visions of the World of Tomorrow

This was a tough week for yours truly. I still think Simon Dagenais is unintelligent and that this isn’t an appropriate metric for intelligence (except when I win). Simon gained a win on me in each division but I absolutely chalk it up to the unpredictable nature of this beautiful game. It looks like we have all of the same picks in Division 1 but division 2 is ripe for a lot of movement in our predictions standings.

Division 1	Peeze	Simon

Montreal’s Finest vs. Loonatics	Montreal’s Finest	Montreal’s Finest
Got Skills vs. Waste Yout	Waste Yout	Waste Yout
DK vs. Rainmakers	DK	DK
D-Boys vs. Flag Moi L’Sac	D-Boys	D-Boys
Season Total	11-9	11-9

Division 2	Peeze	Simon

Incredibles vs. Wolverines	Incredibles	Incredibles
STL vs. Points R’Us	STL	STL
Served with Ice vs. Monstars	Monstars	Monstars
Clockwork vs. Dan & Co.	Clockwork	Clockwork
EMPS vs. Chronic Pain	Chronic Pain	Chronic Pain
Braves vs. Grip N’Rip	Grip N’Rip	Braves
Wild Boys vs. ONS	ONS	ONS
Gladiateurs vs. Terror Squad	Gladiateurs	Terror Squad
#NR vs. Usual Suspects	Usual Suspects	#NR
Chernobyl vs. CLR Forces	Chernobyl	Chernobyl
Season Total	34-18	33-19

Saturday’s Sloppy Seconds

For this who have already tuned in,to the official FPF Division 1/2 podcast, Calling the Audible, you’ll notice I appeared and awkwardly avoided giving my midseason breakdown so as to add value to this article. Either way it was a worthy watch as I likely forgot who I picked as winners on the show only to have picked the opposite teams today. Remember that you can catch the Division1/2 podcast as well as all episodes of Calling the Audible by visiting www.youtube.com/flagplus (alternatively, you can return to this article and click the link provided). Feel free to criticize me by reaching me on Twitter @PeezeFPF (as I am on most social media) or by messaging me on FaceBook @Peeze Della Reeze.

Have a great and safe week of action. See you at the fields!