Playing For Keeps: Same Hero, New Boots – FlagPlus Football League

I have to admit, it was incredibly difficult to buckle down and write this article last night with Dave Chapelle’s new 2 part special now streaming on Netflix. The amount of nostalgia the show created for me was astounding, as I was instantly transported back to my late teens, hanging out in friends’ basements and doing rebellious things while joining Chapelle in what we thought was a big fat middle finger to the establishment.

Those days are now gone, as I sit at a desk from 9-5 pushing spreadsheets on Excel, and a pudgier, more constrained Chapelle reminisces over his mingling with fame and fortune while waxing poetic over how messed up the culture has become. Still, his ability to construct thoroughly engaging narratives while lending inspired insights is beyond compare. Chapelle cleverly maneuvers the terrain of political correctness gone wrong, generational gaps, and race and cultural stereotypes. He takes direct aim at all those who are overly sensitive and put themselves on a social pedestal. Chapelle basically says everything that we wish we could say on facebook, but restrain ourselves for fear of being labelled with a derogatory term. He’s the hero of the everyday man, the type of man that has been attacked by special interest groups in recent years and made to feel guilty for being proud of who we are. Chapelle definitely goes there, and he does so with an edge that had me lit, alone on my couch on a Friday night.

He had me captivated and entertained for the full two hours in a way that I haven’t experienced for a while. Between spurts of rolling on the floor laughing and outbursts of tears, I tried in vain to jot down some worthwhile content, but it was pointless. So, with that said, here is your division 5, round 1 preview article. Better late than never! May you all be champions in your own mind and enjoy whatever remains of your winter 2017 season. I hope the games are as entertaining and competitive as I’ve predicted, but whether you win or lose, you should check out the Chapelle special at some point for a good time. It’s as good as advertised.

Round 1 Previews:

(4) Spartans (7-3) vs (5) All Hooks (6-3-1)

Previous Matchup: N/A

The higher seed Spartans have their work cut out for them in this one as they will need to contain freshly minted QB of the Year award winner Charles-Olivier Lavigne. The Flower Child, so named for his iconic tie dyed headband, averages 5 scoring TDs per game while turning the ball over once every 2 games. The Spartans don’t have two games to wait for a turnover and will need to rely on their stingy defense to force the issue and approach their impressive 17.9 PA/game rate. The problem in this matchup is that Lavigne is arguably the most effective running QB in the division, and the Spartans haven’t demonstrated anything close to a formidable rush so far this season, with Charles-David Martel leading the roster with a paltry total of 2 sacks.

On the other side of the ball we’re likely to see James D’Andrea and Andrew Grant employ the read option which has worked so effectively in keeping defenses off balance all season. Again, the QB-rusher dynamic will come into play here, as Thomas Coutu and Jean-Christophe Ferland have combined for 15 sacks on the season, presenting a much more arduous challenge than their opponents.

In sports we often say whoever is stronger up the middle has the significant advantage. Checkmarks to All Hooks QB and rusher make this a difficult hill for the passionate Spartans team to climb.

Prediction: 32-25 All Hooks

(1) Trinity (9-1) vs (8) Knights (4-6)

Previous Matchup: Week 3: 34-13 Trinity

The knights snuck into the playoffs with a hard fought victory over a Harambe’s Disciples team that was devastated by a cap violation punishment. They relied on their defense down the stretch to make plays for them in crucial moments and supplement a sometimes staggering offense with incremental points. That worked well against teams on the bubble or out of the playoffs, but now they face an entirely different beast.

Trinity is marching into the playoffs with a full head of steam and a supreme level of confidence. They’ve dealt with a difficult schedule with poise and developed into a legitimate powerhouse before our very eyes throughout the course of the season. Jean-Félix Marquis was a finalist for the QB of the Year award, and although he throws a high number of interceptions, he also produces a high amount of TDs and yards. Herein lies the nail in the coffin for Knights. Even if their defense led by David Horwood and Jonathan Goyette manage to get a takeaway or two, they still won’t be able to match the high octane offense of Trinity stride for stride throughout the course of the game.

This one may be interesting early as Knights demonstrate the grit and mettle they’re known for, but it will begin to slip away before half as Trinity cruise to the second round.

Prediction: 37-19 Trinity

(2) Big Fun Party Mix 8 (7-3) vs (7) Buckeyes (5-5)

Previous Matchup: Week 2: 30-0 forfeit win BFPM8

BFPM8 is a well-crafted and balanced team which turned a lot of heads this winter with a 7 win season. Mike Franzese and Rico Tulino will be a difficult pair for the Buckeyes to contend with. Evan Ely Nolet is coming off of his best season in FPF, still, they are wise to not ask him to carry the load, relying rather on a tough defense which creates opportunistic scoring chances for their offense.

The Buckeyes faced some of the stiffest completion in the division down the stretch, so their instincts will be sharp and their standard of play will be elevated. The QB play on this team hasn’t been inspiring however, and they’ll find themselves in a dilemma this week matched up against such a stiff defense. The Buckeyes will rely on their own formidable defense limiting BFPM8 and giving them a chance to hang around late, looking to make a heroic play. I think they will fall just short in a low scoring, grind-it-out affair.

Prediction: 19-13 BFMP8

(1) Mad Bears (10-0) vs (8) Takeover (4-5-1)

Previous Matchup: Week 8: 20-19 Mad Bears

For a team to finish with a perfect regular season record and show as much precision, poise and confidence as the Mad Bears have demonstrated this year, this is the absolute toughest first round matchup they could have drawn against an 8th seed. Not only did Takeover take them to the edge of defeat in week 8, they were also heavily agreed upon as a favorite for 5B heading into the season, due to past reputation.

Although the season didn’t go exactly as planned for Takeover, they find themselves in the playoffs with a fresh chance to prove to the division that they are indeed the team we thought they were. Receiver of the year William Power will bring everything he has to the table, as he attempts to will his team to victory. As good as he is, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, the Mad Bears are one of the top 3 defensive teams in the division. Led by Antoine Brisson and Sebastien Thibault, they definitely possess the top notch talent to limit Power. The questin will be can Takeover find a way to win if Power has to be used as a high profile distraction? I look to Julien Wilson and Alessandro Arciero to have big games for Takeover if this game is to remain competitive. On the Mad Bears side it will be business as usual, as Thibault spreads the ball around to his balanced receiving corps and runs often. The fact that Takeover have not registered a single sack on the season will be the key differentiator in this one. Thibault should have time to make himself more comfortable than their first matchup, and he’ll find the open holes eventually.

Prediction: 34-31 Mad Bears

(4) Roadrunners (7-3) vs Jagys and Chill (6-4)

Previous Matchup: Week 2: 24-6 Jagys and Chill

Throw the week 2 matchup out the window, as Roadrunners lost their first two games while getting acclimated to the division and comfortable with their roster. Since then, the Roadrunners have become one of the most consistent and productive teams in the division. The Jagys have gone the opposite way as of late, as their offense has continues to tailspin into the ground, with 4 straight games of being held under 20 points scored!

My concern for the Roadrunners is that following a week 11 forfeit win, how will they react to their first game time in over two weeks being playoff caliber football? Look for Jagys to gain the upper hand early as Roadrunners shake off the rust. This has all the makings of a very low scoring game, as the two of the top 10 defenses in PA square off against each other’s deficient offenses.

In a close, grinding, defensive style of game I will defer to the experience and grit of the Jagys to come out ahead. Led by the incredible Jean-Felix Daloze, Simon Duchesne and Yannick Doston, they will employ an effective scheme that will ultimately shut down the Roadrunners offense in the clutch.

Prediction: 24-19 Jagys and Chill

(2) Rednecks (7-3) vs (7) Black Knights (5-5)

Previous Matchup: N/A

I’ve watched the Black kinghts play several times this season, and I have no idea how to qualify them. Each time I’ve seen them they’ve been extremely underwhelming, having switched QB mid game due to ineffective play. Their body language regresses throughout the game as they fall behind, as does their signature intensity. Conversely, there have been games that I haven’t seen where they’ve put it all together with a nice bow and filled up the stat sheet in a way I had trouble believing was accurate. Stephane Larosiliere seems to thrive against certain matchups and crumble under other ones. His erratic play is a result of the defense he faces. Unfortunately for Black knights, this week they face off against a smart, adaptive, athletic defense that will give them Major fits.

Frédéric Stumpf is the type of deep safety that Larosiliere has nightmares of. His ability to cover vast terrain in the deep secondary will neutralize the Black knights’ deep ball strategy. As other teams have shown throughout the season, when you take away their deep ball they have difficulty implementing plan B.

I expect Darick Forgues to establish his rhythm in this one and produce his average stats, which will be more than enough for Rednecks to clear round 1.

Prediction: 31-19 Rednecks

(3) Friends in Low Places (9-1) vs (6) Tip Top Shape (6-4)

Previous Matchup: Week 9: 20-12 FiLP

Their previous matchup was an interesting case study for how FiLP would react against one of the stiffer opponents in the league. They revealed for the second time in that game what has now become characteristic of this team, they clamp down defensively against everyone, but their offensive proficiency reduces significantly against top tier defenses. Look at the week 11 game against SABRFC for further proof.

As for Tip Top, they were simply overwhelmed on offense in this game. David De Andrade’s receivers couldn’t get open in time with the blistering rush from Justin Matteo, and the QB found himself throwing into contested zones too often.

On the other side of the ball, Elijah Suyat proved to be one of the few rushers in the division capable of getting into Danny D’Amour’s kitchen and making him uncomfortable. I predict that we’ll see more of the same in this game, as the rushers highlight the key matchup to watch. Tip Top have had a difficult second half schedule which has seen them be tested each week. I generally prefer that heading into the playoffs, as it sharpens teams for the win-to-survive scenario. This game will be much more competitive than the previous one, with these teams trading score-for-score and stop-for-stop. Extra points will determine who advances to the second round.

Prediction: 29-28 FiLP

(3) Jean Coutu (7-2-1) vs (6) Dreamville (5-4-1)

Previous Matchup: Week 4: 18-18 Draw

Dreamville were the first team to stand up to the early season bullies, Jean Coutu, with a surprising tie in week 3. Early season darlings, Dreamville have met a rough patch in recent weeks, going 1-4 in their last 5 games against a brutal schedule. A losing streak like that one can have a negative impact on the psyche of a team heading into the playoffs. Even though they played those games tight and showed they could compete against anyone, they’ll need to summon their most confident effort to match wits once again with the juggernaut of the Jean Coutu offense.

Eli Saleh’s big game against Trinity in week 11, where he fed his stallions early and often, will need to be duplicated this week. You know for certain that QBOY runner-up Antoine Côté will come out with all guns blazing, as he airs it out to Vincent Hamel and Bruno Lagacé. Dreamville will need to employ an effective strategy on defense, as they can’t hope to simply match up body for body with their opponent. With all that said, Andrew Langburt is truly the X-factor in this game, as he is the most experienced and craftiest player on the field. He will bring his all to this game and hope to inspire his teammates to play beyond their individual capacities. I do see a scenario where Dreamville produce the shocking upset, but I’ll take the safer bet here at stick with Jean Coutu edging them out in a high scoring, entertaining game.

Prediction: 36-32 Jean Coutu

(3) Keyport Lock (6-4) vs (6) Dope Boys (5-3-2)

Previous Matchup: N/A

Confirmation came through this morning that Keyport Lock will forfeit this game. A disappointing end to an inspiring season from a team that battled back from injury to make the playoffs. Dope Boys will have to wait another week before proving to the league that they are a playoff dark horse.

Final Score: 30-0 Dope Boys

(1) Diablos (9-1) vs (8) Longhorns (5-5)

Previous Matchup: Week 11: 27-20 Longhorns

This is certainly an intriguing rematch between two teams that have each claimed the top of the power rankings at one point in the season.

The Longhorns looked long in the teeth going into week 11, having lost 4 straight games and being at risk of slipping out of the playoffs altogether. Their task was monumental, defeat the hottest team in the division and end their undefeated season. Never ones to shy away from a challenge, the Baby Boomers put on their work pants and grinded out a tough fought second half victory. Now, doing it again will be an entirely different story. The Longhorns will claim that they found a weakness in the Diablos game plan and exploited it to their benefit. The Diablos will claim that they were overconfident, with their minds on the playoffs in a meaningless game for them against a hungry team fighting for its season. Either way these two heavyweights will be pitted against each other once again, with only one team remaining after their 60 minute bout. In what truly amounts to a coin flip in my mind, I believe that the sheer will power of the Diablos will drive them to make the game-defying play late, and pull out victorious in this slug fest of evenly matched opponents. One key caveat however, I picked against the Longhorns in their first matchup also, and they more than relished the opportunity to prove me wrong. I do hope they have the chance to do it again.

Prediction: 33-31 Diablos

(1) Flagrant Fouls (7-3) vs (8) Les Affreux (5-5)

Previous Matchup: Week 2: 39-25 Affreux

The Flagrant Fouls snuck up on all of us as the first seed this year. Coming into the season with question marks, they stuck to their gameplan and showed confidence in their roster to improve each week. That confidence was rewarded with a first place finish, as they now head into the playoffs as a hot team rolling on all cylinders. Adam Rockman might very well be the hottest QB in 5A right now, with 12 passing TDs in his last 2 games of the regular season. I can’t see Affreux having an answer for the three headed monster of Godstein, Freedman and Guillemette.

Affreux have seen a whole lot of ups and downs this season. They started off red hot but then hit a period of inconsistent, matchup driven play which has transitioned into the playoff race. Their defense is fierce, as Joly, Jackson and Dubois take up a lot of space. However, even though they have a seasoned QB in Lemieux, who can elevate his game at any time, he’s struggled this season and I can’t see him matching round for round with the now polish Rockman. Advantage Flagrant Fouls.

Prediction: 33-25 Flagrant Fouls

(2) Jaguars (7-3) vs (7) Bunch of Rookies (5-4-1)

Previous Matchup: Week 5: 33-13 Bunch of Rookies

This is one of the few cases where I will refer to the previous matchup as a good indication of what’s to come. I simply hate this matchup for the Jaguars. As well as they’ve done during the regular season, they’ve demonstrated a vulnerability on offense when facing tough, athletic and experienced teams. Don’t let their team name fool you, The Rookies have a wealth of experience at key leadership positions. Their newbies have also adapted well to the flag game this year and this team suddenly looks like a low key dark horse heading into the Sweet Sixteen. I think Cinderella will continue to dance on this night, as Rookies will shut down the Jaguars once again and cruise to a second round matchup against a more experienced opponent.

Prediction: 33-25 Bunch of Rookies

(4) Les verges Folles (6-4) vs (5) Preachers (6-4)

Previous Matchup : Week 1 : 31-13 LVF

Les Verges Folles were my darlings heading into the regular season. I loved their unique combination of athleticism, football knowledge, passion and talent. They’ve successfully turned me off to the idea of them as favorites throughout the season, as their play has been inconsistent and sporadic at times. Having said that, I still respect their potential to blow up on any given week, and I believe this will be one of those weeks for them.

The Preachers are just an incredibly gifted team with a horrible QB situation. Neither Saro nor Labonte have inspired confidence at the helm this season, and I believe this will create a major deficiency against a very capable defensive opponenet. If the Preachers hope to win this game it will be up to Lindor, Gauthier and Robidoux to shut down the LVF offense and give their team a chance to make a huge play late. As talented as that core is, I believe they will keep the game within reach, but the QB advantage of LVF won’t be able to be matched on this night.

Prediction: 28-14 LVF

(3) Globo Gym Purple Cobras (7-3) vs (6) Bruthers (6-4)

Previous Matchup: Week 9: 34-30 Bruthers

There may not be a hotter team heading into the playoffs right now than the Bruthers. They’ve won their last 4 games, 3 of which have been against some of the toughest opponents in the division. Morgan Tajfel has been strong down the stretch and his teammates have picked him up when needed.

GGPC sport the freshly minted QB of the Year, and put up 30+ points in their sleep this year. This has all the makings of a high scoring duel, similar to their first matchup a few weeks ago. I look for the QBOY to make small adjustments to his game plan following their previous loss to Bruthers. Often times in when two even teams matchup for the second time of the season, the team that lost the first game makes adjustments while the winners of the first game figure to thrive again with the same format. I believe this will be the case in this game, with GGPC edging out Bruthers by less than a score.

Prediction: 33-32 GGPC

(2) KGP Ra (6-4) vs (7) Pandas (5-4-1)

Previous Matchup: Week 10: 26-20 Pandas

We just recently witnessed these two teams square off in an exciting and evenly matched game that came down to a Hail Mary at the end. In that game, Juwan Edghill replaced the veteran Phil Cutler for KGP Ra. Although he had a strong game and made an impact on both sides of the ball, Cutler brings a calming confidence to this team which cannot be accounted for in pure athletic talent. If Cutler is back in this game I believe his presence will be enough to tilt the score in KGP’s favor.

For the Pandas to repeat against KGP Ra within 2 weeks they will need to perform even better than the last game. Ryan Kharouf has performed remarkably better in the second half of the season while driving Pandas to the playoffs, but I believe his development is still in process and this contest will ask a bit too much of him. Pandas will once again make a critical turnover in the second half, and this time KGP Ra will capitalize for the victory.

Prediction: 32-25 KGP Ra

(4) TDs and Beer (6-4) vs (5) LOB (6-4)

Previous Matchup: Week 4: 31-13 TDs

LOB should be worried about the outstanding depth of talent from the cast of TDs and Beer. McGuigan, Grizzley and the Keillers create matchup problems for the short-staffed LOB team, who will need to rely on a near perfect game from Lonnie Johnson and some opportunistic errors from Brad Evans. While I fully believe the former is possible, I doubt the latter will transpire on this night. Evans is a smart, experienced QB who can avoid errors on the football field and manage the game when needed. That’s all he’ll need to do in this matchup, spread the ball around with high percentage passing plays and allow his game breaking players to do what they do best. I don’t believe that a 6 man LOB roster, without talented two-way beast Vincent Dagenais, will be able to stand blow for blow with TDs and Beer throughout the entire game.

Prediction: 36-26 Tds and Beer

That’s it for this preview! Believe it or not but the FPF winter playoffs are already underway. See how fast it goes! If you have any feedback, concerns, comments or just want a shoulder to lean on you can reach out to me @alexholowach1 on Twitter, or hit me up on Facebook. If you’re craving more div 5 content please see Nic Belleau’s French article, he truly is the best quality writer on this staff. Otherwise, check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring Peeze and Moe Kahn, it’s a healthy dose of sophisticated silliness to get you through the week. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and make sure to check back next week to find out how playoffs week 1 shook out! Good luck to all remaining teams, may the best team prevail!