Division E: Playoff Tie-Breakers and My Annual Regular Season Awards

Welcome to Week 10, the final week of the FlagPlus Football regular season, or as I like to call it, the prelude to the real season.

 

Personally, I feel that Week 1 and Week 10 are the most important, and entertaining weeks of the regular season.

 

While I generally don’t put much stock into the outcomes of the games that get played in Week 1, I feel that it gives all of us a base to begin with, or a sneak peak if you will, into understanding who some of the teams and players are. For example, we get to see which teams – both veteran and not – have practiced or scrimmaged before the season. (You would be surprised at how many teams no matter what division, don’t do it. I along with numerous players I have talked to over the years, think it’s a HUGE mistake if you don’t.)

 

Week 1 also gives us a brief glimpse into which teams have chemistry, which ones are just a bunch of guys thrown together, and who will be the offensive and defensive oriented teams.

 

All in all, Week 1 is exciting, because it is the beginning of a new season and it gives everybody hope.

 

The same thing can be said about Week 10. While it is unfortunately the end of the road for some teams, it also represents the first step in a journey for others, and for a select few, a chance to make a statement.

To those squads that find themselves in that last category, they are in the always exciting win-and-your-in game. In the world of sports, whether it’s professional, amateur, or recreational, besides playing in a Game 7, or one-game championship like we have in football, the do-or-die, win-and-your-in scenario, is the most exciting game in all of sports. Win and your season continues, or lose, and all the hard work you put in is for naught.

 

Thankfully in FPF, Week 10 provides us with the same excitement, as we have three teams in Conference B, who are battling for the 12th and final playoff spot, in DGC, Fourth & Twenty, and Friday Night Tykes.

As it stands right now, DGC sits in 12th Fourth & Twenty is in 13th, and the Friday Night Tykes find themselves in 14th. One of the subplots that makes this scenario so exciting, is that DGC and 4:20 blazing, both have a (2-7) record, while the FNT, currently sit at (1-8).

 

In a tip of the hat to El Presidenté Roberto Campana, who has given us all the playoff info on the FPF website, here is where things get a bit tricky, because as you might have guessed, we might need to implement a few tie-breaker scenarios.

 

For DGC it’s simple, due to their 28-14 win over Fourth & Twenty in Week 3, all they have to do is win in their matchup Monday night against the (6-3) West Delisle Squad, and they are in. If they lose however, they will need 4:20 blazing, to lose their Week 10 game.

 

Who is Fourth & Twenty playing? You might be wondering, they are going up against the (3-6) Le Choix du Président, Monday night at Stade de Montreal.

 

At (1-8), it looks the Friday Night Tykes, would be the odd team out. However, thanks to a Week 2 (26-20) win over Fourth & Twenty, along with the underrated tie-breaker known as division record, this first-year team can still qualify for the playoffs.

The loss by Fourth & Twenty to the Friday Night Tykes was huge. It not only gave the FNT, their only win of the season, but it also gave them an advantage, as it moved their divisional record to (1-2), while both 4:20 blazing, and DGC, sit at (0-4).

 

The Friday Night Tykes, have a chance to leapfrog both teams and claim the last playoff spot, if both teams lose, and they beat their Week 10 opponents, in the (7-2) Moss City.

 

Unfortunately for FNT, that will be easier said than done, as Moss City, who have won 6 games in a row, are arguably playing the best football of any team in Division E (more on them later), and they need the win to clinch the top seed in Conference B.

 

In Conference A, things have the potential to get even more crazy. As it stands right now, the (3-6) Le Choix de Président, currently occupy the 12th seed. For LCP to clinch, they need to simply win their aforementioned game versus Fourth & Twenty. If they lose however, they open up the door to a few different scenarios, as they have three teams who sit exactly one game behind them, in the Striking Samurais, Here For The Beer, and the Raccoons.

 

As I said above, all three of those (2-7) teams need Le Choix de Président to lose to Fourth & Twenty. If that happens, and they all win, the cluster#$%* would be huge. Let me explain…

 

For the Striking Samurais, losing to Le Choix de Président (18-12) in Week 8 was a gigantic blow, but if the above scenario plays out, they would have the best chance of making it to the dance, because when three or more teams are tied record-wise, the head-to-head matchup gets thrown out the window.

 

For the Striking Samurais, it would come down to their divisional record, and defense. Going into this weekend’s action, they sit at (1-3), and have surrendered 189 points. LCP, has given up 190, so if they lose, SS beats the Little Giants Tuesday night in Brossard, gives up less points than President’s Choice in the process, and either the Raccoons, or Here For The Beer wins, the Striking Samurais would clinch the final playoff spot. Simple, right?

 

For Here For The Beer, the tie-breaker gets even crazier. First and foremost, they need to win their game versus the (7-2) Hot Boys Hotline. They then need Le Choix de Président to lose. Where is the crazy part? You might be asking, here it is. Due to the fact that they both finish with a (1-3) division record (they both play non-divisional games this week) the spot will come down to defense. Here For The Beer, has allowed 295 points this season, while as I mentioned earlier, LCP has given up 190. Basically, HFTB, will need Le Choix de Président to lose by 105 points to clinch the final ticket to the dance.

 

In my more than ten years either playing and/or writing for FPF (the records only go back to 2009) I have seen a lot of crazy things. 105 points being scored on somebody isn’t one of them, but you never know, right?

 

Now with all that out of the way…

 

Every year I give my choices of who I think should be player of the year at certain positions. Just to clarify, I do get a vote in the real awards at the end of the season, but I find this fun, and I love the feedback I get from the players. I apologize for not doing my annual Mid-Season Awards article. I wanted to change things up a little bit this year, but since some of you guys like this, and I have been asked about it over the last couple of weeks, I decided to keep a bit of the old school format as well.

 

Here we go…

 

Quarterback of the Year

 

Andrew Farrier (Moss City) 30 TDs / 3 INTs / 1209 Yards / 13 YPP

Danny Aylward (Greendale Human Beings) 44TDs / 6 INTs / 1561 Yards / 12 YPP

Josh Vasquez (Los Avocados) 37 TDs / 8 INTs / 1410 Yards / 11 YPP

Tom Gatehouse (Hot Boys Hotline) 27 TDs / 3 INTs / 1246 Yards / 11 YPP

Stephen Harripersaud (Prime Time) 40 TDs / 12 INTs / 1454 Yards / 10 YPP

François Deslauriers (Homosapiens) 30 TDs / 10 INTs / 1235 Yards / 9 YPP

Clay Sequira (TBA) 34 TDs / 6 INTs / 1233 Yards / 10 YPP

Jordan Allard (Dirty Mike n the Boys) 30 TDs / 9 INTs / 1224 Yards / 10 YPP

 

Winner: Danny Aylward (Greendale Human Being) – This was a pretty close race, and would’ve been even closer, had Farrier, and Gatehouse, not have missed 3 and 2 games respectively. Nevertheless, Aylward led all Division Quarterbacks in touchdown passes, yardage, and yards per pass.

 

Wide Receiver of the Year

 

● The rules are pretty simple for this one. To qualify, you need to have more than 350 yards, and 25 or more catches.

Will Power (One Speed: Power) 36 Rec / 593 Yards / 9 TDs / 17 YPC

Rory Semerjian (Smokin Axolotls) 39 Rec / 569 Yards / 17 TDs / 15 YPC

Erik Ciaccia (Fourth & Twenty) 34 Rec / 486 Yards / 11 TD / 14 YPC

Jared Gallant (Dirty Mike n the Boys) 26 Rec / 331 Yards / 8 TDs / 13 YPC

Anthony Siggia (The Pension Plan) 53 Rec / 473 Yards / 12 TDs / 9 YPC

Daron Migdesyan (Prime Time) 34 Rec / 486 Yards / 12 TDs / 14 YPC

Simon Viens (Farmers) 42 Rec / 438 Yards / 18 TDs / 10 YPC

Myles Keiller (Pardon My Swag) 39 Rec / 487 Yards / 14 TDs / 13 YPC

Brandon Aylward (Greendale Human Beings) 53 Rec / 529 Yards / 22 TDs / 10 YPC

Anton Sakiz (YAMAJO) 25 Rec / 396 Yards / 10 TDs / 16YPC

Zach Zwirn (Super Troopers) 59 Rec / 580 Yards / 16 TDs / 10 YPC

Thomas Zorko (Los Avocados) 64 Rec / 654 Yards / 22 TDs / 10 YPC

Edouard Valme (Hot Boys Hotline) 32 Rec / 420 Yards / 8 TDs / 13 YPC

 

Winner: Thomas Zorko (Los Avocados) – While he trails the majority of contenders in yards per catch (YPC), he leads everybody in receptions, yardage, and most importantly, touchdowns.

 

Rusher of the Year

 

Olivier Thompson (West Delisle Squad) – 10 Sacks

Justin Matteo (Just For The Reps) – 9 Sacks

Cory Wener (DGC) – 7 Sacks

Pat Deschenes (Pardon My Swag) – 8 Sacks

Francis Lorrain (Le Choix de Président) – 7 Sacks

Alexandre Lemoyne (Raccoons) – 7 Sacks

 

Winner: Olivier Thompson (West Delisle Squad) – He’s the only Rusher to reach double digits, so he gets the award.

 

Defensive Player of the Year

 

Kevin Marcil (Striking Samurais) 4 INT / 3 PD / 49 Tackles / 2 Sacks

Brandon Aylward (Greendale Human Beings) 5 INT / 3 PD / 33 Tackles

G.M. Kolethras (Homosapiens) 3 INT / 6 PD / 28 Tackles / 3 Sacks / 1 TD

Anthony Siggia (The Pension Plan) 7 INT / 6 PD / 19 Tackles / 1 Sack / 3 TDs

Dvd Joseph (YAMAJO) 7 INT / 2 PD / 18 Tackles / 3 TDs

Alex Grey (Just For The Reps) 5 INT / 3 PD / 16 Tackles / 1 TD

Edouard Valme (Hot Boys Hotline) 11 INT / 6 PD / 14 Tackles

Maxime Lachance (Raccoons) 6 INT / 5 PD / 15 Tackles

Benoit Vanier (Moss City) 5 INT / 12 PD / 18 Tackles / 1 Sack / 4 TDs

Robert Trombino (The Pension Plan) 5 INT / 5 PD / 5 Tackles

Azeem Bailey (FACE Jazz) 5 INT / 7 PD / 7 Tackles / 1 TD

Nicolas Lefebvre (Le Choix de Président) 5 INT / 7 Rackles / 1 Sack

Rory Semerjian (Smokin Axolotls) 6 INT / 7 PD / 25 Tackles / 2 TDs

Kevin St. Pierre (Just For The Reps) 10 INT / 1 PD / 8 Tackles / 1 Sack

Shyanne Stewart (Prime Time) 5 INT / 6 PD / 9 Tackles / 1 TD

Alexander Franco (Here For The Beer) 6 INT / 1 PD / 12 Tackles / 1 Sack

Mathieu Guindon (Los Avocados) 6 INT / 7 PD / 10 Tackles / 1 TD

Damien Jean-Jacques (The Expendables) 5 INT / 1 PD / 20 Tackles

 

Winner: Edouard Valme (Hot Boys Hotline) 11 interceptions, are 11 interceptions, no matter what division you play in.

 

Two-Way Player of the Year

 

Jared Buck (Just For The Reps)

Danny Aylward (Greendale Human Beings)

Anthony Siggia (The Pension Plan)

Chris Brockwell (Smokin Axolotls)

Eric Vosko (TBA)

Nicolas Lefebvre (Le Choix de Président)

Daniel Hernandez (SPARTANS)

Zach Zwirn (Super Troopers)

Rory Semerjian (Smokin Axolotls)

Tristan Hetu-Frankel (Homosapiens)

Erik Ciaccia (Fourth & Twenty)

Dylan Drake (Little Giants)

Clay Sequira (TBA)

Avery Lalla (Pardon My Swag)

Brandon Aylward (Greendale Human Beings)

Zackary Alberts-Gill (Super Troopers)

Will Power (One Speed: Power)

Jordan Allard (Dirty Mike n the Boys)

Edouard Valme (Hot Boys Hotline)

François Deslauriers (Homosapiens)

 

Winner: Brandon Aylward (Greendale Human Beings) – While he didn’t top the touchdown totals of any of the Quarterbacks on the list, he did have more TDs (22) than any receiver who was nominated.

 

Elite 8

 

1. Moss City – The hottest team in Div E, they keep mowing down whoever stands in their way.

 

2. Greendale Human Beings – They needed the SPARTANS to commit a brain cramp in order to beat them.

 

3. Homosapiens – They got a controversial victory over Dirty Mike n the Boys, but at the end of the day, a win is a win.

 

4. Hot Boys Hotline – They rebounded nicely after getting their hat handed to them by Moss City in Week 8.

 

5. Los Avocados – The blowout loss to the Smokin Axolotls, drops them in the standings.

 

6. Pardon My Swag – They demolished One Speed: Power without starting Quarterback Avery Lalla. They have a huge test tonight versus Prime Time.

 

7. Farmers – A solid win over Le Choix de Président, but it does nothing to move them up the list.

 

8. Prime Time – They make their first appearance on the list, as they have been extremely impressive over the last 3 weeks.

 

Picks

FACE Jazz vs Super Troopers – Super Troopers

One Speed: Power vs Dirty Mike n the Boys – Dirty Mike n the Boys

The Pension Plan vs Sons of Mitches – The Pension Plan

Farmers vs Montreal Raiders – Farmers

Prime Time vs Pardon My Swag – Pardon My Swag (Upset Special #1)

Smokin Axolotls vs The Expendables – Smokin Axolotls

Raccoons vs Greendale Human Beings – Greendale Human Beings

Fourth & Twenty vs Le Choix de Prèsident – Fourth & Twenty (Upset Special #2)

Moss City vs Friday Night Tykes – Moss City

Homosapiens vs TBA – Homosapiens (Upset Special #3)

Here For The Beer vs Hot Boys Hotline – Hot Boys Hotline

Just For The Reps vs SPARTANS – SPARTANS

West Delisle Squad vs DGC – West Delisle Squad

Los Avocados vs YAMAJO – YAMAJO (My choice for Game of the Week)

Striking Samurais vs Little Giants – N/A

 

Last Week: 11-3

Season: 80-45-1

 

Brent versus Marc-André

●Sticking with the theme of the article, it’s do-or-die time between Marc-André and I as well. This is the last week in our head-to-head matchups, and as it stands right now, I have a 1-game lead on him. In case you guys forgot, the winner gets a picture of beer, bragging rights, and $100. Maybe that last one was a lie. Either way, it’s been fun, good luck this week-end Marc-André.

 

Marc-André’s picks

The Pension Plan

Homosapiens

Moss City

Greendale Human Beings

Prime Time

 

My picks

Dirty Mike n the Boys

Super Troopers

SPARTANS

Smokin Axolotls

Farmers

 

Last Week: 4-1

Season: 21-14

 

That’s it for this week guys. Good luck to everybody this week!

 

To the teams that have, or will find themselves falling short of the post-season, use this as a learning experience to make some changes and get better for next season.

 

To the teams that have, or will qualify for the playoffs, use this week to put in the finishing touches, and get yourselves ready for the real season.

 

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

 

Cheers!