Surprises everywhere.

Coming into this week, I was on the sidelines chatting up with many coaches, players and parents saying how quickly FPF Jr is turning things around and transforming from what we’ve seen in the previous weeks; not only is the experience overall better than it was in previous years, but as weeks go, we see real progression from all teams and players; it’s amazing to watch. If this kind of growth can happen between Week 1 and Week 5, I can’t wait to see what the playoffs (Week 9) has in store for us!

Let’s get started  

Week 5

Golden Eagles and Musketeers are no longer undefeated, Silver Cougars steal the top spot with their most recent win, the Sophomore race is heating up real good and Wildcats are catching fire at the right time. It was a good week all around, let me tell you that much!  

Recaps

• Fighting Irish vs Wildcats: In, probably, the best game of the weekend, the Fighting Irish went toe-to-toe with the Wildcats early on Saturday and this game was an absolute nail bitter the entire way. Speaking with a few parents and coaches on the sidelines, this had to be one of the craziest game I’ve witnessed in a while. Down 13-0 late in the first half, Fighting Irish made a ridiculous comeback before halftime to turn things around and lead 16-13 heading into the second half, but their luck would turn as they kept marching up and down the field with ease, but unable to actually punch it in and take back the lead as Wildcats were a bit more efficient in the redzone and got that extra TD in the second half to go up 20-16. With a mere 4 point lead for most of a half, neither team were in a comfortable situation and knew this game could turn at any moment. We’ve seen amazing plays from Olivier Gauthier who really was the star out there for Wildcats, but Kaelen Trepanier left quite a handful of bystanders in awe with some beautiful throws down the field and Aryan Jamati had himself quite the outing running some nice routes on the outside for big gains. After seeing what both these teams can do, it’s just a matter of time before they turn these plays into scoring ones and become a real threat to the #1 seed in the Varsity division; the talent is there, the plays are there, I’m very confident these two teams will be the talk of the town in a few weeks!
• Golden Eagles vs Dusters: Previously undefeated, Golden Eagles show up very confident in last week’s matchup, but quickly found their match in this Dusters’ unit that wasn’t kidding around early in the game forcing turnovers and marching down the field to take an early lead. Although the game remained close the whole way, the Dusters had that extra energy, that little pep in their step that showed they were in control out there. Adam Malinoff had a good outing overall; might not have been THE best of his FPF career, but he was clutch when his team really needed him to be and that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. The real hero of this game was Matthew Fixman who jumped a route early to create the first interception for the Dusters in the first half and, also, caught the go-ahead touchdown in the second half to elevate his team. If there was one week where they really needed him, this was it and he answered the call the right way. Good job Matthew!
• Huskers vs Musketeers: With a handful of players arriving late to the game due to our dear Decarie Highway (I mean, at some point we need to fix this very redundant issue, no? Montreal?), the game was a bit shorter than usual, but that didn’t stop the Huskers from putting on quite the show. QB Riley Element looks like a giant out there and he’s playing like a Pro Bowl QB this season; he’s making every throw and he’s looking great out there, but the real MVP this week was Mason Fleming who emerged out of nowhere. After dropping a bunch of passes in practice, something just clicked and he became the new focal point of the team for an hour out there. Finishing the day with a touchdown and two interceptions, you could just tell it was a special game for him. I know it’s winter time, but I really wanna know what ice cream flavor he rewarded himself with after the game.  

Players of the Week

• Jacob Ostiguy (Gators): 23 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown and THREE interceptions on defence. WOW!
• Eliot Patterson (Silver Cougars): He really stole the show this weekend finishing with 9 catches for 130 yards and 3 touchdowns. That’s spectacular.
• William Leclerc (Gators): In his second outing of the weekend, he went OFF. This has to be the most impressive performance by a running QB I’ve ever seen; 6 rushes, 174 yards and 4 touchdowns. How is this even possible?!?!
• Brenden Urquhart (AP Hurricanes): Last week, I said he was bound to emerge as an elite rusher; I was spot on. Finishing the week with 7 (yes, SEVEN) sacks. WOW!
• Ryan Whitehouse (Red Cougars): Despite the loss, he gave his all finishing the day with one receiving touchdown, one rushing, two interceptions and two PD. Quite the feat.  

Crystal Ball and Shenanigans

• AP Hurricanes vs Musketeers: Coming off a disappointing Saturday game last week, Musketeers are hungry and ready for anything that we throw their way; queue in the AP Hurricanes. Currently the passing yard leader in all FPF Jr, Nicholas Masella is playing GREAT football right now. Can the Musketeers prove us that their Saturday game last week was a fluke and Sunday was the real indicator? They’re certainly talented enough.
• Ducks vs Cowboys: Coming into last week’s game, I said the Ducks were on the up & coming and were about to turn things around and look what happened! Cowboys are still a serious contender to the title in Freshman, make no mistake about it, but they can’t afford to overlook the Ducks in this week 5 matchup that could shake up the rankings. The Ducks’ defence continues to impress and their offence is slowly turning things in their favor; could they possibly find the Cowboys’ achilles heel?
• Musketeers vs Bulldogs: In their second game of the day, Musketeers are looking to keep building their winning pedigree and finish atop their respective division by the season’s end; with the season closing in on them quickly, they’ll only have one game left after this weekend before the playoffs. Bulldogs started off a bit slow, but make no mistake, this squad IS talented and will surprise more than one team by the end of this season. They’ve only played 3 games and it’s only a matter of time before they jump onto everybody’s radars in Sophomore.
• Golden Eagles vs Western Patriots: Some say I may have cursed the Golden Eagles last week when I said someone’s streak would end, but I prefer thinking it’s better now than later. Golden Eagles are one of the favorites this season, but they’ve got much to prove after last week’s loss. Playing the Western Patriots who are sitting at the top of the division is probably the best way to do that. This is an opportunity for both teams to have a statement game heading into the second half of their schedule and show everyone that they are the #1 team in their division. Will Golden Eagles have the answer against the Western Patriots’ amazing defence?
• Fighting Irish vs Dusters: After last week’s win, Dusters are ready for whatever FPF Jr throws their way and will have to face older boys this week as they play their cross-over game vs a Varsity team. The defending champions are really playing like their true self recently and their defence is probably one of the most ball-hawking unit this league has seen. Will Kaelen Trepanier’s experience under center allow him to elevate his team past the mistakes that the Dusters could feast on? Fighting Irish looked real good last week despite the outcome, can they carry that momemtum into this week’s game?
• Huskers vs Bulldogs: After this weekend, the Bulldogs will be battle-tested as they will have played the top two ranked teams on Saturday! This is a great opportunity for them to turn their season around and show to everyone what we all already know; they’ve got what it takes to be a real contender in the Sophomore division this season. Huskers are red-hot and their offence is almost unstoppable, but the Bulldogs have a tendency to shake things up and give different confusing looks that may catch QB Riley Element by surprise. Trap game? Maybe.
• Tigers vs Sunnybrooke Elites: Sunnybrooke Elites are much better than their record tends to indicate, but so are the Tigers. In this week’s underdogs game, we’ve got two very talented squad trending upwards that were bound to have a collision course at some point. Unless someone can find a way to contain Dave Lileka Bolombe in the pocket and minimize his running ability, the Tigers will be forced to play catch up most of the game. Luckily, they also have a very dynamic playmaker in Ricardo Di Zazzo who can turn a hook into a game changing play; a duel of stars!
• Huskers vs Buckeyes: The Huskers are probably the most underrated team in FPF Jr right now. With QB Riley Element playing at a very high level and every single player contributing on a weekly basis, I’d hate to face them right now. If one team can take them by surprise, it’s the Buckeyes. Isaiah Roach has been a revelation on defence and I don’t think anybody is fast enough to really hinder Adam Bateman’s production this season. It’s bound to be a great one.
• Silver Cougars vs Red Cougars: It was only a matter of time before this fantastic rematchup occured. On what side will the coaches stand? Last time they played, it was Week 1 and things are very different now; Silver Cougars are flying high and representing that #1 spot they fought hard for, but Red Cougars are far from conceding this game for their distant teammates; I expect this game to go down the wire and be one of the best of the week. The second best offence in Freshman (Red Cougars) will face the second best defence (Silver Cougars); there’s no way you can miss this one!
• Thunder vs Wildcats: We haven’t talked much about Thunder so far this season, but this could very well be a statement game for them; Wildcats are finally finding their groove and Thunder haven’t played in a little while. The stars are aligned for Wildcats to force the upset, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, this Thunder defence has only allowed 20 points in 4 games (Yes, you read that right). If QB Nicholas Di Maulo can continue to be creative and effective under center, this might be one of the most underrated game of the season!  

That’s it for me this week. Hopefully I’ll still have a job by week 2. Happy, annoyed, frustrated, humbled by my comments? Take a second to send me a quick message either via twiter (@DagenaisFPF) or via email ([email protected]) and I’ll be sure to rectify or simply explain my point of view. I’ll be at the fields all day Saturday; don’t be shy to drop by and talk some football!