Co-Ed Quarterfinal Recap and Semi-Final Preview

Quarterfinal Recap

The quarterfinals are a wrap and it lived up to the hype of the division. The top 2 teams cruised through the quarters and showed the tremendous skill level that has been apparent all season. The fact of the matter is that there were also two upsets that proved that teamwork sometimes outweighs individual talent. This is what happened in the Quarterfinals of the Co-ed division:

TC vs. It’s A Match

A lot was proven in this matchup for TC as they were able to dominate the entire game from start to finish. Vanessa Birri did not have to do much in this game, but she made the most of the minimum opportunities that she had. She finished with a 75% completion rate, followed by 3 touchdowns and 1 unfortunate interception thrown to François Éthier. Vanessa was able to make big plays in very little time and space which is pretty resourceful. She threw her 3 touchdowns to 2 different receivers and the opposing defence was great at shutting down her top guy Jacques Void.

Maxime Paterson was the receiver that took over the “top guy” spot from Jacques this week. He had 3 catches which does not seem like much but given the amount of throws Vanessa threw it was 33% of her completions. He also had 3 touchdown receptions which prove that he had tunnel vision for the end zone and did not consider anything less. Emilie P. Badoux had 2 catches for over 30 yards and topped it off with 1 touchdown reception of her own. She has been doing this all year and she continues to prove that no matter who would cover her she is going to find a way to get open.

Benoit Lawlor had himself a very rough outing and it was painful to watch. I found that he lost confidence in himself and when he realized he was down in the game he kept forcing throws and causing more turnovers. He finished his game with 33% completion rate and threw only 1 touchdown to this season’s co-ed receiver of the year Alexis Labonté. He also threw 7 interceptions which means that the opposing defence got into his head so much he started believing they were his teammates. Maxime had 2 interceptions and he returned both of them back for the score. Jessy Paterson had 3 interceptions and he returned 1 of them back for a touchdown. Lastly, Sabrina Gervais had 2 interceptions and she was able to return 1 of them for the pick six.

If you put that all together without considering whether or not they converted the extra points, the opposing team was able to take 24 points away. Those points alone would have been able to secure the victory as TC dominated their way to a 44-8 victory against It’s A Match.

Served With Girls vs. Michael Scott’s Tots

Karl Lavallée had a good game although I am sure that he would wish the outcome be different. He completed 60% of his passes and he turned that completion rate into 190 yards passing. He was also able to keep the ball away from the opposing defence as he had no turnovers. He threw 4 touchdowns to 3 different receivers, and he was all about making the smart passes. He played a safe game and it worked out for the most part but he was outduelled by the opposing quarterback in this game.

Charlie Loignon had a monster game and for the most part it seemed like he was the only receiver that the opposing defense was not able to stop. He finished with 10 catches and 144 yards receiving. He practically ranthe entire length of the field 3 times. He averaged 14.4 yards per catch so it was as if each catch was too difficult for the defense to protect. He topped that off with 2 touchdown receptions and was clearly on a mission to win the game. Sandra Clement and Sarah Mckinley were both able to find the end zone in this game and they were able to obtain that tough yardage when the field shrinks and there is very minimal room.

Evan Ely Nolet was able to match the level of play brought by Karl and he out matched him a smidge. He finished with 80% completion rate which is spectacular and he was able to keep the ball within his teammates as he had no interceptions. He completed 5 touchdown passes to 4 different receivers as he threw for 180 yards. He was lights out and he had the edge over Karl which helped his team to victory.

Kenny Boutillier was able to put aside his defensive strengths and commit to the offensive side of the ball when he was out on the field. He caught 3 catches for just above 80 yards and 1 touchdown. Gerry Gilbert is a guy that goes unnoticed somehow he made 5 catches for 45 yards and he too came down with a touchdown reception. Zackary Alberts-Gill was able to find openings on the defense 4 times and he came up with almost 40 yards but the ultimate stat is that he caught 2 touchdown receptions. Then there is Karina Niboj, who although she does not put up many yards with her receptions as seen in this game when she had 4 catches for 14 yards; she is always able to find just enough space in the end zone and she did it again as she came down with 1 touchdown reception.

It was a Quarterback contest as each quarterback tried to do just a little bit more than their opposing quarterback. In this case it was Evan who emerged victorious as he lead his team to a 34-26 victory against Served With Girls.

Big TDs vs. Party Mix

Quarterback of the Year Saadia Ashraf struggled early in the game but like usual she was able to get back on track and prove why she was the winner of the award. Unfortunately, for her team they came up short in their Quarterfinal matchup. She completed 75% of her passes and most of that came after her 2 interceptions thrown in the first half. One of which François Deslauriers returned for the touchdown and the other for Jeff Brown who set his team up in great field position to capitalize. Besides those interceptions which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in this game she threw 5 touchdowns to 3 different receivers.

David Cesari was one of the receivers Saadia has had a connection with throughout the season. This game he finished with 2 catches for just below 60 yards and 1 touchdown reception. Myles Browne has been a thorn in the side of opposing defenses all season and he was a threat again in this matchup as he had 3 catches for just below 50 yards and 2 touchdown receptions. Seth Galina was the short yardage guy that was always able to find the first down marker to move the sticks as he finished the game with 7 catches for just above 40 yards and 2 touchdown receptions.

Bandana Man Deslauriers played a very strong game against a very tough opposing defense but he was able to maintain his composure and make the right decisions. That impressive decision making helped him complete 65% of his passes for just under 160 yards passing and he was able to throw 4 touchdown passes to two different receivers. Bandana Man also showcased his speed as he rushed 3 times averaging 11 yards per carry and he was able to dip and dodge opposing defenders on his way to 1 rushing touchdown. Very impressive all-around game for him and he was a huge reason his team came out victorious.

Marc-Antoine Bigué was an absolute terror on the opposing defense as it seemed like he could not be stopped. He finished his game with 6 catches for 80 yards and he topped it off with 3 touchdown receptions. Whatever the defense tried to stop him clearly did not work. Marie-Esther Chabot is also a player that goes under the radar and I am not sure why but she seems to find openings in the opposing defense. She made 3 catches for 30 yards and she was able to find the end zone once and it may have very well been the deciding touchdown of the game.

This is an upset as the current Quarterback of the year was outplayed and the lead was just too much to come back from as Party Mix led by the Bandana Man was able to stop a late surge and come away with a 37-33 victory against Big TDs.

Power Rangers vs. ATH Squad

Kevin Lubin was getting the job done all over the field whether it came from throwing the ball, running the ball, or preventing the opposing quarterback to make plays he got it done. He complete half of his passes to go with that completion rate he was also able to complete 5 touchdown passes to 4 different receivers. He also had one unfortunate interception that Olivier Laberge read perfectly and was able to come down with it. Thankfully, it did not impact the overall turnout of the game. When he was not throwing daggers he was using his legs to find openings, as he ran 6 times for just under 100 yards and he topped that off with 1 rushing touchdown. He is just tough to maintain when he has open field to deal with.

Serge Pilon is always tough to cover and that was also the case in this game as he finished with 5 catches for just under 65 yards and he was able to turn on his rocket speed and find the end zone 1 time where he was too quick to be caught. Valerie Verdi was able to make sure she was tough to contain as she made 4 catches for just under 40 yards and she was able to find the end zone on 2 different occasions. Wade Shallcross is also a receiver that finds ways to blow by defenders and avoid getting tackled, as he made 3 catches for just above 35 yards and ultimately he found the end zone as well. Lastly, there is Janie Séguin who does not get a lot of yardage but once she does it either means she gets the first down or as was the situation in this game she’s alone in the end zone because nobody keeps their eyes on her throughout the play.

Marc-Antoine Jetté had a tough outing against such elite defenders but he was still able to put up some decent numbers. He was able to complete less than half his passes but that did not stop him from achieving just below130 yards passing. He also completed 3 touchdowns to 2 different receivers although due to the incredible skill on the opposing defense side of the ball he threw 2 interceptions. Kevin was able to come down with one of those interceptions as he had good coverage on the receiver throughout. Serge came down with the other interception as he undercut the route and was able to return the touchdown all the way back for a touchdown his speed was just too much to get to.

Olivier Laberge made the most of his opportunities on the offensive side of the ball as he was indeed the go to receiver for Marc-Antoine. Olivier finished his offensive day with 8 catches for 95 yards and he topped it off with 2 touchdown receptions. The impressive part of this is that he was able to do so against some top defenders from Division 1 and Division 2. Edouard Gagnon was the other receiver who was always available when the opposing was busy covering Olivier. Edouard finished his game with 3 catches for just below 40 yards and he was able to find the end zone behind all the top tier defenders on the opposing team.

ATH Squad put up a fight but in the end the offensive powerhouse of the Power Rangers was too much to maintain. The Power Rangers dominated the second half and they were able to secure a 39-20 victory over the ATH Squad.

Semi-Final Preview

The playoffs are almost over and we got ourselves an exciting semi-final ahead of us. We have the Number 2 seed battling against the Number 5 Seed followed by the Number 1 seed taking on the Number 6 seed. I cannot wait to watch these two matchups come to fruition as they will indeed be very entertaining to watch and I will be there with the best seat in the house.

Power Rangers vs. Party Mix

In the season meeting things did not go as planned for Party Mix, but they did indeed give Power Rangers a run for their money. In the end, Power Rangers came away with a 46-36 victory although there is a difference in this upcoming game. The major difference between the season meeting and their upcoming semi-final matchup is that Stephen Casey is not throwing the ball for the Power Rangers like he did in the season meeting. Party Mix defense was up for the challenge but Stephen was too strong. Now they have to deal with Kevin at Quarterback and let’s just say those two play a very different game. In order for Power Rangers to win this game they will need to continue to produce the insane amount of offensive numbers they have put up all season.

Bandana Man Frank is the heart and soul of this Party Mix team and he has been playing at the top of his game when it matters most in this playoff season. If I know Frank he will be the captain that Party Mix needs and he will try to help his team contain the high powered offense of Power Rangers. He has a great defensive partner in Benjamin Parisien who has been the defensive juggernaut for their team this season. If he continues to play the way he played all season then there is a good chance that Party Mix can knock off Power Rangers. I believe for Party Mix to emerge victorious they would need to find a way to contain Kevin and ensure he does not make enough space for him to take advantage of the skill his offense comes with.

TC vs Michael Scott’s Tots

In their season matchup TC was just plain dominant against Michael Scott’s Tots and they blew the competition out of the water on all aspects of the game. With that dominating display they demolished Michael Scott’s Tots 45-8 in a game where they could not do any wrong. Vanessa Birri was the key to this win as she was able to spread the ball around and find her open receivers down the field for scores after scores. It seemed as though every time the defense adjusted she just made a quick change and would still be able to get past them. I believe that for TC to win this matchup Vanessa would have to be at the top of her game and make little to no mistakes. If she is able to do so then TC should take this one home and secure a spot in the final.

For Michael Scott’s Tot I hope they keep the momentum going from their win in the quarterfinals. Evan was on top of that game but he struggled in the matchup against TC this season. For him to put up some offensive number is all well and good but unfortunately it may not be enough. That is when the defensive player of the year Kenny would have to come up clutch on defense of course. If he finds a way to shut down Jacques and help his team get into the position needed to shut down the other threats Vanessa has then they should be in good shape. I believe the successful pattern for Michael Scott’s Tots would be if Evan has a great game throwing the ball followed by Zackary’s ability to get to the quarterback and have her force throws. Add those up with strong defensive play from Kenny and they may very well beat the number 1 seeded team.

That’s all for me this time as we are on the clear road to the final and there is just one more stop before these 4 teams reach the ultimate playground of Brossard for the finals of the co-ed divison. If you want to reach me, send me an email at ([email protected]) or send me a facebook message. Search my name if we have mutual friends which may very well be the case send me a message. I am also going to be present for the semi-final and I hope to see you on Saturday. Good luck to the 4 teams battling for that top spot.