We are BACK!

After such a long and exhausting Road Show, I must admit, it feels like I was in the booth yesterday, but I’m pretty sure most of you couldn’t wait for the Spring season to kick off as the wait becomes more and more unbearable with each passing day.

I’m very excited for this Spring 2018 season as we get a totally different look from our top divisions. Do we even have a frontrunner this season? Of course we do. C’mon now.

Let’s get started.

Pre-Season

Speculations is the name of the game at this point. I know nothing, but I love to pretend like I do. In fact, it’s the reason why I’m still ‘an employee’ here. Let’s see if I can get any of these right by season’s end.

Thoughts of the Offseason

• Although I don’t consider it the ‘Best acquisition’, Sebastien Simon with the Braves will be more dominant than people realize. He’s a stud defender that will make the Braves better this season.
• Ocean 12 is probably the team I’ll follow the closest earlier this season. So much potential, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all fit nicely together.
• A brand new team in DivA? Hopefully this isn’t EMPS2.0.
• Carmine Pollice is a very talented QB. I’m curious to see how he’ll lead this group this season.
• This reformed Laval’s Finest (Underachievers) should, once again, be quite the dominant team.
• I’m curious to see how this Patrick Chenard QB experiment will pan out. It’s a star-studded roster.
• Although I have Vendrame listed as the best acquisition for 2HD, Vincent Jacques’ return and Marc-Antoine Viens’ presence are definitely up there.
• Jonathan Senecal is a special tackle QB. Let’s see how he fares in FPF.
• I’m not too sure who will be QB for Le Sport Campus, but they aren’t short on experience at the position, that’s for sure.
• As much as Khan Artists is a clever name, I still prefer Khanspiracy.
• Victory Royale! Is a good name.
• I must admit, I don’t see any team running away with Division B that easily. They’ll be more parity than people expect.
• For the first time in a very long time, Kevin Wyeth isn’t on the #1 team in my Power Rankings.
• I love this new-look Division A.

Best Offseason Acquisitions

• Jarryd Taylor to Braves: There is no doubt he’ll have another stellar season even if the system is a bit different. He’s a great fit and a weapon Jonathan Maheu will love to use.
• Theo Ojeaha to #NR: Anywhere he goes, he makes the team better, but this is a special fit. I have a feeling he’ll be well-fed this season.
• Paul Lapierre to Khan Artists: Can’t really say it’s an acquisition considering it’s a new team, but I’m sure Daniel Lazzara will love feeding him the ball this season.
• Anthony Vendrame to 2HD: Although he isn’t known to be the underneath / possession receiver Joey Taylor excels at using, he just might turn into one this season.
• Jacques Void to Drop The Mic: If there’s one QB that can feed Jacques Void properly, it’s Mario Porreca. These two will have a monster season together.
• Chris Milard to Meta Mayhem: What he brings to a team is exactly what Meta Mayhem lacked. Solid find, Holo.

Power Rankings

1. Monstars: Seeing Anthony Brisebois and Frederic Viens back in the lineup alongside their Winter studs makes me love Monstars even more. Rod Mashtoub has quickly emerged as a top QB in this league and Monstars are now a powerhouse in Division A. They aren’t ranked #1 for their good looks (although those don’t hurt).
2. Braves: Not seeing Georges Gariepy’s name on the roster saddens me a bit, but there’s plenty of talent to go around and be competitive this season. Sebastien Simon will have a great season, Jarryd Taylor might be even better than he was this Winter and we all know what JD Chevalier can do on this roster. Do not take these guys lightly. Ever.
3. Outsiders: Kevin Wyeth ranked #3? No it’s not a mistake. I must admit, I really like the idea of seeing these guys try something different and “play for fun” rather than defend their title over and over. Don’t get me wrong, this is a still a juggernaut of a team and will be very competitive, but I have a feeling that there will be more smiles than frowns this season when this team takes the field.
4. #NR: Ranked 4^th in their first ever Division A season? Not a bad start. After taking D2 by storm this Winter, #NR returns in Div A and made, possibly, the best offseason acquisition possible in Theo Ojeaha. It even manages to overshadow the addition of Jaylan Grandison to this roster who’ll fit right in. They won’t have the easiest of seasons, but I’m very confident they can pull through.
5. Khan Artists: They might have one of the best QB on their team, but their roster raises a few question marks. Will they prove me wrong? Most likely. The recent addition of Jason Prince and Paul Lapierre will definitely help them and I’m sure they’ll quickly find their rhythm and make their mark. Their offence will keep them competitive, but will their defence be up to par? Time will tell.
6. Ocean’s 12: Revamped Rainmakers? Sort of. Ryan Kastner can win Division A as a QB, there is no doubting that, but he needs a defence to help him at times (like everyone else does, really). With a few new additions that will bolster their physicality (never count Justin McLean out) and hopefully their defence, the future is bright for Ocean’s 12.
7. Spitfire: Modern day Demons? Carmine Pollice isn’t a Hall of Famer for his good looks. He might not have thrown in FPF in a while, but he can do a lot of damage with very little. I’m not sure this team has the right firepower to compete in Division A, but I’ve been proven wrong so many times that what do I know, right?
8. Freshmen: Ranked last simply because I have no idea who you guys are and what you’ll be able to do in a competitive Division A. I truly wish you the best and to shock everyone. They kick off the season against Ocean’s 12 and might be able to catch a group of veterans off-guard and score a handful. I’m excited to see how this pans out.

1. 2HD: Joey Taylor continues to make waves as he’s chasing that infamous QB of the Year title. With the recent additions of Anthony Vendrame, Marc-Antoine Viens and Vincent Jacques, this team has everything it needs to be the top contender this season. Ranking them #1 was a no-brainer.
2. Meta Mayhem: I REALLY like what Meta Mayhem did this offseason and how this team is built. They’ve added a few pieces (like Chris Milard) to really complete their roster and “patch” some of their previous weaknesses. Alex Holowach might be the best QB in the division and he’s got the right team to excel with. Sky’s the limit for these guys this season.
3. Underachievers: After a tough loss in the D3 Winter finals, their back hungrier than before. We’ve seen just how good Dylan Taylor is with this group and I have no doubt they’ll make waves this season. With the Mashtoub brothers healthy and both playing at the same time, they’ve got enough firepower to score on anybody in Division B.
4. Spring Cleaning: I was the first one to be surprised when I saw that Patrick Chenard was playing QB in Division B considering his pedigree in Division 1. Spring Cleaning is well built and has a lot of brand names that should allow them to flourish well. Oh, and they’ve got one of the best player no one knows about in Nicolas Lessard waiting in the wings for his chance to emerge as a top playmaker in Division B.
5. Victory Royale!: Ranked a bit low? Perhaps. Phil Cutler has a unique offence, but I’m convinced these guys are the right fit for him. With the right combo of size and speed, Victory Royale! could quickly turn into the one team nobody wants to face. With Gabe D’amico-Mazza on the roster, does this mean Matt Kirouac isn’t rushing? All jokes aside, this could be the division’s best defence.
6. Drop The Mic: Mario Porreca is a true gunslinger, but he needs the right weapons around him to really excel. Last season’s DTM lacked some firepower to finish off the season (after such a hot start), but I don’t see that repeating itself. With so many underrated stars on this roster and a few higher division talent, Drop The Mic might have hit the mark this time around. If they all mesh up well together, this is a truly stunning roster.
7. Dad Bods: Last Winter’s season didn’t exactly go as planned, but I wouldn’t count Dad Bods out over ONE bad season. This group has been a powerhouse in every division they’ve played in for as long as I can remember and I don’t see the trend changing now. Sean Avraams is more than able to take Division B by storm and he’s got his boys to do so. Unless they suffer from roster inconsistencies, they’ll give every opponent a tough time this season.
8. LGM: After doing a lot of damage in Division 3, they’re back in a “step above” division. If they can have their full roster 10 weeks in a row, LGM can have another successful season, but their recent roster woes are too close behind for me to simply disregard that possibility. Frederic Dupuis is one of the best QB in this division and now has enough games with this group to have built chemistry.
9. Le Sport Campus: 4 guys have played, at least, a season as a QB on this team. Two of them aren’t eligible to throw in Division B. With Mat René at QB, they would be ranked higher, but we’ll just have to wait and see how Gabriel Côté (or David Centomo) fares at QB in Division B. They definitely have enough playmakers to break this division open.
10. Prospects Squad: There’s plenty of talent to go around on this roster, but I can’t rank them any higher due to their lack of experience in FPF. Their QB Jonathan Senecal might be one of the hottest tackle prospect out there, but that doesn’t mean it’ll translate to FPF well. They’ll need their veterans to step up big time in the first few weeks if they want to stay ahead of the curve.

That’s it for me this week. I know it might not have been the longest of articles, but, to be fair, you guys haven’t even started playing yet! I’m looking forward to Sunday and the season’s kickoff. I’ll be scorekeeping Tuesdays in Brossard, feel free to stop by and say hi! Until next time…! I’m pretty sure Houston is still better than Austin, so suck it Eags.