Division D Week 2 Recap

Rather than an intro this week, I wanted to include an interview with Shayne Feinberg from Touched By An Angeletti. He had an excellent first game and unfortunately did not play in Game 2 because his opponent forfeited. These will probably be recurring as we try new ways to get players involved in the media. Enjoy!

 

 

Week 1 – Recaps

 

Division D1

 

Comeback SZN vs. Texas BareManz

It can be a cliché in FPF, however extra points really do matter. Look no further than this game to be the proof. Besides Khalil Kerr’s 50 yards on the ground, each QB threw for exactly 156 yards, 4 touchdowns and an interception each. The difference? Khalil Kerr was able to convert on a couple more extra points to give Comeback SZN the victory by 3 points.

Khalil Kerr really was the difference in this game in all facets. He used his legs with success to gain yards and extend plays, converted more on the point after attempts and stepped up on defence leading his team in tackles and is the guy who picked off Andrew Treffeisen. He did a good job spreading the ball around, hitting 6 different receivers, and anytime he got in trouble he looked to his number one guy, Hasani Worrell.

On the flip side, Treffeisen looked most often at his two top receivers – Spano and Grandison. Comeback SZN adopted a bend but don’t break attitude on Grandison which is a huge reason why Spano took advantage with a little bit more breathing room.

Both teams play a high risk high reward type of game and was just as entertaining as any other game this week. It’s a tough loss for Texas BareManz who now sit at 0-2 but I believe they can quickly turn it around. They have had a tough schedule to start the season. Comeback SZN, on the other hand, get their first win under their belt and hope to gain some momentum heading into a relatively easy part of their schedule. They will need all the practice they can get though as the schedule gets much more difficult in the second half of the season.

 

Show Me Your TDs vs. Beer View Mirrors

Another close game in the division, Show Me Your TDs played against the newly formed Beer View Mirrors who seem to be an customized version of Norfolk in Chance fit together just for this Division. I would guess that this is primarily because of Rocco Christiano’s QB rating being too high for the division but I could be wrong. So far this season, Mikey Christiano has not gotten the job done and the Beer View Mirrors are currently being outscored by 45 points.

In this game, there were turnovers a plenty. Mike Addona’s 2 interceptions ended up being forgivable as his opponent tossed 3. If you include a few runs by Rocco Christiano and Sydney Gage, both teams drove the field roughly the same amount and the big turning point was the pick-6 by Adam Parasuco. Anthony Addona and Alex David had big games offensively as well for Show Me Your TDs, comnbining for 161 yards between the two of them. Anthony Addona also had a big interception on defense to solidify his overall great game.

Beer View Mirrors were clearly in over their heads in this one and will have some work to do to turn things around in a hurry. They are in a tough division with a lot of experience and will need to make changes as their game plans have yet to work out so far.

As for Show Me Your TDs, they have a great roster on paper, I just worry they may rely too heavily on Alex David and Anthony Addona. They may not need to use a backup plan very often, but they should get something ready in their back pocket should a team ever shut them down.

 

Division D2

 

Hot Boys Hotline vs. Sunday Touch Boys

I definitely think there’s a joke to be made here about the Sunday Touch Boys against the Hot Boys… but either I can’t think of one or anything I think of probably wouldn’t be appropriate. As much as we can joke about the team names, both teams brought a solid game in this one. A defensive battle, we finally saw Dave Roaldi play quarterback and the results weren’t as good as I would’ve expected. Dave did his best to get everybody involved, but ultimately that extra interception was what cost him the game. Also, 89 total yards doesn’t help.

The experience of Tom Gatehouse and Vadim Chernyak were the difference for Hot Boys Hotline and the overall chemistry of the team is what got them the victory in what was otherwise a sub par performance. It got the job done, but I have higher expectations for Hot Boys Hotline and I tend to think they feel the same way.

You have to give credit to Sunday Touch Boys though, as they did a great job taking away the deep ball in this game and forcing Gatehouse to throw short and play a boring offense. It’s a great learning experience for both sides. Roaldi should continue to improve and HBH can learn the valuable lesson of what they will need to do when teams take away what makes them comfortable.

Hot Boys Hotline now sit at 2-0 and Sunday Touch Boys are close behind at 1-1. Both teams have the potential to make the playoffs and should take advantage of these lessons along the way.

 

Cheat Code vs. Full Senders

The theme of the week might just be that some of the older, more experienced teams have taken the newer teams to school. This game follows suit. CheatCode may have used the infamous up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A code in this game as Full Senders seemed to be working with a disadvantage and couldn’t come up with an answer. It’s amazing to me that this team is doing this kind of damage without Nikki Papich, it should be fun to watch when he returns.

Joseph Kano had a solid game throwing for just under 150 yards and 5 touchdowns and his leading men in this game were Justin Peress and Kyle Pedvis. Patrice Lindor didn’t show up much on the stat sheet but his presence was felt on defense as well. Besides his one mistake, Kano and the group had everything else going for them.

For Full Senders, 0-2 is definitely nothing to worry about, although they will need to make adjustments moving forward to have the hopes of getting into the playoffs. It might be difficult, though, that 5 of the 8 teams that are currently in playoff spots are 2-0 which may ultimately make it more difficult later on.

 

Power Rankings

 

After another game, separation and natural progression starts to take shape. 

Division D1

1. Ice Up (2-0) – They looked just as dominant with Zergiotis back there as I predicted. No reason to remove them from the top spot.
2. Half-A-Stars (2-0) – If they can continue to get production from the supporting cast, they will be tough to beat.
3. Homosapiens (2-0) – Francois Deslauriers is putting on a clinic so far. The trio of Parisien, Weiss and Lowe provide for a solid offense all around.
4. All Hooks (2-0) – They look really dangerous and probably the best all-around team in the Division.
5. Gotham Knights (2-0) – Looks like I didn’t give them enough credit last week. This team proved they can do some damaged.
6. Show Me Your TDs (2-0) – Pretty routine win, they’ll need to keep the level high and not play down to their opponent.
7. Takeover (2-0) – Undefeated, but a little too close for comfort.
8. B.D Bandits (2-0) – I’ve decided that as long as my team deserves to be in the top 8, I will leave them at the 8th seed and not any higher just to remind everybody we’re still around but not be over confident.

 

Division D2

1. Cheat Code (2-0) – Ranking them 1st last week and then winning 38-12, I can’t justify moving them. There’s an argument to be made for number 2 on this list, though.
2. Baby Kangaroos (2-0) – 39-0 against anybody will move you up in the ranks. Like I said above, this is more of a 1B.
3. Wrecking Crew (2-0)– Another solid game and Kevin Smuda had a big game. If things continue, they will be tough to beat.
4. Hot Boys Hotline (2-0) – Their defence is lookin’ real strong. Gatehouse needs to just be average for this team to do well.
5. Green Lantern Corps (2-0) – Solid win again this week, but I worry that only one player did all of the work. Let’s see if other guys can step up.
6. Adonis A’s (2-0) – Not on my list last week, props for staying undefeated and making it look easy.
7. Touched by An Angeletti (2-0) – Isn’t a forfeit supposed to be 30-0? Either way, hard to evaluate.
8. Sunday Touch Boys (1-1) – Hard to pick between the rest of the crowd here, but they have my choice because of their name and the loss comes against a team higher than them on this list.

 

Predictions – Week 3

 

D-1

Supply and Command vs. Homosapiens – Homosapiens

Smokin Axolotls vs. Super Saiyans – Smokin Axolotls

Fun Boys vs. Takeover – Takeover

Gotham Knights vs. Blazin’ Bayou – Gotham Knights

The Sheriff vs. B.D. Bandits – B.D. Bandits

Beer View Mirrors vs. Comeback SZN – Comeback SZN

Ice Up vs. Texas BareManz – Ice Up

For the Show vs. Diablos – For the Show

MTL Freshmans vs. Half-A-Stars – Half-A-Stars

The Brotherhood vs. All Hooks – All Hooks

Moss City vs. Renegades – Moss City

Show Me Your TDs vs. Green Hornets – Show Me Your TDs

 

D-2

Baby Kangaroos vs. Green Lantern Corps – Baby Kangaroos

Adonis A’s vs. Sunday Touch Boys – Adonis A’s

Vick in a Box vs. Longhorns – Longhorns

Grabuge vs. Voodoo – Voodoo

Ball So Hard U. vs. Les Blues Branleurs – Les Blues Branleurs

Team Ethnik vs. Mutation – Team Ethnik

Blazed and Confused vs. Dream Breakers – Dream Breakers

Touched by An Angeletti vs. Thunder Buddies – Touched by An Angeletti

CheatCode vs, Browns de Boucherville – CheatCode

Hot Boys Hotline vs. Full Senders – Hot Boys Hotline

Tough Lungs vs. Wrecking Crew – Wrecking Crew

 

“You ball, You get the call”

Another great week full of great performances. Here are the ones that stood out.

 

Division D1

Supply and Command – Justin Blanchard – 2 catches, 33 yards, 1 TD, 2 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD, 1 Def. TD

For those reading, can you describe the experience of catching balls from Peeze?

It’s the full on Forrest Gump “life is like a box of chocolates” experience. You never know what you’re gonna get. One play he’ll drill you a slant where you take half a second to ponder whether this likely mere three-yard gain is worth potentially breaking a finger over. The next he’s floating the ugliest underthrown duck of a pass your way on a deep ball and you end up having to go for the bat-down instead of the walk-in TD. It’s never a dull moment, that’s for sure.

As a follow up, how did your group convince somebody of Alex Bachaalani’s caliber to join the team knowing Peeze would be his QB?

I’ve come up with multiple theories, and ultimately I’ve reached the conclusion that Peeze paid him. You can’t convince me otherwise. No for real though, I simply don’t know. I like to believe that people see that Peeze is the kind of QB you want to play for: competitive yet easy-going, open to suggestions but confident in his play calls, and so slow and unathletic that he has no choice but to be a pocket passer — meaning a ton of balls thrown your way.

Jokes aside, what are your expectations for the season?

The dream: Help Peeze win a championship. The reality: Maybe we’ll make the playoffs as like, the 7th seed.

 

Homosapiens – Francois Deslauriers – 26/32, 244 yards, 6 TDs, 2 tackles

Homosapiens – Benjamin Parisien – 8 catches, 125 yards, 1 TD, 1 tackle, 1 INT

Excellent start to the season for you guys. What’s been the recipe for success?

I think it’s way too early to call this a success but I will take a 2-0 every year. Div D is a contested division with lots of good teams and the margin between a W and a L is so thin. So far on defence we have given a ton of yards but were able to stop the opponent a few times in the red zone. On offense, we were able to convert key fourth downs to keep drives alive. There has not been many dropped balls as well. This could easily go the other way around in other circumstances. Hopefully we can keep it rolling.

Francois, how much has Ben helped contribute to an excellent offensive start and Ben what is the impact of having a veteran FPF QB playing for you guys?

François: Ben has contributed as well as any player on this team. I think the key is to get everyone involved as much as possible. One week, one player will have a great game but might not appear on the stats sheet the following week. Ben had a huge game in week 2 because the opposite defensive scheme allowed him to be a little more open. This is only my second season as a full time starter and I’m fortunate to have many guys I can rely on on a weekly basis

Ben: Aucun joueur n’a besoin de penser à autre chose que ce qu’il a à faire grâce à la confiance que l’on peut avoir en François et en sa tête froide. Il sait rester concentré durant toute la rencontre et ça nous permet de faire de même.

Francois, who would you compare Ben to in the NFL. Ben, same question but for Francois?

François: Wow tough question. On defence, he reminds me of good free safeties like Earl Thomas or Devin McCourty. The ground he covers is impressive. He closes very well on the deep ball and can jump short routes or shoot to make the tackle pretty well.

Ben: Aaron Rogers, car il est constant, connaît ses joueurs et sait comment les utiliser pour gagner.

  

Gotham Knights – Alexandre Gaudet – 5 catches, 41 yards, 3 TDs, 4 tackles, 2 INTs

Do you guys listen to what you hear in the media and around the league? I’m not sure most people picked you to win this week including myself.

Oui on savait mais les médias n’ont pas d’impact sur notre game, on est habitué d’être underdog. Si on continu de gagner on va surement être plus sur le spotlight mais on va continuer de jouer notre game de la même façon.

You were easily the man in this game, scoring all three tds and getting 2 picks on defense. Did your teammates bring you out for a beer and lap dance after the game?

Non jouer un dimanche soir à 22h c’est un peu trop tard pour aller prendre une bière, et pour le lap dance on garde ça pour la finale !!

What happened on your running play? You seemed to do everything right but run the ball!

En effet la course c’est pas ma force surtout que je dois être le joueur le plus lent de l’équipe. En fait ce n’était pas un running play à la base, Chris allait se faire sack alors je suis revenu vers lui et j’ai attrapé le ballon derrière la ligne de mêlé pour un gain négatif. C’est probablement la dernière fois que mon nom va être inscrit dans le running stats.

 

Half-A-Stars – Andrew Langburt – 15/20, 120 yards, 5 TDs, 4 rushes, 48 yards, 2 tackles, 1 INT

Things seem to be much easier for you in your second season as QB. What’s been the biggest difference?

I wouldn’t say things are much easier just yet. We’re playing in a tougher division than my first season and I’m happy we’ve started the year 2-0 but we still have lots of work to do. It definitely helps that I have more games under my belt than I did in my first season, so seeing different defences and approaches from teams helps me know how to adjust plays and attack the different formations. Also, the more games we play the more confidence we get and that helps too. What are some of your personal goals for the season?

The first goal is always bringing home a ship. As great as the individual awards are, winning a championship with the boys is an unmatched feeling. As for me personally, I’d like to see myself develop as a QB and improve game by game. A two-way player of the year award wouldn’t hurt either. Oh and finals MVP.

As one of the leaders on Half-A-Stars, who doesn’t get as much love as they should?

Honestly we’re a very well balanced team. If you look at your stats last year the offence is pretty evenly spread out and everyone makes plays on D as well. Even though the stats might not show it, we have underrated cover corners like Eli Saleh and sure handed receivers like Derek Sigler. These are experienced guys who know what it takes to win, and aren’t divas like some of my other receivers (Assayag and Fuchs)

 

Moss City – Benoit Vanier – 8 catches, 61 yards, 3 TDs, 1 tackle, 2 INTs, 1 PD, 1 Def. TD

After a tough loss in your first game, what was the biggest difference this week?

I’d say the biggest differences were obviously our opponents and our defensive line-up. We played All Hooks last week which is a team with a really good QB and we had a lot of new players on defense. This week, all of our key defensive players were there and we were able to fully neutralize the QB and make turnovers.

Do you think you will be the go to receiver most games like the one you just had?

Not necessarily. We had two WRs absent. Once they are here, I believe we will have the most complete receiving corps in this division and we won’t have to rely on anyone. Our QBs, Andrew Farrier and sometimes Arno Desjardins, both have the ability to find the open receiver and not just force the ball to a single player.

One of my favourite questions – which player in the NFL would you compare yourself to?

Probably a guy like Casey Hayward. He’s not the fastest or the most athletic, but he always manages to make plays because of his great football IQ.

  

Division D2

 

Green Lantern Corps – Mendy Cardichon – 9 catches, 91 yards, 4 TDs, 4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD

You scored all of your teams touchdowns this week, had a pick and led your team in tackles. What was your pregame meal and will you be sticking with that all season?

I went to spend some time with my mom before the game and we had some steak. I guess nothing beats a mom’s cooking lol Can’t promise I will be sticking with that though.

Who’s your favorite super hero and why?

Kal-El, aka Superman is my favorite super hero simply because he is the best in my opinion. Batman vs Superman was such a disrespect lol no offense to the Batman fans out there.

What are your expectations for the season?

My expectations for this season is to win the championship. We have a great team, a group of guys that want it as bad as I do. Even though we lost a great asset in Amine haddioui, we have gained another one in Riccardo Desrosiers. If we keep playing like I know we can, we have a chance, only time will tell.

 

Team Ethnik – David De Andrade – 16/27, 204 yards, 5 TDs, 3 tackles, 1 PD

It always feels good to be on the right side of a 1 point victory. What was the key to beating the Longhorns?

It feels amazing!!! I think the key was to keep our cool. The longhorns are a team with lots of experience and Moodie can and will score. We started well with the lead on the first half, but after I made bad/risky defensive call, they scored with one play and took the lead. But we kept our cool, marched down with 5 plays left and score the winning touchdown on the last play of the game.

You guys haven’t quite excelled to start the season but have still played well. What needs to happen for your team to take the next step?

We usually have horrible start of season. But it allows us to be underestimate. But to answer the question, I don’t know what needs to happen to take us to the next step… maybe find that Superstar player I keep looking for on the Facebook wall.

I know you as a competitive guy, what do you hope to get out of this season both personally and as a team?

Championship…as a player and as team… everything else is fun, but secondary.

 

Adonis A’s – Alexandre Delisle – 15/20, 199 yards, 6 TDs, 1 tackle, 1 sack

You guys are a brand new team with a few players new to FPF, tell us about your team.

We’re just a bunch of great athletes who love football and decided to get together and form a team for this summer and for the two seasons before. We’re still learning on the fly but the progression is there every game.

You are coming off a great game this past week, what worked so well?

Everything just clicked. The game is slowing down and it gets easier to spot the open mind and read defenses. Guys made a couple of great catches and we just got things rolling.

Your numbers are starting off better so far this year than your two previous seasons. Do you have any personal goals?

As my second year as qb, I just want to get better and improve every game. No personal goals per say, but I think our team this year will be competitive and we’re aiming to go pretty far into the playoffs

 

Voodoo – Kevin Marcil – 4 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs, 3 tackles, 2 sacks

I’ve been trying to find out all week – how did you guys score 4 points last week?

I think I made a sack in the endzone for the first 1 and the second2 points, a guy pick off Frank Kaye outside his endzone .. He ran back into his endzone and Étienne Vaillancourt tackle him ..soooo safety haha

What was the biggest change this week over last?

We had a little talk after our first week lost because we haven’t played as a team on the first game so we had to step Up as a group. Frank Kaye had his confidence and focus returned after the halftime in the last game , that was a game changer , we are looking forward to have Frank at the top of His game for the next Weeks.

How was it playing against Kevin St-Pierre and was his trash talk extra motivation to have a big game and shut him up?

I played against him a few time and I know if you give him too Much space we were gonna regret it. We didnt heard him trash talking about us in this game but I know he’s was a bit vocal when he was getting back to his huddle. Its always nice to have a matchup against a good player that you need to watch every plays, so yeah it was motivating!!

 

Wrecking Crew – Kevin Smuda – 5 catches, 42 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 1 PD

You’re the new man on campus when it comes to Wrecking Crew. How has the adjustment been?

Although I’ve never played with Wrecking Crew in FPF, I’ve known all these guys for a few years now by competing against them in a different flag football league. So I already know the strengths, weaknesses, and attitudes of each of the players. That knowledge has really made the adjustment quite easy.

That leads me to having to ask about the Coyotes, how come no team this season?

Sammy Feder is stuyding at MIT and Josh Feder is practicing his residency at the University of Ottawa. Those two guys are impossible to replace. Of the original Coyotes championship team, only AJ Rashkovan, Andrew Langburt, and I remain in FPF. We still play together in Div C as the Mountain Lions. I don’t know if the Coyotes will ever make another appearance in FPF, but I hope they do.

What do you think you bring to this team?

Let me start by saying that I don’t need to bring anything to this team for them to be successful. This same team went undefeated in Div 5 regular season and barely lost in the championship. I feel lucky to be here. I think I bring a height component and a size weapon to the team they may not have had before.