Categories: DivisionDivision 6Men'sWinter

Division 6 Midseason Report

Peeze’s Playbook

Midseason Report Part 1 

By Paolo Della Rocca and Simon Dagenais (he did one thing because it was otherwise awkward for me)

This article starts with an apology.  This was initially slated for release on Friday.  Unfortunately, I caught gastro and was bedridden, and dehydrated for 4 days thus making it impossible to meet my deadline.  Some of the write-ups were started prior to my falling ill and as such the rewrites may read a little disjointed.  

So after a week of eating nothing but soup I thought I was done with a liquid diet when I ran into Pension Plan’s Junior Spera at the field.  I spoke with June for just a second when the topic of Montreal restaurants came up and we discussed our shared love of Pho Nam Quan on Jarry East (best Pho in the city…don’t @ me).  So the next day, I completed a journey to enjoy another delicious soup and it was well worth it.  For this in the know, there is a wonderful corridor of little known, excellent restaurants on that stretch of Jarry East.  If you’re an Eastender that was uninitiated, now you know.  If you’re from the west side of the city, it’s ok to travel beyond St-Laurent.  

How I Ranked You

The first thing that infuriates teams is the ranking. I’ll hear things like, “we’re expected to finish higher than team X, how are they ranked higher than us?” Or “we beat team B, how can they be ranked higher than us.”  The short answer is: because I felt like it.  The long answer is, this is an extended power ranking.  The rankings indicate your recent level of play, not where I expect you to finish. I’ve looked a trends, when teams have lost, who they’ve beaten and so on.

The Grading System

This is an unfair grading system.  I’m saying it on the front end. It’s based on how you’ve performed as compared to the media’s expectations at the start of the season.  These weren’t expectations you asked for but it helps me create content and in the end, that’s my job.  So here’s that the grades corresponds with:

A:The team has far exceeded expectations

B:The team has exceeded expectations

C:The team is performing as expected (the Bears are who we thought they were! So to speak)

D:The team has underperformed

F: Bro get your hand out of the blender  

 

Midseason Report

 

  1. Warriors (4-0): The Warriors haven’t lost.  The win over Unknown Talent.  Mitch Fergenbaum has been great at protecting the ball but the defense has been what is most impressive to me. Zak Sigler’s pass rush has helped secure good field position and they’ve had two defensive scores to help pad the scoring for a good but not entirely explosive offense. Benji Zeigler’s 5 touchdowns are impressive but they need more meaningful contributions from the rest of the team.

Key Players: Benji Zeigler, Zak Sigler, Mitch Fergenbaum

Grade: B

Predicted Record: 7-3

  1. Dirty Landry (4-0): What is interesting about Dirty Landry is that they have been tested thus far.  They had difficulty scoring against the Pack and they beat Channel 4 News Team by only 3 points.  As good as they are the offense can be a little more prolific.  I did think that Avery Lalla would have trouble getting new pieces like Gabriel Bardetti, Kevin Keiller and Frankie Scalzo up to speed.  It hasn’t been perfect but the transformation has occurred quicker than at first thought.

Key Players: Avery Lalla, Brandon Keiller, Gabriel Bardetti

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 9-1 

  1. Vick in a Box (5-1): There are some impressive wins on their schedule already.  Matt Pisaturo is learning but he has a lot of talent around him and on defense they are strong enough to keep him in games when he does make mistakes. They have 22 interceptions on defense so far led by versatile speedster Craig Browning.  This team has moments where they are overwhelming.  They also have their flaws.  Perhaps their greatest strength is their ability to hide those flaws.

Key Players: Daniel Pisaturo, Craig Browning, either Max Burah or Jordan McInnis

Grade: A

Predicted Record: 6-3-1

  1. D2: The Mighty Ducks (3-1):  It does seem bizarre that Mathieu Domon can still throw in division 6.  He threw for 32 touchdowns and 9 interceptions (in 9 games) in his last full season in Div.5.  On top of that D2 also features Martin Jackson and JD Joly.  The team was already strong and they have some great veteran pieces.  They are also physically imposing and pose matchup problems across the field for everyone in the division.  After a week 1 loss, D2 have looked great.   

Key Players: Mathieu Domon, Anthony Pelletier, Renaud St.Laurent, Martin Jackson

Grade: C

Predicted Record: 8-2

  1. Unknown Talent (3-2): One of the storylines from before the season even began was that Unknown Talent were too strong for the division and that fear may have come true.  They Added Nicky Farinaccio after a week 1 loss and they now look thoroughly overwhelming.  Save for this past week’s loss to another frontrunner (Warriors) UT look like the nastiest team in the division. The one thing that could have hurt them was that Alessandro Barazzoni turned the ball over a lot in the fall season.  He does appear to have that in check as he has thrown only 3 interceptions all season long .

Key Players: Alessandro Barazzoni, Nicky Farinaccio, Nicholas Gomes-Risso, Nicholas Groppini

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: 7-3

  1. Hot Sauce Sports (4-2)- by Simon Dagenais: Rightfully suited for Division 6, Hot Sauce Sports is your typical powerhouse looking to add a Championship to their franchise. Coming back with a very similar core, but adding a few new key young players to balance everything out, this might be the best team Peeze Della Reeze has put together for his signature D6 team. With all this talent surrounding him and players learning the game faster than most would’ve anticipated, they’ll make for a tough outing when the playoffs come rolling for anyone on their schedule. With their upcoming duel with Unknown Talent, Pension Plan and Vultures in the next two weeks, we’ll finally see who the real HSS is. With a slightly bigger contribution on the defensive side of the ball from Matthew Chadwick and Daniel Bornstein to compliment the DB trio of William Power, George Aifantis and Gianni Frassetti, HSS could make this predicted record look foolish in 4 weeks. 

Key Players: William Power, Jean-Sebastien Roussy, Gianni Frassetti, George Aifantis

Grade: C+

Predicted Record: 6-4

 

  1. Scranton Stranglers (4-1) Jakob Boidman has to be the best single-use redzone player I can remember.  Whenever I see him play he’s making huge touchdown grabs.  They also seem to be a bizarrely high percentage of his total production.  Michael Grosz and Evan Schwartz have been leading the charge and their record is impressive. Less impressive is that they haven’t beaten a team with more than 2 wins this season.  The second half of the season doesn’t pose a ton of challenges either so one would hope that they will be battle tested enough to compete in the post season.

Key Players: Michael Grosz, Evan Schwartz, Jason Schwartz

Grade: A+

Predicted Record: (6-4)

  1. Vultures (3-1-1): The tie against the pack is disconcerting. The Pack are a team that are solid but have had their struggles.  That said, the Vultures schedule is trying.  They play in what is likely the toughest and deepest sub-division, their out of division games are tough and even when they play some of the less successful teams in the division they play tough, gritty teams that will not be a walk in the park. Benjamin McMahon and Anthony Drysdale have been a tough duo for 

Key Players: Benjamin McMahon, Owen Bujarsky, Anthony Drysdale

Grade: A

Predicted Record: 6-3-1

 

  1. Pension Plan (3-2): Speed has been Pension Plan’s achilles heel this season.  When facing decent, methodical teams Pension Plan earn the win.  When they face young athletes, they struggle.  They still have two of the most “matchup proof” players in the league and the offence has been fairly proficient (other than a 2 point outing in their first game of the season.  They can put up points so offences will need to be sharp when they play this group of veterans.   

Key Players: Vince Pisano, Anthony Siggia, Junior Spera

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: (6-4)

 

  1. Average Joe’s (3-2):  In division E2 they had the reputation for only beating teams that they were expected to beat.  Instead, beating Vick in a Box was a good sign that Average Joe’s made a step in the right direction. They then got bounced by D2: The Mighty Ducks but overall, I am pleased with how well the Average Joe’s are playing. A lot of their future success or failing will hinge on whether or not Mark Bellini can protect the ball better. He has a great arm but has multiple interceptions in three of four games this season.

Key Players: David Roaldi, Steve Besner, Anthony Lepore

Grade: A+

Predicted Record: (6-4)

 

  1. Sharknado (2-1): After their week 1 loss to 7th Rounders I was ready to write Sharknado off completely.  They couldn’t even simply handle a snap to the quarterback.  The team since moved Sean Collins to the snapper position and it has since helped the team move the ball consistently.  Quarterback Sebastien Blanchette has some to learn in FPF but he has taken very few chances and played within himself and the team hasn’t lost since the opener.  They are doing well but I do think the hardest challenges lie ahead for the warm water assailants. 

Key Players: Robert Paparo, David Di Paola

Grade: A

Predicted Record: (5-5)

  1. NWO (3-2): NWO have been a “communal team” in division 6 for a while.  They are strong enough to compete but not strong enough to move up. They play in too many one score games for it to be sustainable and they ultimately lose some games that could have been there’s for the taking. Mike “The Dirty” Sanchez is as reliable as it comes and his 110.4 quarterback rating for the season is evidence of that. The addition of Jean Sebastien Collin has helped a great deal though I’d like to see him in more of a rover role on defense to allow him to make more instinctual plays. 

Key Players: Michael Sanchez, Jean-Sebastien Collin, Stephen Tirelli

Grade: C

Predicted Record: (5-5)

  1. Dawg Pound (2-2): This is a team I thought would be strong but they’ve only won a single game in earnest (their other win was a forfeit). Let’s not get scared stupid like the Earnest of famed 90’s films.  I still think Shayne Feinberg is one of the better natural talents in the division and despite a somewhat slow start, I expect him to find his grove with his team by season’s end.The team has a talented core (Alex Finkelstein, Greg Castiel and Evan Frank is a great group of receivers in division 6!) but they have barely turned the ball over on defense and the offense seems to be having issues getting on the same page. The second half of the schedule ie either a group of easy wins or a bunch of unneccessarily close games.  My guess is the latter.

Key Players: Shayne Feinberg, Alex Finkelstein, Greg Castiel

Grade: D

Predicted Record: (4-6)

  1. Green Monster (2-3): What has concerned me about Green Monster since their first season in FPF remains unchanged.  Their offense is simply not good enough to sustain winning football. 58 points scored in 58 games is so few points that it surprises me that the team has 2 wins.  The most versatile player in the division has to be Patrick Jazon who is a great rusher, defensive back and receiver.  However, no man is an island and Green Monster is currently an Island.

Key Players: Patrick Jazon, Jesse Dumeignil 

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (3-7)

 

  1. Hurricane SZN (1-4): I feel bad.  I feel really, really bad.  We discussed their schedule on the second podcast on the season and I said I would have trouble envisioning three wins with their gauntlet of a schedule. Had I been wrong, Andel Thomas Gordon and teammates would gladly have let me hear about it but there has been silence from the camp given the season’s progress. I like this team.  I think they are remarkably talented.  I also think that they haven’t solved their quarterback issue and their schedule is absolutely brutal.

Key Players: Kevin Donnet, Brandon Parent, Andel Thomas Gordon

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: (2-8)

 

  1. Channel 4 News Team (2-3): They’ve beat the struggling teams and lost to teams that were equally as talented or greater. Greg Castiel has been safe but unspectacular this season. Yet, what has me shocked is that C4NT has not recorded a sack nor an interception this season. There are some serious challenges ahead for Channel 4 News Team.  There is some fight in them and I won’d be shocked to see them go on a run in the second half of the season.  However, since I’m being forced to mindlessly predict the future, I expect more of the same. 

Key Players: Greg Castiel, Noah Groper, Aiden Strasser

Grade: D+

Predicted Record: (4-6)

 

  1. 7th Rounders (2-3): These dudes are better than they appear. They will be in every game they play this season.  Their defense is competent but their offensive system is simply too difficult for Charles Duchesne to succeed in. He throws deep balls late in his progressions that are often intercepted or contested because few have the arm strength to do so effectively and too many plays are called with routes read in isolation.  This will be a tough season for 7th Rounders but they’ll go down in a lot of games swinging.

Key Players: Angelo Mourelatos, Terry Babalis, Francois Dusserault 

Grade: B

Predicted Record: (4-6)

 

  1. Fourth & 20 (2-3): They earned a win by forfeit in week 6 but nonetheless I do believe 420 Blazin’ have played every team tough this season.  Defensively they are a strong team. They have yet to allow 30 points in a game despite recording only recording 5 interceptions.  That’s a lot of turnover on downs.  A lost go that has been caused bt the relentless rush of Jason Dracchio who has tallied 7 sacks so far.  They have some interesting matchups that should land them into the post season.  The scoring needs to improve but one side of the ball is handled.

Key Players: Jason Dracchio,  Erik Ciaccia, Mark Haggarty

Grade: A

Predicted Record: (4-6)

 

  1. Fat Diablos (2-3): In some ways I love the self-awarness; the name says it all.  In some ways they seem delusional.  To think you can run effective offense through top receiver Francous Martin is absolute madness. A team with no better options isn’t a team at all.  A forfeit and a gritty win have Fat diablos in the best possible position of facing relegation in a post season that may be better suited to their level of competition. I have made my feelings of the progress of Michael “Sun” Deguire clear throughout the season.  I hope that he finds a system that will best work for him before season’s end because 9 touchdowns and 18 interceptions would lend itself to my hypothesis.

Key Players: Francois Martin (for some reason), Phillipe Aussant

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: (3-7)

 

  1. The Pack (1-3-1): I keep wanting The Pack to be better.  They are a group of veteran players. Daniel Krebs has always been one of my favorite low division quarterbacks but the run’n’gun era of FPF seems to have come and gone (except for the exceptionally athletic) and this offense seems stunted. Ryan Lefcort has 32 catches so far and the only other receiver with double digit catches is Andrew April.  This must be infuriating to a receiving corps because it isn’t even leading to victories. They are a tough out but I don’t expect them to be much more than that.

Key Players: Daniel Krebs, Ryan Lefcort, Corey Laxer

Grade: D+

Predicted Record: (3-6-1)

 

  1. Replacements (1-4): I thought this was going to be a season for Frank Teoli-Collatrella to take a step.  Instead, he has been decent but not much more than that.  As expected the Replacement’s offense has been remedial without much growth.  The defense was expected to be gritty but has allowed more than 30 three times and the team as constructed will not win many games that way. The schedule doesn’t get a lot easier moving forward but we’ll see how they match-up.

Key Players: Daniel Krebs, Ryan Lefcort, Corey Laxer

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (2-8)

 

  1. TBA (0-5): The record is shocking. I thought this was a team no one wanted to face.  Instead, this has become a team that everyone wants to face.  Brett Rosenberg has thrown 13 interceptions and only 14 touchdowns. Sean Yoffe, Matthew Gottlieb and Brendan Abecassis are a great trio of receivers. They have been steady but other than accumulating a ton of yards none of them have truly been impactful.  Despite their early season forfeit they lost three one score games before and eventual blowout against Channel 4 News Team.  The Rest of the schedule won’t ease up much for this group so limiting turnovers is the only way to expect change.

Key Players: Sean Yoffe, Matthew Gottlieb, Brandon Abecassis

Grade: F

Predicted Record: (1-9)

 

  1. Zone 6 Ballers (0-5): Jeansley Valbonard is an electrifying player who is a great runner at the quarterback position.  The passing has been the issue. He has a 50.1 quarterback rating but it is largely due to the roster inconsistency.  They’ve already forfeited two games this season for the same reason.  It’s a shame that the players on the team simply can’t commit to their team. I hope this is something that will get regulated by season’s end.

Key Players: Jeansley Valbonard, Matthew Valente

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (0-10)

 

  1. Goon Squad (0-5): In his best season Massimo Cicchini threw 34 combined touchdowns and a single interception.  This season he has only thrown 5 touchdowns in the 3 games he’s started.  The team are their own worst enemy.  They get weirdly angry with themselves and their opponent on the field and all that happens is that they get worse.  The team has talent but needs to scale back their tempers to focus on improvement and learning the intricacies of FPF.  

Key Players: Matthew Gagliardi, Matthew Cocolicchio

Grade: D

Predicted Record: (0-10)

 

Wednesday’s Winter Wasteland

Half of the Midseason breakdown is complete!  This is one of the most exhausting things the writers do during the season.  We do know players love it so we are glad to spend a ridiculous amount of time working on it.  I truly hope you enjoy the read. For further analysis, tune in to the official FPF podcast Calling the Audible, where Moe Khan Simon Dagenais and I work to annoy each other as we discuss the nesting dolls, best use of snow days and the only way fart jokes can save lives.

Tune in to Facebook live on the FPF Facebook page on Thursday nights at 7:00pm, watch it later on www.youtube.com/flagplus or download the podcast on iTunes or Podomatic!

Thank you all, falettinme be mice elf agin.