Co-ed Power Rankings – FlagPlus Football League

Every time I seem to get into a rhythm with these articles, FPF goes ahead and throws a bye week at me and breaks up all my momentum. I’m sure the teams feel the same way about their schedules. My team, Yin & Yang, suffered a loss at the hands of It’s a Match in week 4 but we were able to rebound in a big way against Tigers in our next game. It may seem like this is exactly the momentum we needed leading up to our week 8 game against the division 1 ATH Squad. However, with this bye week between the two games, it feels like we are starting from scratch. I’m sure quite a few other teams feel the same way. While it may be frustrating, I hope the teams that are struggling use it as a time to forget the first half of the season and improve.

Before getting into the heart of the article, I would also like to personally apologize to the players on Tigers. On the last play of the game, I ran back an interception for a score which did nothing except pad my stats and run up the score. That kind of play isn’t what co-ed, or FPF is about and I’d like to apologize. Tigers, despite their struggles, are one of the nicest, fairest and hardest working teams in the division. They are out there to improve and have fun. So to Tigers, I’m sorry.

When I went to look at the box scores from week 6, I have to say I was disappointed in you co-ed. Each week, you have given me close games, outstanding individual performances or horrible performances to write about. This week, there was nothing that really jumped off the page. The games weren’t blow-outs but neither were they close enough to feature in game of the week. While there were a few decent performances, notably Raphael Ducas-Lapalme’s three scores and 97 receiving yards, there was nothing worthy enough to feature in bargain of the week. On the other hand, no one had a lousy enough performance to be classified as a waste. Instead of doing my usual format, I have decided to give you a power ranking for each division.

Division 1 Power Rankings:

1) 3rd Down For What: 3rd Down for What (3DW) are the best team in co-ed for the simple reason that Sara Parker is the best quarterback in the division. They have got off to a perfect 5-0 start to the season. After a shaky first game where they narrowly beat Michael Scott’s Tots, 3DW has been irreproachable. They have already beaten the two other heavyweight teams in the division: in week 4, they managed to just squeak past Power Rangers and this week, they crushed Party Mix. Sara Parker has not thrown a pick since week 1 and if she can keep on protecting the ball like that, I don’t see 3DW losing another game this season
Expected Record: 8-0
Player to Watch: Sara Parker

2) Power Rangers: Power Rangers are an intriguing team. If you look at pure talent, then Power Rangers are the uncontested best team. They have the highest rated QB and the most talented receiver. They are just about flush with the cap. This team is built for success and realistically, they should be dominating and they have been able to dominate every team except one: 3rd Down for What. Despite 3DW not having the same caliber of talent as Power Rangers, Power Rangers were just not able to beat them. Ultimately, we all expect the division final to feature Power Rangers and 3DW. With the roster Power Rangers have, anything short of a championship has to be considered a disappointment.
Expected Record: 7-1
Player to Watch: Serge Pilon

3) Party Mix: Before the season started, I knew very little about co-ed. From what I heard and the few games I had seen, I presumed Party Mix were the perennial title favorites in division 1. Five games into the season, it is fair to say that those presumptions were clearly wrong. Granted, Party Mix have had a rough schedule. They have already played 3DW twice and Power Rangers They lost all three of those games. While I can’t deny that Party Mix has a nice mix of talent and experience, they simply don’t have the firepower to run with the big dogs in division 1.
Expected Record: 4-4
Player to Watch: Benjamin Léger

4) ATH Squad: ATH Squad are a puzzling team. With a few minor tweaks to their roster, they could have easily fit into division 2 and dominated. However, they made the choice to play in division 1 with, let’s face it, a division two roster. The unfortunate result is that they are being dominated by the heavyweights in their division.
Expected Record: 2-6
Player to Watch: Olivier Laberge

5) SAVAGE: Savage are yet another team that have me puzzled. Five weeks into the season, I am still not sure who their quarterback is. Heck, I’m not even sure they know who their QB is. With Raphael Ducas-Lapalme under center, Savage look absolutely out of place in division 1. However, last week, they had the talented Jean-Felix Marquis throw for them and they looked much better. Only if Savage can solve their QB dilemma, will they have a chance of winning another game.
Expected Record: 1-7
Player to Watch: Christophe Normand

Division 2 Power Rankings:

1) Yin & Yang: It was a hard call as to who to put first in the power rankings but ultimately, I couldn’t put my team anywhere other than first. Maybe I’m biased but I really do believe Yin & Yang have the upper hand on It’s a Match. Granted Y&Y lost to them but that was without their top players. In the next few weeks, we will really see what Y&Y is made of. The toughest part of their schedule is still ahead of them. This week, they will face off against the division 1 team ATH Squad and the week after, they will face off against the formidable Michael Scott’s Tots. If Y&Y can find a way to win both those games, they will cement themselves as the top placed team in division two.
Expected Record: 7-1
Player to Watch: Andrew Caruthers

2) It’s a Match: I don’t think It’s a Match will be very happy to see me place them below Y&Y in these power rankings. I can already hear them calling me biased and reminding me that they beat us. However, they lost their game versus Michael Scott’s Tots (MST). A top ranked team should be able to beat a middle of the pack team like MST. While It’s a Match has a lethal three pronged offence with Benoit Lawlor, Henry Dam and Alexis Labonté that seems to be able to score points at will, they do not have a defence that can consistently stop teams. If they want to claim the #1 spot from my Y&Y, they will need to show me their defence is more than run of the mill.
Expected Record: 7-1
Player to Watch: Alexis Labonté

3) Michael Scott’s Tots: It’s kind of hard to see where MST fits into the division 2 picture. I don’t think I can put them on the same level as either of the top two teams, but they are definitely better than the teams below them. They are a solid group with very few weak players, but they are also lacking the star power that the top teams have. Their best player would have to be Kenny Boutilier but if you compare him to top players from It’s a Match or Y&Y, he is not quite at the same level. MST are a hard team to analyze because it always seems they are one player away from being legitimate contenders, but they never quite manage to compete with the top teams. On the other hand, they are one of the most laid back and chill teams in the division. They are a great group and I really do hope they can find a way to compete with the best division 2 has to offer.
Expected Record: 5-3
Player to Watch: Kenny Boutilier

4) Hot-Dawgz: I am always surprised when I see the results that Hot-Dawgz From the game we played against them, I remember a dangerous offence with a slightly porous defence. Their performance last week, where they only conceded 21 points to the high-scoring It’s a Match was a definite improvement. Despite their defence stepping up, Hot-Dawgz’ offence did not rise to the occasion and they only posted two scores. While I don’t think this team has what it takes to crack the top three, they should have the talent to distance themselves from the other teams in the bottom half of the standings.
Expected Record: 3-5
Player to Watch: Maximilien Sadori

5) Black Mamba: If you have read any of my articles, it should be very clear that I don’t like Black Mamba. They have the athletes to be a better team but their unwillingness to adapt to the ways of FPF dooms them to failure. As long as they keep on attempting 10-15 runs a game, they will never be anything more than cellar dwellers. On the bright side, their last game showed improvements in the passing game. They passed for over 100 yards and five touchdowns in their win over A-Town. Maybe that game will be enough to convince them to evolve from their run/pass option (RPO) offence.
Expected Record: 2-6
Player to Watch: Édouard Leroux

6) A-Town: I think A-Town are the only team in division 2 that I haven’t seen play yet. They are a team of new players and I really don’t know very much about them but a quick look at the stats revealed why they are in sixth place. For every touchdown pass their quarterback Emmanuelle Bonsard throws, she also throws an interception. Protecting the ball is key to success in FPF and A-Town have just not been able to do that so far this season. On the bright side, A-Town has an easy match this Sunday to try to get their season back on track. They should be able to beat Tigers and who knows, maybe that momentum will carry them to an upset over It’s a Match in week 10.
Expected Record: 2-6
Player to Watch: Sarah Berbiche

7) Tigers: Look, Tigers are a joy to play against. They are a great bunch of players who never get upset or frustrated. If they were half as talented as they were nice, they would be one of the best teams in the division. Sadly, for Tigers, that is not the way things work. I really hope they do manage a win in these last three games. Their best chance at a win is this Sunday against A-Town. Good luck!
Expected Record: 0-8
Player to Watch: Jamall Brathwaite

There you have it, I hope you enjoyed my power rankings. If you disagree with where I ranked your team, all you have to do is prove me wrong with your play on the field.