Division 5A Playoff Preview

After going 6-2 in my predictions for 5B, I’m gaining some confidence. I didn’t get to watch a lot of the games this week and mostly saw the division 6 games, but I’ll definitely be catching round 2 at least for division 5B.  Hopefully I catch 5A as well.

In the meantime, here’s just how I see the first round of 5A playing out.

Good luck everybody!

 

Conference A

 

Super Saiyans (1) vs. Broccasion (8)

Previous Meeting: N/A

Surprisingly enough, every team in 5B had played eachother once before during the regular season and now the first matchup we look at in 5A does not have a previous meeting to refer to. Regardless, I think this is a classic David vs. Goliath matchup. Super Saiyans are actually known for their defense as they make it incredibly difficult for quarterbacks and receivers to find open space. In this game, Justin Cerantola will have a tall task of creating offense and putting points on the board without a lot of experience at the quarterback position in FPF.

It’s not as much a knock on Broccasion, but rather a nod to Super Saiyans and just how dominant they have been this season. They’ve been playing together for a while now with Jordan Allard continuing to improve at the quarterback position and Jon McQueen playing Jim Schwartz back there on defense. I could have picked many coordinators but I figured I’d give the Eagles fans some love. Allard spreads the ball around to Dylan Segall, Troy Rothdram, Jared Gallant and Tom Gatehouse all have approximately 30 catches and they can burn you with any one of them on any given night which in my opinion, is their most dangerous asset.

Broccasion on the other hand have shown to be more one dimentional and that is why I think this can really be a mismatch. The status of Kristian Cerantola seems to be uncertain and Michael Timmis has benefitted from the extra attention on Kristian in my opinion, a capable receiver but not one who will win one on one matchups very often. It comes down to the fact that it is difficult to find an advantage that they have and they may simply be outmatched. That’s the joy of the playoffs though, it would be a lot of fun if they can prove me wrong.

Prediction: Super Saiyans win 38 – 13

 

Bruthers (2) vs. No Show (7) 

Previous Meeting: Bruthers won 45 – 12

If only their previous meeting meant anything, as we are all learning that No Show can show up with an unpredictable roster. Now that we’re in the playoffs, we can actually have a pretty surefire way to determine who will be at the game to evaluate their chances. Of the players on their roster, 7 people qualify to play in their playoff game. For fun, let’s list them – Alexi Dubois, Chris Olson, Domenic Benevento, Eddy Lee, Kevin Loiselle, Preston Harris and Troy Greene. If any of you were wondering, these 7 players would fit under the cap. It’s close on defense, but we’re all good here. With those 7 players, and not knowing who would play quarterback, it’s hard to give them a fighting chance and Bruthers who have shown they can win a lot of games in the division.

Maybe I’m also a little bitter because if only it came down to No Show and Texas Rangers for the tie breaker, we would have advanced to the playoffs. It’s not that, though, it’s that I have seen first hand how a little bit of disorganization can affect a team negatively and it’s hard to imagine a lot of success for a team that hasn’t played consistently as a group. They may have a strong game here and there, but it’s impossible to sustain long term success.

For the Bruthers, coming into this game they have only lost twice and they seem to have control over their own identity. They have proven that their defense can win them games and Steve Sanner seems to excel everywhere he plays in FPF. On a side note, I’m sure he would love the chance at a championship as a quarterback. He hasn’t really zeroed in on a specific target all year and continues to keep defenses guessing which has worked so far, we’ll see if that trend continues. Either way, at least for this game, it’s hard to bet against them.

Prediction: Bruthers win 33 – 15

 

Rollin’ with Mahomies (3) vs. Buffalo Wild Wings (6)

Previous Matchup: Rollin’ with Mahomies won 31 -25

This one may be a little bit closer than we think and I definitely think there is a chance at an upset, however it’s hard to bet against Quiviger and Saro. I saw them play recently against Broccasion and it simply looked like they couldn’t be stopped and Saro wasn’t even present. That said, their previous meeting could have gone very differently if Tristan Rinaldis didn’t turn the ball over 3 times as their defense was able to make life frustrating for Quiviger; at least more frustrating than he’s used to.

The secret for Buffalo Wild Wings is simple, play to their strength: defense. If they can avoid getting into a shootout and keeping Mahomies to under 30 points, I think they have a shot. They are very good at keeping teams in front of them and avoiding the big play which is something that the Mahomies are good with. Getting interceptions and extra possessions will also be huge if they hope to upset and finally winning the extra point battle because it’s safe to assume that if the Buffalo Wild Wings do win, they’ll have to win a tight game.

It’s no secret on the other side. Quiviger has a strong arm and will look to score tons of points. I think Julien Wilson can have a big impact on this game on both sides of the ball and they have also proven that they can win without Saro doing a lot of damage. Gravel and Gauthier will need to use their size in the redzone and on defence to make things difficult for the Buffalo Wild Wings on offense.

I won’t go as far as predict an upset, and most of the Wild Wings’ success will rest on the shoulders of Rinaldis, but anything can happen in this one.

Prediction: Rollin’ With Mahomies win 27 – 25

 

Tents & Hammocks (4) vs. Les Voyous (5)

Previous Matchup : N/A

After starting the season 0-3, it’s been a great example of perseverance by Les Voyous to turn things around and get into the playoffs as the 5 seed. I guess the lesson here is that you just need a date with one of Peeze’s teams to make everything all better. We’re definitely seeing more of a trend in 5A with teams meeting for the first time so who will matchup well in this game is anybody’s guess. While you have a more experienced team in Tents & Hammocks, I would argue that Sebastien Dallaire is the more experienced quarterback.

Dallaire uses all of his receivers for different purposes and while he spreads the ball around well, Vincent Laganiere has been his redzone target, Justin Ainsley-Vincent the occasional deep threat and Frederic Dion with Raphael Belice have been the consistent every down pass catchers. He’ll need to use all of his weapons and try to find mis matches on the other side of the ball, perhaps shying away from throwing towards the Aylward Brothers. Defensively, it’s not hard to tell that Brandon looks for either Danny or Alex Joltopuf and if they want any chance at winning this game, they will need to slow that duo down.

On the other side of the ball, I look to Brandon Aylward and want to see him handle a big game from behind center. It’s one thing to play receiver in a big game, but it’s another thing when everything falls onto your shoulders. If Les Voyous messes with his game plan, will he have a backup plan? Will he look to Danny to give him advice when needed? There’s a wealth of FPF knowledge in the huddle, especially when you consider Joey Taylor as well, so it will be interesting to see how they handle some adversity.

Prediction: Tents & Hammocks win 27 – 20

 

Conference B

 

Outlaws (1) vs. Ravens (8)

Previous Matchup: Outlaws won 31 – 13

This is not your typical 1 versus 8 seed. When you have Alex David, Mathieu Houle and Marc-Antoine Valee on your team, you don’t expect to be the underdog. That’s a testament to Stephen Harripersaud and the dynasty that he has created with the Outlaws. My apologies, Steve, newly appointed quarterback of the year, Mr. Harripersaud. The Ravens have been stronger as the year has moved along so I fully expect them to have a better showing this time around.

The outlaws are who we think they are. An atheletic, well managed perennial contender who don’t make many mistakes. Harripersaud doesn’t have the strongest arm in the division, he won’t beat many rushers one-on-one, but he’s created a system that works with the wealth of knowledge that he has. In my opinion, it’s truly what the league is about – giving guys a chance to have some fun and keep the dream alive to an extent. Younger quarterbacks who are just starting out would do well to pick his brain at any chance possible. Other than their lead, the Outlaws just seem to have more depth than any other team in the Division. Shyanne Stewart has had his best year in recent memory, Josh Levine doesn’t have to do it all himself and Kevin Koussaie and Kevin Smuda are two of the most reliable receivers in the league.

The Ravens have had a much different path to the playoffs. They have been tough to predict each week and while normally you can pin that on the quarterback, I wouldn’t say that’s the case here. If anything, Joel Houle’s numbers don’t really jump off the page and he may not be the quarterback in the division that I would pick on a final drive, but he isn’t losing games for them. The key for them in this game is to play tough defense and try to take away easy passes for Harripersaud. They can’t afford to give up quick scores and get into a shootout because they’re not built that way and I would encourage Joel to use Mathieu and Alex early and often and to move them around to create mismatches. It’s the playoffs after all, don’t leave anything on the field.

Prediction: Outlaws win 32 – 19

 

GLC (2) vs. Longhorns (7) 

Previous Matchup: N/A

I feel like if you asked for two poster teams of the division, these may be the two teams that end up showing off the division. They’ve both been around for a little while and while some pieces may come and go, we’ve learned to love all of the key pieces. They haven’t met this season which is surprising so it will be interesting to see who draws specific matchups. Who covers Rosen? Will the Longhorns be able to handle the speed of Mendy Cardichon? How will the absence of Riccardo Desrosiers affect GLC’s confidence? These are some of the things we’ll keep an eye on tomorrow at the game.

I think the key for the Longhorns will be to play a tight game defensively and put Patrick Jazon and Adam Rosen in spots on the field where they can greatly impact the game. Unfortunately I don’t have inside information so I’m not sure whether McLaren or Moodie will play quarterback, but I think it’s in their benefit to score first and sustain long drives to keep the pressure on GLC. It’s not in the Longhorns strength to play from behind and if they get down by a few scores early, it can be a long night.

Hai Minh Luong is a quarterback who has had a long playoff run before and he’ll know how to handle the pressure. I think he should try to simplify the game and take what the Longhorns give him. Keeping the ball away from Rosen and Jazon is huge too and he may want to explore moving players around to play to his strengths. Getting completions on early downs is a great way to stay in control of the game and avoid turnovers and sacks. At the end of the day, winning in FPF isn’t overly difficult, you just can’t overthink things and try to do too much all at once. We’ll see who does a better job of that on Wednesday night.

Prediction: Longhorns win 25-24

 

Spartans (3) vs. Touched By An Angeletti (6)

Previous Matchup: Spartans won 7 – 6

I’ll be transparent, these are two of the teams I’ve seen the least of all season so I’ll keep this one short and sweet. I will say that I just watched Shayne Feinberg produce an excellent comeback victory in Division 6, so call me a believer. It was clear the first time around that both quarterbacks struggled and I think when you take a look at both teams, you see how athletic they can be and just how much the defenses will impact this game yet again.

Who will step up in this game? Angeletti himself? Andrew Grant? Alexandre Noel? I think that this one will come down to which quarterback can persevere and create some offense. The Spartans have been excellent at creating turnovers and have kept opponents to under 30 points in 8 of 10 games this season. I wouldn’t bet on Touched by an Angeletti scoring a lot, so they’ll have to be just as solid defensively. That helps relieve some pressure from James D’Andrea who can conceivably win this game easily if he can score only 3 or 4 times. Will he have the game plan to do that?

For Feinberg, he’ll try to use a lot of Castiel and Knopp like usual and use his legs to extend plays to try and break down the Spartans coverage. In fact, I think the key to this game will be trying to frustrate the Spartans enough to capitalize on deep throws. Maybe they use double moves, maybe he gets them to move up after a few runs, but it will be much easier to score from around midfield than in the red zone.

Prediction: Touched by An Angeletti win 7 – 6 (Why not?)

 

Voodoo (4) vs. Palpatine (5)

Previous Matchup: Voodoo won 19 – 0

Their meeting came back in the beginning of the season during a time where Palpatine was struggling to find an identity, to put it nicely. They’ve come a long way since then, however so has Voodoo. I know first hand that Voodoo can really turn it on and score points and they have the luxury of also having the defensive player of the year in Angelo Garofalo. I’m still convinced that I’m the reason he won the award after giving him 3 interceptions a few weeks ago. 10 interceptions looks much better than 7, just sayin’.

I think this game will be Voodoo’s to lose. Frank Kaye has all of the tools and weapons needed to win this game and go far in the playoffs and it will be up to whether we see good Frank or not so good Frank. He’ll know what I mean. Actually, if you’ve ever played quarterback, you know what I mean. I don’t need to tell you about Garofalo or St-Armand and how deadly both can be, and when you add Kevin Marcil to their defense then it really becomes difficult to beat them.

Marc-Andre, is nothing if he is not a student of the game. I admire the dedication he has put into becoming a better quarterback and you can be sure he will come ready. He will have the right game plan, I can assure you, but the question will be can he execute? Will the loss of that big weapon impact the team and send them back to the drawing board for next year? Vincent Lajoie and the Marquis brothers will definitely have their say in trying to put up big numbers offensively and you can include Philippe Aussant who has been an excellent two way player for Palpatine. They will attempt to match the success of Voodoo’s trio.

Prediction: Voodoo wins 34 – 25