Division 5A & 5B Quarterfinal Preview

5A

Conference A 

Super Saiyans (1) vs. No Show (7)

Previous Meeting: Super Saiyans won 19 – 6

The playoffs are a wonderful thing. We finally have a good idea of the kind of roster No Show brings to the table when it matters and turns out, it’s a pretty good one after they upset Bruthers in the first round. I can’t say I mind too much because it’s bound to have lit a fire under Steve Sanner and that should make him even more dangerous with us and the B.D. Bandits, knowing Steve. It’s clear that No Show will continue to rely on their opportunistic defense and Eddy Lee’s ability to extend plays and use Dominic Benevento and company to the best of their abilities to win games. Will the Saiyans be ready for that? I think so.

You can argue that the Super Saiyans had an easy route in the first round, playing a Broccasion team that are trying to find themselves a little bit. Justin Cerantola had to shoulder most of the work and Kristian wasn’t necessarily playing at 100% which took him out of the game as a difference maker and the Super Saiyans defense just went into shut down mode like they do so well. They seem to be very good at winning games by only scoring 4-5 touchdowns at the most because it’s all they ever need.

While this matchup probably heavily favors the Super Saiyans, I think that Eddy Lee is the perfect player to get into the head of his opponent and get them off their game. This time, that’s Jordan Allard. While Lee may be a nuisance, Allard has enough experience to not let that get to him. As a quarterback especially, he’s faced enough disappointment to know what it takes to win these tough and annoying games – for lack of a better word, but ultimately, it’s the perfect word to describe No Show. They don’t have a roster full of the best players in FPF, but they can get under your skin and find ugly ways to win. I just don’t think that No Show will be able to stop all of Gallant, Rothdram, Tom Gatehouse and Dylan Segall. Jordan should be able to find at least one or two of them open on most plays and if he’s patient and takes what the defense gives him, he should be able to do what he wants.

Prediction: Super Saiyans win 25 – 13

 

Rollin’ with Mahomies (3) vs. Tents & Hammocks (4)

Previous Meeting: Rollin’ with Mahomies won 25-24

Rollin’ with Mahomies had a relatively smooth path to the quarter-finals through Buffalo Wild Wings. They ultimately had too many weapons to hold down and the inexperience of the Wild Wings young QB showed through. Even somebody like Kevin Gauthier can have an impact on both sides of the ball but often falls to the 4th or 5th option because of how much depth they have. As per usual, it was Nicolas Saro leading the way for Mahomies but they had Alexandre Gravel who also stepped up and had a huge game. They have a fantastic recipe of getting an early lead and forcing teams out of their comfort zone. They force teams to go deep more than they’d like to try and get back in the game and that’s when Julian Nelson and company do their best work.

Tents & Hammocks had a much different path to this game and actually had a bit of trouble with Les Voyous in the first round. One thing that should be a great takeaway for Tents & Hammocks would be the amount of points they were able to put on the board. It just takes looking at the box score to see just how you might stop them, and the fact that they were still able to produce tells a lot about just how solid their game plan is. We’ll just have to see if that will continue to work moving forward, you can be the Mahomies will be keying in on Joltopuf and Danny. The other takeaway is that both Aylward’s were able to step up on defense as well, so we will have to see what kind of answer they may have for Saro in their upcoming game.

On that note, that’s what leads me to believe that the Tents & Hammocks are a little bit outmatched in this game. I think they may fall into the trap of trying to focus on Saro and that will open the door for Labonte, Gravel or somebody else to step up and beat them and I don’t know that Tents & Hammocks have the same kind of depth. That’s not to take anything away from the camping group, but when I picked Rollin’ with Mahomies to win, I’ll be inclined to see their favourable matchups over their opportunities. Brandon and Danny Aylward will have to have a perfect game on both sides of the ball and perhaps they would have to use Joltopuf or Danny as decoys with some trickery to win this game in an ugly fashion. They do have championship pedigree which will be in their favour, but I do not believe that this is their year.

I’ve talked enough about Rollin’ with Mahomies for you guys to know their strengths and weaknesses, to the point I have a few guys on their team asking me to stop. While I have some fun with that, they’re within the top teams of the divisions and I fully expect them to prove that again this week. My one concern is just how close Tents & Hammocks played them earlier in the season – it may install just enough doubt to cause a few mistakes and give Brandon Aylward and the rest of the marshmallow gang some hope.

Prediction: Rollin’ with Mahomies win 32 – 26

 

Conference B 

Outlaws (1) vs. Longhorns (7)

Previous Meeting: Outlaws won 47 – 30

As I mentioned last week, the Ravens gave the Outlaws a ton of trouble in the opening round and some say they should have probably won that game. However, as the Outlaws do so well, they outlast their opponent. A name change in the future perhaps? I doubt it, but it truly showed their perseverance and showed just how good Stephen Harripersaud can be under pressure.

The Longhorns also showed some grit in their upset victory over GLC and showcased the two-way talents of Adam Rosen. I think that they are a much more consistent team with Eugene McLaren at quarterback and can give any team in the division some trouble. Their next opponent will be much tougher than GLC and they’ll need to fire on all cylinders if they hope to move on to the semi-finals.

Looking back at their first meeting, defense on both sides was an after thought. What is extremely encouraging for the Longhorns is that neither Moodie nor McLaren played quarterback and they didn’t have neither Chris nor Adam Rosen. While adding McLaren and both Rosen’s doesn’t guarantee victory, it definitely gives them the mentality that anything can happen and provides the hope needed to will a victory. Eugene McLaren should be able to distribute the ball and if he doesn’t cause any turnovers then this game could easily come down to extra points. Adam Rosen should be able to match up with Shyanne Stewart as I imagine that’s what the Outlaws will want to do and that leaves Pat Jazon against either Levine or Tabari Yearwood, which isn’t all that one sided – I actually give the edge to Jazon there. Ultimately I give the edge in depth to the Outlaws, but the top Longhorns can easily match up well against most other teams top two.

The Outlaws most likely see this game as just another stepping stone towards the final, but they should not take the Longhorns lightly. I’m not saying that they took the Ravens lightly, but clearly there are holes in the armour and opportunity awaits other teams. Any time a team gets so much hype, I can promise you that there will be a line-up of teams eagerly inviting a challenge. If there was a team with the skill and knowledge to make waste of these challengers it would be the Outlaws, though, and I fully expect Harripersaud, Koussaie and company to rise to the occasion at every step of the way. I’m looking forward to watching the matchups within the matchup in this game and fully expect another close one and a good fight from the Longhorns, just like the Ravens did.

Prediction: Outlaws win 32 – 19

 

Spartans (3) vs. Voodoo (4)

Previous Meeting: Spartans won 37 – 34

While I might be saying the obvious because of their respective seeds coming into the game, this has the makings to be the closest game out of the 4 in Division 5A. Both the Spartans and Voodoo took care of business in their first round, with Spartans beating Touched by An Angeletti and Voodoo beating Palpatine. You can argue that both teams should have won either way, however no win is easy in the playoffs. Frank Kaye and Voodoo took advantage of the deep ball and didn’t waste any time trying to score against Palpatine. It seemed as though Frank’s passes we’re either incomplete or went for at least 20 yards. I don’t think the Spartans will give up the deep ball as easily and therefore Voodoo may have to adjust their gameplan slightly. The Spartans have already proved they can win in a shootout with Voodoo so may we see Frank sustain longer drives this time around?

As I suspected, the Spartans won their tilt by playing sound defense and making turnovers. While it wasn’t as low scoring as I predicted, they still managed to win the game despite throwing 4 interceptions, not an easy feat. We saw them put together truly a team effort and they’ll need to duplicate the performance coming up, save the 4 interceptions which I’m sure James D’Andrea will make the necessary adjustments for. They didn’t play against an offense like that of Voodoo but the fact that their defense has been driving their success all season and that they we’re able to score 37 points the first time around is very encouraging.

The matchup is very intriguing as both teams know what it takes to win. Voodoo has their star studded trio of St-Armand, Marcil and Garofalo who should still see a lot of success on both sides of the ball. I think the Spartans will look to take a bend but not break attitude and try to prevent the big play. If their defense can stay on the field long enough, I’m sure they will be confident that they can make plays and get turnovers to give James D’Andrea extra opportunities with the ball. Offensively, I think they will struggle a little bit more this time around and 37 points seems like a pipe dream. After all, it will all come down on D’Andrea’s shoulders and he should put his faith in Andrew Grant, Noel and James Colley to make big plays, he just shouldn’t force his throws.

Of all the games in 5A, this is the one that’s most difficult to predict in my opinion. It would be easy to say that the Spartans win after their first meeting, but I like to think that Frank has a little bit of magic this season.

Prediction: Voodoo wins 31 – 26

 

5B

Conference A

Bruins (1) vs. Tough Lungs (5)

Previous Meeting: N/A

The biggest storyline coming into this game is just exactly who each team is missing. The word was that Zach Zwirn would be missing for the Bruins and that Daron Migdesyan would be missing for Tough Lungs but we saw Zach play on Saturday night and I’ve also heard that Tough Lungs are hopeful when it comes to “Just Daron”. Ultimately, the only people who really know are in their respective locker rooms and it would be wise to game plan as if both teams are full strength.

It’s a tough draw for the Tough Lungs as I don’t see the Bruins having that close a game twice in a row. That said, has A-Town shown the recipe to defeat the big bad Bruins? Gabriel Wiseman played a solid game, his best moments were on the extra points in the first half where he was able to set the tone and get a lead, never looking back for the rest of the game. Mathieu Ouimet stepped up for the Bruins and may be their lead receiver once again. Will he be able to do it twice in a row? He’s a great player and Tough Lungs should do well to keep them in their plans. Nelson Perreira had a big interception and ultimately gave them the extra possession they needed to win the game.

Tough Lungs also escaped with a one point victory of the talented Sterdam roster and they’ll be playing with nothing to lose in this game. The Matthew and Justin connection worked extremely well and they’ll look to continue that chemistry against the Bruins, in another game where extra points might be vital.

When you compare both teams, it’s easy to tell that the Bruins have more depth, more playoff experience and come in as the favorite. When it’s win or go home, though, Tough Lungs will be playing a lot lighter on their feet and if a well-timed play or two goes in their favor, anything truly can happen. This game has all of the makings to be a serious nail biter.

Prediction: Bruins win 26 – 25

 

The Process (2) vs. EZW (3)

Previous Meeting: The Process won 33 – 6

I was lucky enough to have been around during their first meeting back at the beginning of the season but I think it would be silly to take that into account this week. Firstly, Lavigne wasn’t around and it was just overall a brutal game for EZW and you can count on this meeting being much, much closer.

The Process had a smooth ride in the first round of the playoffs, thanks in part to Larosiliere not playing quarterback for the Black Knights. It’s too bad, because their matchup earlier in the season was a good one. I wonder if having such an easy first round matchup does The Process a disservice and gets them to take their foot of the pedal in any way. If you know Andrew Langburt at all, you know that this wouldn’t be close to accurate but you just never know.

EZW on the other hand were forced to win a tough matchup in the first round that came down to the final drive. Does this keep them in playoff mode or does it instill a little bit of doubt? Surely they will have to dig deep to find their confidence from this season after such a close game last week and keeping in mind how their first tilt with The Process went.

When we match up both teams, there’s a ton of athleticism and skill on both sides. I don’t think the Process will push for any particular matchup, but I have a strong feeling that Langburt will keep one eye on Lavigne at all times. Jeremy White will have to do his best to get rid of the ball quick and not let Justin Frankel get too many sacks early because it would throw off his game for the rest of the night. You can certainly count on Jeremy White to come with a better game plan but I think the amount of disappoint a lot of guys on the Process have faced so far in the playoffs will give them all of the extra incentive they need to come away with a W.

Prediction: The Process win 32 – 28

 

Conference B

Honey Martin (1) vs. The U (4)

Previous Meeting: N/A

It can be tough to compare teams when we’ve never seen them play against eachother earlier in the season because you just never know how two teams may match up. You can have an undefeated team with a game plan that has worked for them all season just stall because of how a winless team may play. That’s kind of how I feel about this game.

While The U is the lower seed, I think that they might just have what it takes to make Honey Martin uncomfortable. Evan Frank isn’t the fastest mobile quarterback in the division, but he can extend plays and use the size of his receivers to break a few hearts. As I have mentioned in the past, he’ll need to completely avoid throwing ducks over the middle of the field and not turn the ball over for them to win this game too.

As for Honey Martin, they have the size and athleticism to stick with the U, unlike they have seen lately. The game will surely come down to a battle between Roaldi and Frank and if I had to bet, the safer money is on Roaldi making fewer mistakes simply because he’s proven it all year long. Roaldi is extremely difficult to game plan against because he uses all of his receivers well. He has a back ground playing quarterback in tackle football and has no problem fitting the ball into tight windows. My doubts with Honey Martin are due to questions I have as to whether his receivers can beat guys like Pedvis, Papich and Horner one on one. The U actually has the edge on defense but I think Honey Martin has the better quarterback, kind of like the classic Colts vs. Patriots games – if you haven’t picked it up, yes I am in fact implying that Peyton was the better quarterback.

An upset wouldn’t surprise me at all in this one because any time you have top 4 teams in the division going at it, nothing should surprise you. Here’s to hoping Joe and his group prove me wrong, but I’ll take Honey Martin to weather the storm. Yes, that’s a Hurricane reference.

Prediction: Honey Martin win 26 – 25

 

Les Gros Coqs (2) vs. Takeover (3)

Previous Meeting: N/A

Damnit, two more teams that have not met earlier in the season which has made my life a little more difficult trying to analyse. I guess that’s why I’m paid the big bucks. Spoiler alert, I’m not. That leads me nicely into the reason why I love to not only write, but why I love to stay around the field, watch teams like these and try to rack my brain as to why one may have the edge over the other. This one it’s easy to assume. Takeover has experience. Check. Takeover has the best player on the field. Check. Takeover has been there before. Also check. Does Takeover have a big muscular rooster on their jersey which has taken the league by storm? Not quite.

If you can read between the lines, it would be easy to bet on Takeover in this game. Not only do they check all of the aforementioned boxes, but they’re a likeable group of guys that know how to win. The difference in this game is the element of surprise. They have not seen Les Gros Coqs before which means they may just underestimate them enough to where those giant roosters can pounce and wake them up, just like a big coq might do in the morning. It’s also getting increasingly difficult not to use giant puns.

Kidding aside, I think this will be an extremely close game and it may throw Ian Einheiber a bit for a loop. I fully expect Boris Gagnier to cover William Power and force Takeover to beat them in other ways. Vincent Benjamin will have to continue his huge season and I think somebody like Chris Brockwell may be the most underrated player in all of FPF. They both will need to step up and do some damage. On the flip side, Dom Lefort needs to run around behind the line of scrimmage like he never has before and extend plays as much as possible, and take yards on the ground when possible. I think they are slightly outmatched through the air and should find ways to get creative to put up points. The secret to staying strong all game for Les Gros Coqs would be to think about their grandmother, wait, no; that’s not it. The secret to having a complete game will be spreading the ball and holding on to it as long as possible. If Takeover gets too many offensive possessions, I think the roosters are doomed.

Prediction: Takeover win 32 – 27