Mid-Season Standouts & Wednesday Night Recap – Week 5 – Laval Edition

In an effort to get out some more content, I decided to take a look at who’s standing out all on their own so far this season and who’s doing their best to will their team to a championship.

We’re only at the half-way point for most teams, but it’s worth giving some credit where it’s due. We’ll take a look at some outstanding performances so far this season and then I’ve also included the usual recaps from Laval, which now seems to be known as Walwaski Island in the scorekeeping world. Sounds like a great place if you ask me.

Mid-Season Standouts – Division 4

Quality Quarterback Performances

Stephen Harripersaud – Outlaws – 111/150, 1050 yards, 28 TDs, 5 INTs, 118.6 QBR

He’s been impossible to slow down all season and even in their losses, it hasn’t been the offense’ fault. He has a ton of weapons and spreads the ball around like nobody else in the Division, hitting 9 different receivers for touchdowns this season.

Zacharie Quiviger – Les Verges Folles – 101/135, 1022 yards, 27 TDs, 4 INTs, 123.2 QBR

Zach is a little bit more of a gunslinger and may even be in the running for two-way player of the year, but he’s right there with Harripersaud at the top of the QB race and the standings as well.

Michael Roy – C2E – 83/134, 918 yards, 23 TDs, 3 INTs, 112.5 QBR

No stranger to individual accolades, Roy has assembled a solid team and he’s been lighting up opposing defenses. They just suffered their first loss of the season but that was without one of his top weapons. He’s been throwing a touchdown every 4 completions, scary.

Wondrous Wide-Outs

Chris Pinsonneault – The Tide – 32 catches, 368 yards, 13 TDs

Your touchdown leader so far, he’s doing it all for The Tide. It’s not hard to figure out that he’s the front runner for wide receiver of the year when he’s dominating the touchdown category and second place in yards.

Junior Luke – A-Squad – 27 catches, 386 yards, 8 TDs

Maybe a little short on touchdowns, he’s been a force all season long. He has the size and good enough speed to dominate every game. I’m surprised they don’t use him in the red zone more often.

Tim Horner – Chocolate Thunder – 23 catches, 334 yards, 12 TDs

This is Horner’s coming out party, if you will. Playing opposite to Nikki Papich, he’s making a name for himself and has been one of Joe Kano’s go to targets all season.

Deadly Defenders

Rory Semerjian – The Infantry – 11 tackles, 7 INTs, 1 sack, 2 PDs

My vote right now for two-way player of the year, I have the pleasure of playing against this man tonight. He brings it every time he steps on the field and the combination with his brother make them one of the scariest defenses in the division.

Morgan Tajfel – Bandit Bruthers – 14 tackles, 4 INTs, 5 PDs

He’s been the anchor on the Bandit defense and his numbers should be even better if not for a few missed calls throughout the year. Second place so far in PDs, quarterbacks are having a tough time completing passes on his island.

Quaysie Gordon-Maule – KGP RA – 16 tackles, 4 INTs, 2 TDs

Not much needed here – probably the most athletic and electrifying two way player in the division, he’s helping KGP RA stay relevant. He’s now picked off two opposing QBs for 6 this year and I’m sure he’ll have a few more by seasons end.

Quality Quarterback Performances

Gianni Casati – Bballers – 75/105, 1114 yards, 32 TDs, 2 INTs, 137.5 QBR

Looks to be running away with the QB of the Year award, he’s tied for the lead in TD passes in one less game and is dominating the QBR competition. He runs a high flying offense and while on one hand he benefits from that, he’s also the engine driving the beast.

Ian Einheiber – Takeover – 103/160, 1340 yards, 32 TDs, 4 INTs, 119.8 QBR

The most experienced of the bunch, he’s putting up solid numbers as well. They don’t quite jump off the page like his counterparts, but if he finishes the year strong he’ll be in the conversation for sure. He’ll need to lean on guys like Will Power and Vincent Benjamin for both team and personal success.

Dom Lefort – Les Gros Coqs – 82/121, 939 yards, 25 TDs, 3 INTs, 120.1 QBR, 15 rushes, 204 yards, 4 TDs

If Casati is the Patrick Mahomes of the group, Lefort is your Lamar Jackson. He’s dominating in the air and on the ground and is a huge reason why Les Gros Coqs are still undefeated.

Wondrous Wide-Outs

Kevin Donnet – Dream Chasers – 16 catches, 422 yards, 13 TDs

The touchdown leader should obviously be first on the list, especially when you consider that Kevin isn’t 6’3, 200 pounds. He’s one of the most dynamic snappers in the league and as sure handed as they come. He has sneaky speed and has been great at getting behind defenses so far this year.

Vincent Benjamin – Takeover – 38 catches, 467 yards, 8 TDs

Benjamin has really exploded with Takeover this year and Einheiber has learned to depend on him, He’s your leader in catches and yards so far this season and may need to increase his TD total to help buffer his resume.

Justin Blanchard – OK Boomers – 28 catches, 352 yards, 10 TDs

While he may not be leading in any of the major categories, he’s your perfect blend of both. Justin is an absolute beast on the field and impossible to cover one on one. His overall production is something to marvel at considering he has Peeze throwing him the ball.

Deadly Defenders

Justin Blanchard – OK Boomers – 16 tackles, 5 INTs, 3 PDs, 1 TD

I can’t get the announcer from Friday Night Lights out of my head when thinking of Justin – “And he can pass!” talking about Boobie Miles and how he can do just about everything on the field. That’s Justin. He’ll be known as Boobie Blanchard moving forward.

Nicky Farinaccio – Backwood Boyz – 22 tackles, 4 INTs, 4 PDs, 2 TDs

My boy Jaylan told me this guy was a beast before watching him play one night in Hebert and I have to agree. There’s nothing he couldn’t do on the field and I’m surprised he’s not more involved offensively. That said, he got a lot of his production in one game, but the sky is the limit for this guy.

Alexis Bessette – The Sheriff – 24 tackles, 3 INTs, 4 PDs, 1 TD

Alexis is a big reason why The Sheriff are finding success and he’s been dominant on the defensive side this year, filling up the stat sheet. He has a little bit of work to do to catch up to the other two, but solid numbers none the less.

Weekly Recaps

Space Apes 36 vs. Average Joes 25

I had a great talk after this game with Iggy, the quarterback for Average Joes, and it’s definitely interesting to hear different perspectives of the same game. He was the first to admit that he was so wrapped up in the game itself that it can sometimes be tough to be fully aware of everything going on. Late in the game, down by 9, Average Joes scored a touchdown to get them within 3 points with only 5 plays left. The mindset then was that they needed to save time, so they elected to forego the extra point or two and try to get the ball back. Iggy knew right away after the game that the move would have been to go for 1 or 2 and that way, if Space Apes scored quickly, they had it within their control to keep it a one score game. As far as lessons go, this was one that won’t have a lasting impact and both teams should easily make the playoffs.

The game itself came down to a few other mental mistakes. Ignacio Valdez Manzanedo had a good game overall, but he made a few bad reads that he’d love to have back and held onto the ball too long at times. Whenever you’re playing against Terry Babalis, you need to be aware of the fact that you will probably have a little bit less time than usual. He was in the backfield causing chaos all night and forced the Average Joes QB to make a few mistakes he wouldn’t normally make.

For the Space Apes, they simply looked dominant in all facets. It took them a little while to get started and never truly put Average Joes away, but they have a quiet confidence about how they play the game. It’s almost like they know just how stacked their team is – key example being how little their stud J-F Daloze had to do in this game with only 1 tackle. One thing is for sure, they will be tough to beat moving forward. They have an extra gear that I don’t think we’ve seen yet. I don’t think this is their final form…

Warriors 40 vs. Threat Level Midnight 6

As a quarterback myself, this game was tough to watch. I truly felt for Jonathan Lemieux as nothing seemed to be working for him. In the first half alone, they went 4 straight drives with an interception, and the first 3 of the game were returned for 6. That’s a tough hole to climb out of. Candidly speaking, I’ve never seen things click so well for the Warriors. They’ve always been a solid team with a ton of chemistry, but Stefano Solimene looked like he was on a mission Wednesday night and I was impressed by Januson Vas outrunning the entire Threat Level Midnight offense from his own endzone.

Threat Level Midnight was actually able to move the ball quite well early on. Lemieux connected on a beautiful seem route to Jean-Daniel Joly and Alexandre Guertin was dominant over the middle of the field like usual. Lemieux seemed to struggle most in the redzone and in his opponents side of the field. He’ll need to adjust to the defense just a little bit better and plan simpler routes moving forward to avoid any kind of repeat of this game.

Michael Solimene of the Warriors was extra crisp in this game and while he didn’t need to do much, he made things look easy. It’s probably the best overall game I’ve seen him play. Could that be because of the lack of pressure due to the giant lead? Something to think about. It was truly a team effort all-around for the Warriors, though, and guys like Savva Stefanidis made plays on defense all over the field, while Peter Giannis stepped up on offense.

Jagerbomb 36 vs. La Brume 26

In the best game of the night, we saw Jagerbomb do just enough to edge out La Brume late on Wednesday. La Brume controlled the game in the first half for the most part, except for one of the nicest catch and runs I’ve seen in a long time from Gabriel Moreau-Paquette. He caught a drag and took the ball all the way to the one yard line, making so many guys miss that I’m almost positive a few guys missed twice, once at each end of the field. That set up the first score of the game and then Jagerbomb and they scored again just before half to keep the game tied.

In my opinion, La Brume are the most interesting team in all of FPF. They have the talent to be a division 1 or 2 team but they just seem to lack a little bit of chemistry. Jimmy-Lee Janvier throws one of the nicest balls I’ve seen and he can launch it with ease. The issue seems to be that on most plays, either he slightly over throws his receiver or his receiver drops an easy pass. In almost every game I watch, guys like Dynell Pierre make both the nicest catch I’ve seen and then drop an open ball in the endzone. Success in FPF seems to be synonymous with consistency and it’s La Brume’s biggest opportunity.

Fast-forward to the second half and La Brume had several opportunities to take the lead but couldn’t cash in. They drove the field well but then fell short twice in the redzone. They also punted twice which I was a little bit surprised at. When Jagerbomb finally got the chance to put the game away, they didn’t hesitate. La Brume didn’t have an answer for Jagerbomb’s two point play where they would drop a second QB.

This was another game where chemistry and experience slightly outweighed pure talent in a theme that often transcends divisions.