No pressure, No diamonds. – FlagPlus Football League

I don’t know if you many realize, but Division 3 has proven to be arguably the most unpredictable division in all of flag football! I mean Killa Bees taking down Sheesh?? Granted, Langburt missed this game because he was doing his best Tiger Woods impersonation out on the Golf courses of Costa Rica. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to see such a turn of events from KB, as new field General Jeremie Mongeon Duby has his team on a 3 game winning streak. So motivating to see a team start off on a bad note, get their act together, and start proving that they belong in this division. Speaking of teams that belong in this division, how bout those Silent Ticklers? 5 game winning streak, with Jordan Panetta looking like a young Brett Favre slinging that rock all over the field for TDs! It’s not easy going toe to toe against the league Leader in passing touchdowns in Jeff Rosenblatt, but they got the job done yet again, impressive! With only 3 weeks left of football to be played, it’ll be interesting to see who will not only make playoffs/ miss out, but moreover who will be the one to bring home that hardware. As it stands, the Qb, WR, DB positions have no runaway winner, which is something I LOVE! Take into account that most of the players leading their respected category are all known studs in this league, it makes it that much more interesting to see who will come out on top! Although, it wouldn’t be that crazy to say Vincent Morissette has all but locked up DPOY, Right? What about AJ Gomes for 2 way player of the year as he is currently second in both receiving TDs and INTs. Additionally, it would take a miracle performance from any of the WRs under Anthony Brisbois to catch up to him, as Brisebois still has 4 games to be played. Safe to say things are heating up as we head closer to the road to the finals! Without any more distractions about who is winning which award, let’s dive right in and discuss the events that occurred week 6 in Division 3!

Weekly recap

So, rumor has it that Stud QB for the Expendables Carmine Pollice is officially out for the season with a torn achilles. This is so unfortunate for both Carmine and his squad, as they were beginning to trend in the right direction, with Pollice leading his team to as much success as possible. The silver lining in all of this? I’ve seen Kevin Durant Rupture his achilles, take his time to recover, and have an MVP like season when he was healthy again. I have no doubt Carmine will produce high level football the moment he steps back onto the field. You shall be missed, Carmine! I wish you nothing but a speedy recovery, my good friend. However, what is one way to get over the loss of a season ending injury to your quarterback? I’ll tell you. It’s having a game scheduled against Simon Dagenais. Both Gino Di Fazio and Simon Dagenais combined for a total of 5 interceptions in this game. Seeing these kinds of numbers makes my eyes bleed out, I’m not going to lie to you. Ryan Dobbs led the way for Expendables with 6 catches for 71 and a score, to yield his team to victory. Seeing the game from the other side of the ball, whenever we have 5 ints thrown in a game, there must have been some defensive standouts. Kendal Mayers and Justin Blanchard shared that role, as they both had a pair of INTs. As for Justin, I’m used to seeing these kinds of numbers as he is one of the defensive studs Lightweight has on their squad. On the flip side, it was refreshing to see Kendal show up on the stat sheet with 2 picks. He is an acrobatic piece to this Expendables defence and if he can continue to show signs of being that lockdown defender that can get you the much needed turnover, this Expendables team might have a chance to create some buzz come playoff time.

Those damn KILLA BEES!! Oh boy are they ever at it again! On their way to completing a 3 game winning streak, they have taken down the previously #6 ranked team in the division; Sheeesh. I get it, I really do. Whenever you don’t have your starting QB, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Luckily for Sheesh, they have the connections and were able to reel in the 2x all star and 3x FPF champion Corey Walwaski. Unfortunately for Sheeesh, they weren’t ready for the kind of firepower Killa Bees came into the game with. Jeremie Mongeon-Duby has put on yet ANOTHER show, as he put up 200+ yards along with 6 touchdowns. The game started off by going back and forth as both teams went score for score with one another. The problem is, this systematic approach usually favors the team with the most chemistry. This seemed to be the case, as Walwaski was picked off by Felix Bouthillier and returned for a touchdown. At this point, it became really tough for Sheesh to maintain their composure and work their way back into this game. Later in the second half, Guillaume Racine-Tessier was able to put his paws on the defensive stat sheet as he was able to step in front of a throw and get an INT himself. Racine-Tessier, who is no stranger to catching the ball, also seemed to be the focal point of the Bees offense as he caught 7 passes for 82 yards and 2 scores. A key factor to point out, is the fact that Killa Bees were able to convert 4 of their 6 extra points. Being consistent in the redzone, especially for extra points, is the difference between winning and losing those tight games towards the end of the season. Impressive to see what kind of team Killa Bees has transformed into as they approach the end of this season. Be afraid, Division3.

Les Gros Coqs faced off vs Les Maloudes in a game that came down to the wire. Although neither quarterback threw for over 200 yards, both teams still managed to put up 30 points. Vincent Morissette continues to add to his league leading 7 interceptions on the season, as he was able to tally another one to the list. The X factor in this game was clearly Dom Lefort, and his ability to buy time and make plays with his legs. Lefort finished with 34 yards rushing and a TD, which really makes it tough to contain if you don’t have an experienced rusher. Not only did Les Maloudes not register 1 single sack, but they also didn’t convert one extra point, which is pretty worrisome. Although Anthony Beauchamp-Frezza has his team in a position to make the playoffs at the moment, these close games always come down to the extra points (And taking care of the football!), if your team continues to find themselves struggling to get those XPs, Les Maloudes could be staring at a first round exit. Les Gros Coqs survived in a much needed win, as they sit comfortably in 5th place of Conference A, with a 2 game lead over the competition. Should Lefort limit his turnovers, Les Gros Coqs might just catch a team off guard in the playoffs and maybe squeeze out an upset or 2.

Bearskins seem to have lost their mojo, and it could be due to the inconsistency within their roster. It’s already tough playing with a team in which your chemistry is all over the place, offensively and defensively. It’s even tougher to play under those circumstances, against a team that has AJ Gomes. Finishing the game with 1 TD on the offensive side of the ball, and 2 INTs on defence, will usually give you a high chance of winning the ball game. Fred Mallette threw for 5 touchdowns and only 3 incompletions. That’s the kind of game that tells me Fred was able to read the coverage pre play, and find his man without any issues, every play. What’s even more appealing, is the fact that Touch It Catch IT were able to hold Bearskins to under 15 points on the night. This tells me that this defence is clearly heating up! There could be an argument made that the reason for their success was due to Tici being so deep as a roster, that they were able to look to their bullpen and still find success. I am referring to replacement rusher Nick Risso Gomes, who had quite the game rushing the QB! Aside from being the sure handed snapper that he is, Gomes-Risso proved that he can serve as a swiss army knife, ready to be used and abused at any position he is told to play on the team. It also helps when you have a secondary that has smart veterans such as Marc Andre Lapointe, who was able to add 2 interceptions of his own to his tally. These are the kind of players that will help you build the team you need to win a championship. Touch It Catch It is showing signs that they might just have the pieces needed to get the job done come playoff time. I believe they have the pieces, do they?

Past Our Prime showed us over the last week that they are certainly NOT past their prime, and they are very well capable of handing over some Ls to some of the top dogs, their latest example of this was their matchup vs the Junkyard Dogs. Craig O’Brien is clearly finding his own, as he was able to find the end zone 6 times, to SIX DIFFERENT Wrs! It’s interesting, you would think a team filled with the athletic freaks that Junkyard Dogs have, they would be able to play man to man and shut down a bunch of guys who claim they are past their prime. The issue with this? Going man to man means you only got one man trying to guard Scott Payne, who is very well one of the faster players in this division. Payne put his wheels on display last Sunday, as he put up 9 receptions for 115 yards and a TD to go along with it. Jason Rossie had his struggles during this match, as he threw 2 interceptions for the second game in a row. The only difference between this game and the last vs EZW, is that the supporting cast of Junkyard Dogs weren’t able to provide the help needed to overcome these kinds of mistakes. JD still sit comfortably with a bye as the #2 seed. However, should Rossie continue to struggle to keep a clean sheet, it might spell trouble for a team that most people assumed would have a cake walk schedule to the playoffs with the loaded roster they have. On the flip side, if O’Brien and Payne can continue to put up outstanding numbers, it won’t be easy, but I can see Past Our Prime find their way into the playoffs.

I had a chance to catch up with Stud QB Jeremy White during the week. Let me tell you, the confidence this man has, is contagious. He is aware that his team has had a few bumps along the road, but in no way shape or form has he lost his faith in his team. In their most recent showdown, EZW were able to firmly handle Speed Academy, as White threw as many Tds as he did incompletions (5). Charles-Olivier Lavigne had quite the day, as he established himself as White’s go-to receiver. Lavigne finished his day catching 7 passes for 52 yards and 2 scores. On the flip side, Speed Academy just didn’t quite have the horses needed to keep up in this match. One of their horses however, had quite the stellar day. That horse goes by the name of Jimmy Marneris, who was everywhere he needed to be on the field. Jimmy was able to haul in only 4 passes, yet 3 of them went for Tds. To add onto the great performance, Marneris also added a sack to his resume as well (Not easy to catch Jeremy White, i’ve seen many try, and many fail). Unfortunately, when you are only completing 50% of your passes such as Emile Plante did, you won’t be helping your team find much success, that’s for sure. With only 3 games left in their season, EZW could have a shot at acquiring the first round bye, as they are without a doubt the favorites going into each of their remaining matchups.

So umm… can we talk about the performance Marc Antoine Chaput put on? Yes, it was vs the division’s worst team, I hear y’all on that. However, putting up a personal season high 3 touchdowns on the night along with 98 yards will definitely grasp my attention. In this matchup, to Oompa Loompas credit, they were able to limit Thomas Coutu on the night, which is something I’m sure QB Nicolas Schaefer is not accustomed to experiencing (Coutu still found the endzone BTW). The silver lining would be seeing Alex Gregoire continue to be relentless in his pursuit to bring success to the Oompa Loompas franchise, as he was able to get in for 2 TD on the night. Oompa Loompas season might be done, but Mangoose are far from reaching that finish line. With Junkyard Dogs coming up, this could be the make it or break it moment for Mangoose to find a way into the playoffs, as they are currently 1 game off from the last playoff seed. Get your popcorn ready, Folks!

In my humble opinion, the game between Thor’s Hammer and Silent Ticklers was by far and wide the game of the week! I was at this game, and it was absolutely incredible seeing Both QBs going up and down the field like butter. Whether it would be driving the field and making tight throws in the redzone ( that Adam Rosen 1 hand catch back of the endzone was DISGUSTINGGGGG) or simply saying my guy is faster than yours, lets go deep, both QBs clearly had it going their way for the most part of this matchup. Rosen went off for 3 Tds on the night, while his Sidekick Daniel Mancini popped in a pair of Tds himself. As good as this receiving duo was, it was clear that the best WR on the night didn’t have a purple jersey on. Anthony Brisebois for TH had himself a DAYYY! I mean, 7 catches for 138 yards and 4 tds?! Are you kidding me! Once Rosenblatt realized that this Silent Ticklers Defence had excellent communication in the short passing game, he started saying bleep it, let’s start chucking ’em up! Brisebois looked like the FPF version of Megatron on the night, as he was beating double teams for touchdowns with ease! What exactly did this game come down to, you ask? A fourth down stop by the Ticklers. When you are involved in a barnburner such as this one, all it takes is just one stop, and Jordan Panetta’s defence got it for him. Speaking of Panetta, what an arm talent this man is! Sending missiles down the field on the money to Wrs on every one of his drives was really impressive to see, I can’t deny it. The fact that Panetta hasn’t thrown an INT during their 5 game winning streak, definitely shows signs of maturity as the season moves along. Are we looking at the team to beat in Division 3? You know what they say, it’s not about being hot in the first few weeks of the season, it’s about coming together and carrying a certain level of momentum heading into the playoffs that can’t be matched! I think this win over a power house such as Thor’s Hammer might have just given the Silent Ticklers the confidence needed to get them to go on a deep playoff run, quite possibly reaching the finals. As for Rosenblatt and his squad, I would call this a loss simply hiccup along the road. Throwing for 6 tds with no INTs is usually going to get the job done for your team. I expect Thor’s Hammer to be better defensively during these last few weeks, as they face Past Our Prime and Expendables. Both games should be the tune up games needed as they make their way into the playoffs.

Players of the week

Qbs

Jordan Panetta

Not only did Jordan Panetta put on a jaw dropping performance by tossing dimes all over the field, but more importantly he got the dub! Panetta went 16/25, for 236 yards, 7tds, and 0ints! THIS is the kind of performance myself along with many of the Silent Ticklers squad has been waiting for. Sure, they’ve seen it happen during the past 5 weeks, however getting back to back wins over two of the top teams in the division, was huge! I won’t lie, I didn’t think they could have pulled it off, but I’m proud to say that they definitely put my foot in my mouth! I like where this team is heading with the poise Panetta carries, and the way he can simply dissect your cover 3/cover 2 zone or even hit you with some Russell Wilson deep balls against man2man coverage. The man clearly has a bunch of tools in his bag, and I’m here for all of it! Keep up the great work, Jordan!

Craig O’Brien

Mr Craig O’ Brien! One of the better refs we have in this league, showed us this weekend that when he is reffing a game, he’s clearly reading the defence himself, trying to think of concepts that can help put his receivers in position to beat zone defense. In his matchup vs Junkyard Dogs, O’Brien finished the day going 21/33, for 273 yards, 6TDs and 0 Ints! You can have an FPF junior team playing wideout, if your Qb is capable of putting up those types of numbers, you’ll be more than alright! I’ll be interested to see if Past our Prime will play with some sense of urgency as we approach the end of the season. They aren’t down and out, but they are certainly not outta the water just yet. Nonetheless, excellent work, Craig!

Jeremie Mongeon-Duby

These damn bees, bunch of killas aren’t they! Currently sitting on a 3 game winning streak, with lots of credit obviously going toward the exceptional QB play of Jeremie Mongeon-Duby. In his most recent stunt, Mongeon-Duby went 20/25, for 207 yards, and 6 TDs. Being in sync with your teammates is one of the most crucial parts of the game, and Jeremie seemed to have found that chemistry amongst his peers. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, watch out for these Killa Bees! The last time the Viens brothers found themselves a Qb, they were able to carry him to a finals appearance. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they did the same here!

Wrs

Scott Payne

Speedster alert! Scott Payne has once again cracked the list being one of best wideouts during the week! Catching 7 of his 9 targets, for 115 yards and 1 TD, Payne is clearly still in dominant form, and ready to take on any role given to him. With not too much speed surrounding Payne, it is obvious that Craig O’Brien loves taking his deep shots with his number 1 target! Quite impressive to see Scott Payne get behind that Junkyard defence for touchdowns, they usually don’t play nice! Kudos to you, Scott.

Anthony Brisebois

Have you ever been to a basketball court and seen a 6’3 beast post up a scrawny 5’9 kid while the whole sideline is screaming “MISMATCH”!!!? That’s exactly what this performance by Anthony Brisebois felt like. Catching 7 of his 9 targets, for 138 and a whooping 4 tds, Brisebois was clearly the more physically dominant receiver in this matchup. Over the middle, over the top, you name it, he’s done it. Although it was in a losing effort, Brisebois added immensely to his season high total for most receiving TDs at 18. Run away for WR of the season? I think so!

Marc-Antoine Chaput

Capturing a season high 9 out his 10 targets, Marc Antoine Chaput went off for 98 yards and 3 TDs as well! I can’t lie, I’m so used to opening up the box score of a Mangoose game and seeing these types of numbers associated with Thomas Coutu. It’s a breath of fresh air to see Nicolas Shaefer use his other warriors during battle. Chaput has been consistent for the most part of the year, which is why it’s awesome to see him finally have a breakout performance, in a much needed game. Keep it up. Marc-Antoine!

Dbs

Félix Bouthillier

Felix Bouthillier had himself quite the busy night vs Sheesh! Registering 2 Tackles, 1 PD, and taking an INT back to the crib! This is the third week in a row in which Bouthillier got himself an INT, which means this man is clearly becoming one of the premier ball hawks in this division.! QBs that are reading this, throw it away from him unless you want to end up with a pick on your stat sheet! Killa Bees are so good at recruiting. I mean, 70 rated and you get this defensive stud? Are you kidding me? Nevertheless, great performance, Felix!

AJ Gomes

Speaking of dudes you shouldn’t throw their way, how bout this next guy who cracked the list. The reigning D1 WR of the year, AJ Gomes, is showing that he needs to be in the conversation for 2 way player of the year! With 5 Tackles, AJ also included 2 Ints to his resume, 1 going for a score TD (nasty juke on the QB at the backend of the play). AJ is clearly one of the best cover ballhawks in this entire league. If you throw up a prayer in the middle of the field, I’m telling you right now it won’t get answered. It will get picked off and probably returned for a score. I can’t even say throw the ball away from him, because his unpredictability is what gets him all his INTs! Now you see him, now you don’t! Congrats on the performance my guy! Only a matter of time before HOF has no choice but to induct you, AJ!

Kendal Mayers

Kendall’s first appearance on this list, and boy did he ever need to put on the superman cape for this one. Whenever you have the backup QB playing and he’s got 3 INTs on the day, you know that if you want any shot at winning the game, you’re going to need to make a play on the defensive end. Kendall proved to have been up for the challenge, as he finished the game with 3 Tackles, and 2 Ints! This man is an athletic FPF player, who’s been putting in work in the gym over the off season (I see ya!), doing whatever he can to get his body back into top shape. Usually known for his rushing, It’s cool to see Mayers play in coverage like a young Jonathan Abram. He’s going to need to continue this level of play as his starting QB is done for the season. Others need to step up and I think Mayers is the right man for the job. Good stuff, KD!

Rushers

Nicholas Gomes-Risso

Woah woah woahhhhhh, did i read that correctly?? Touch it Catch It were missing their star rusher Isiah Allard, and with almost no hope left, turned to Risso to provide the pressure needed to cause passes. AJ told me that all they wanted was for Nick not to get burned on any occasion, contain the QB and play conservative football. Typically this is the game plan you use whenever you have a backup rusher coming in from the bullpen. However, what we all failed to realize is that Risso is an absolute hustler! The moment you tell him something is impossible to achieve, he will go the lengths of the world to not only get the job done, but do it in style. A nightmare for the opposing QB, Nicholas Gomes-Risso finished the day with(in the words of Lebron James) not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5 but SIX sacks on the night! Wowzaaa! Within 1 game, Risso tied his teammate Allard for most sacks on the team. Although he is usually known for his coverage skills, it’s great to see that Nicholas can come in as a rusher if need be, and be able to get the job done. Way to go, Nick!

Mike Zenobi

Looking like a ninja out on the field, Mike Zenobi had a few opportunities to get the flag off Jeff Rosenblatt ( Jeff was getting rid of the ball quickly) and he made them count! Registering 2 sacks off diving attempts on the night, Zenobi showed us why the Silent Ticklers defence is a difficult one to crack. You won’t get much time to go through your progressions because of the speed Zenobi has running at you, I can guarantee you that! Zenobi currently has 9 sacks on the season, which puts him tied for third in the league! Kudos to the great performance, Mike!

Maxime Boucher-Cyr

Usually known for his receiving skills, Maxime Boucher-Cyr showed us why we should have him on our radar as a rusher in this division. Acquiring 3 sacks on the night, Maxime clearly played a huge role in getting the victory for EZW! The defence EZW runs has players shooting all over the field at once. If the QB has to hesitate on throws because of the odd zone coverages, they need a rusher that will not let that QB out their site! Boucher-Cyr proved that he can play rusher at this division, and be a game wrecker if need be! Well Done, Maxime!

Power Rankings

Blessed (8-0): Bye week, they aint moving anywhere.
Silent Ticklers (5-2): From Zero to heroes! These boys have shown that they might just be the team to beat!
Thor’s Hammer (6-2): What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Tough loss, but I expect a bounce back. Way too talented to lose back to back games.
EZW (5-2): Another week, another J white dub. Lets see if they can find a way to get back to back Ws for the first time Since the beginning of March.
Touch It Catch It (4-4): Moving up 2 spots, Touch It Catch It is showing signs of greatness! Let’s see if Fred Mallette can pull off a win vs the struggling yet talented Sheeesh.
Junkyard Dogs (5-2): Going down 3 spots, it’s actually quite disappointing to see this loaded roster lose games. I expect more if we are being honest, and I’m sure everyone on JD is saying the same thing to themselves.
Sheesh (4-3): Alright, let’s get it together fellas. Langburt had his mini vacation but now it’s time to get back to business. Touch It Catch It has been fire as of late, lets see if they can shut down AJ Gomes and co.
Expendables (5-2): A win without Carmine under center is quite impressive. Although Gino threw 3 Ints, A dub is a dub!
Killa Bees (4-3): Moving up 3 Spots, Killa Bees might just be in the top 5 by the end of the season. It’s going to be interesting to see who they will match up against come playoff time. Whoever it may be, they better watch out!
Past Our Prime (2-5) : Moving up 2 spots on the list, Craig O’Brien has his men playing great football. Hopefully they keep it up, as they will probably need to win out their games in order to make the playoffs.
Mongoose (3-4): Although they won, they moved down a spot simply based on the performances from others. A win over Oompa Loompas doesn’t really give you all the street cred, but a win over Junkyard Dogs will!
Les Gros Coqs (2-5): A much needed win for Dom Lefort’s squad. Crazy to say, but being in Conference A was a blessing for Les Gros Coqs. Only 2 wins, yet they sit smoothly in a playoff position. Had they been in Conference B, they’d be on the outside looking in.
Les Maloudes (3-4): Speaking of sitting comfortably, 3 wins on the season and currently hold the bye in Conference A. Some things just don’t make sense.
Bearskins (2-5): Another dwelling performance by Neil Etinson. This is not the vibe you want lingering around your team as the playoffs loom around.
Speed Academy (2-4): 2 Games back of a playoff spot, Speed Academy will need to be perfect in the upcoming weeks in order to make the playoffs!
Lightweight (0-6): Although things haven’t gone well for this Lightweight team, they are only 2 games back of a playoff spot, with 4 games to go. Just saying.
Oompa Loompas (0-7): Lightweight coming up! Let’s see if this team can pull out a win to cap off this unforgettable season!

Welp, that’s it for me folks! I hope you all enjoyed taking 5 minutes of your day to catch up on Division 3. I want to point out that my weekly picks have looked like the Dallas Cowboys. Great to start off the season, but facing extreme bumps along the road as we progress towards the end of the season. Last week, I went 5-3 on last week’s picks. It’s funny, usually people get nervous over incorrect picks. However, I actually enjoy when I am wrong (in this situation) as it would mean that an upset occurred! Lets see if any other surprises will come about this week’s matchups!

Here are my picks for Week 7’s games.

Silent Ticklers vs Les Gros Coqs

Past Our Prime vs Killa Bees

EZW vs Les Maloudes

Mongoose vs Junkyard Dogs

Blessed vs BearSkins

Speed Academy vs Expendables

Oompa Loompas vs Lightweight

Touch It Catch It vs Sheeeesh

Let’s have a great weekend of football people!