A Trip to The Final Four. We All Want it, But Who Gets it?

The Elite Eight is upon us folks! Three more victories and you’ll have the right to crown yourself division 3 champions. We saw some great games last week that came down to the wire. Let’s start with some quick recaps.

Just as I expected, Greendale Human Beings and ALPHA DOGS was a tight one. GHB winning the game by a single convert, 19-18. ALPHA DOGS scored late in the game and decided to go for 2 to take the lead. GHB’s defense stood tall as it had all game. These boys are rolling into the Quarterfinals.

UPSET OF THE WEEK! The Stoics take down the mighty Gros Coqs, 38-26. With the absence of Denzel Eadie-Lowe it was Vincent Cheung that rushed Dom LeFort. Safe to say he did a very solid job considering Les Gros Coqs only put up 26 points. Carl Achy had a great game on both sides of the ball for The Stoics. He finished with 2 TDs and 2 picks.

I watched most of KGP Ra’s victory over Mongoose, and what a game it was. Both teams marched the field and scored consistently. It was Khalil Kerr‘s convert late in the game that lifted the boys in black and gold to victory. Their offense is methodical and finds flaws in every defense. Let’s see if they can do the same against Silent Ticklers tonight.

Arouch had a 19-13 halftime lead against That’s What She Said, but it was short lived. TWSS outscored Arouch 25-0 in the second half. Great ball distribution from QB Leandre Ethier. He finished the game with 6 TDs. His defense did their part as well in getting 3 interceptions. It is hard to tell whether they’re stronger offensively or defensively because of how good they’ve been on both sides of the ball. This makes them very dangerous at this point in the year.

Blue’s Clues and The Infantry were in another great battle. The boys in light blue got a pick 6 to start the game to set the tone. The Infantry had the ball at the 3 yard line with 2 plays left and again the Blues Clues defense held their own. Playoff type atmosphere, playoff type game.

Preach’s defense came to play against G.I.H.F. Getting 3 interceptions and holding their opponent to only 13 points. A tough way to end the year for G.I.H.F but a good year nonetheless. They bounced back from a tough start to the year. Things don’t get any easier for us as we take on That’s What She Said tonight at 10PM.

Mangoose put up a 50 burger on Free Smoke 1. I didn’t expect this game to be so one-sided. Five receivers were able to find the end zone for Mangoose. They have a championship run on their minds and won’t stop at anything less.

Silent Ticklers continue the miraculous season with a 36-20 win over Blackouts. I expected a little more from Blackouts this year. If you remember from my very first article, this was my championship matchup. Jordan Panetta only completed 10 passes but 5 of them went for touchdowns. Can this offense be stopped? Maybe KGP Ra can answer that question.

Game Previews  

5. Blue’s Clues vs 9. Greendale Human Beings  

No previous matchup here. Greendale Human Beings have won 5 straight games. Three of their last four wins have come from a combined 6 points. They have been battle tested and have answered week in, week out. Blue’s Clues have been consistent from the start of the season. They play the game at their pace and won’t let anyone interfere with that.

I like this matchup because we got 2 different types of teams here. GHB will slice and dice their way up the field. This requires Danny Aylward to be perfect on almost every throw. Which he has been on their incredible run. I can see Blue’s Clues’ defense getting frustrated with GHB’s ability to consistently find an open receiver. Offensively, GHB have become hard to predict. They are demonstrating the amount of depth they do have. Blue’s Clues have more of that quick striking offense with a splash play here and there. AJ Gomes will need to be patient and be okay with taking 3-4 yards if it’s there. Two-way player of the year, Brandon Aylward, will need to have a big game from the rusher position. He has quietly become one of the better rushers in FPF.

This game does not lack playmakers. You have veteran guys on both sides, and then young and up-and-coming FPF stars. Can a guy like Fritzgerald Cenatus bait Danny Aylward into throwing a bad pick? Can Matthew Rupcic have another game with multiple interceptions? This game could go in many different ways. It’s not a game where you can confidently predict if it’ll be high or low scoring. One thing’s for sure, both teams will need to communicate and communicate LOUDLY on defense. Both QBs are too smart to play a defense with little movement and energy.

Before writing the article I was set on picking Blue’s Clues. I then debated a little and started gearing a little towards Greendale Human Beings. I’m going to trust my initial instinct and go with Blue’s Clues in a dandy of an affair!

Prediction: Blue’s Clues win 32-25  

1. Silent Ticklers vs 20 KGP Ra 

In their previous matchup in week 9, Silent Ticklers won 38-24.

KGP Ra just eliminated the #2 seed, can they now eliminate the #1 seed just 4 days later? Yes, they can. It’ll take a near perfect game from Dylan Garber. He has been feeling himself (what?) the later part of the season. He has command of this offense with everyone having their specific role. Cutler is the calming, veteran presence in the huddle, Garfinkle is that player no one understands why he’s as good as he is, Kerr is the Le’Veon Bell-type of guy that is dangerous with the ball in his hands, and then you have pieces like Young and D’Amico-Mazza to polish off the offense. This game will be a shootout and KGP Ra will need to score because Silent Ticklers certainly will.

Silent Ticklers are led by the trio of Panetta, Rosen, and Mancini. This offense will never be a concern. They will always find a way to put up points. How will they defend the detailed offense of KGP Ra though? With their athletes I can see them trusting their boys and playing man defense, mano e mano. They have the speed, agility, and smarts to be able to do so. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Francis Haley getting 3 sacks tonight. He is quick and has the ability to limit Garber’s ability to role out that he does so well.

For Silent Ticklers to win they’ll need to take away KGP Ra’s first read on offense. A lot of their offense is dependent on hitting that first read. For KGP Ra they have to force 3rd and 4th downs on defense. They can’t allow Panetta to have his way with the deep ball and score in 2 or 3 plays. I’m really excited for this one and will try and catch all of it right before my game. I’m going with the ticklers by 8. Their defense stands strong on the last drive as they punch their ticket to the Semi Finals.

Prediction: Silent Ticklers win 44-36

6. That’s What She Said vs 7. Preach

First time matchup between these two. Both teams coming off impressive wins. Something these two teams thrive on is making defenses guess. The ball distribution on both sides is great. Defensive stops may be tough to come by tonight. I got the feeling that one pick in this game may be enough for either QB to work with.

That’s What She Said have been a fun team to follow this season. It took them a few games to find that identity, but since they have it’s been smooth sailing. They have a mix of veterans who know the game like the back of their hands and fresh faces that have fit in well.

On Preach, we are mostly guys who have been playing for a while. We’ve been able to gel really well as a unit over the course of the season. While I won’t make a score prediction here, I am almost certain they game will be decided by no more than one possession.

Prediction: N/A

4. Mangoose vs 19. The Stoics

No Previous matchup between both squads. Mangoose are coming off a massive game whereas The Stoics are coming off a massive upset. The “good” news for The Stoics is they are facing a team today similar to the one they beat earlier in the week. Mangoose have a great QB and studs on both sides of the ball. How is that good news for The Stoics you ask? Well, it probably isn’t (way to contradict myself), but the point is they know they are capable of pulling off the upset once more. Chris Rivest trusts every one of his guys on the field. He may have his favourites, but will not make his throw in the huddle. He reads the defense and sees what’s there. Similarly to Nic Schaefer, he’s not a QB that forces any throw either. The cool thing about him is that he has such a cannon of an arm that he is able to drop back deep and still make any throw. In all my years of watching flag football, he may have the furthest drop back I’ve ever seen.

So, how do The Stoics pull this one off? It’s going to require getting a stop early on in the game. You can’t let the Mangoose offense get rolling because once it does it’s basically game over. Any type of positive play EARLY in the game will be key, any play. A sack, a pass defended, a nice diving tackle. Once that happens you prepare for a deep shot or two from this high-powered Mangoose offense.

How does Mangoose get the W? Doing what they’ve been doing all season. Letting their playmakers make plays and bank on what’s already been working. They are an aggressive defense and will need to stick to that mindset. They have the instincts and just need to continue trusting them.

I got it being 40-28 Mangoose late in the game. The Stoics score a TD and go for an onside attempt that gets stopped. The Stoics proved me wrong last game, can they make it two games in a row?

Prediction: Mangoose win 40-34

Bold Prediction: All 4 winning teams tonight will be losing the game at halftime!

Win tonight and you’ll be dancing your way to the Final Four. I expect a great atmosphere with bodies flying all over the place. Good luck to the final 8 teams! Looking forward to seeing all the action in just a few hours. Until tonight…

STAY BLESSED