AND THEN THERE WERE 2! CO-ED 2 COMES TO A CLOSE! IT’S FINALS!!

I bet you thought I forgot about all of you!? Never! Although I wish I could have given you a week by week update on the playoffs, life has been a bit hectic, so we get a little bit of a 2-in-1 for the finals. It was an interesting race to the finals, and for a moment in the Quarter Finals I really thought it could be anybody’s game… However, when the dust settles and the smoke clears, the 2 teams that remain are the 2 teams I had predicted at the beginning of the season: The undefeated NO PUNTS INTENDED and the once infallible TONIX!! Every team gave it their all and it should be interesting to see the split next season with the introduction of the regular Co-ed 3 division, but for now, our Finalists are bulldozing forward to see just who is truly the best team in Co-ed 2!!

Let’s jump into what happened during my missed weeks of the playoffs :

QUARTER FINALS RECAP:

Let’s kick things off with our Quarter Final game: TONIX vs LES RANCEURS: LES RANCEURS have been my dark horse team during the regular season and it was just unfortunate luck that they had to face TONIX early on in the playoffs. David Michaud played a fantastic game and was able to put up 5 TDs, 1 of them a rushing TD, while TONIX’s defence put up a giant wall and held LES RANCEURS to only 1 TD per half. Giovani Antonacci had a hard time punching into the endzone despite his 180 offensive yards and completing about the same amount of passes as David; However, his 2 Interceptions didn’t do him any favors and ultimately, their defence was unable to stop TONIX.

It did look like LES RANCEURS would be able to match the intensity of TONIX when the game first started, as Giovani was able to connect with Kyle Martel for an early TD! Unfortunately, a punt by LES RANCEURS allowed TONIX to take the lead, and the interception brought in by David Michaud looked like it would spell an early defeat, but LES RANCEURS rallied and forced TONIX to punt it away!! With one possession left before the half Giovani spread the ball, used his legs, and marched his team to a chance to score and tie up the game before the half! TONIX held fast though, and stopped LES RANCEURS from balancing the game. When TONIX starts the second half with the ball, their quick score – thanks to a David Michaud 24 yard run – put the pressure on LES RANCEURS and pushed them ahead by 13 points. The rest is history… Another Interception by Gio and another TD by TONIX would inevitably put the game away. LES RANCEURS tried their best, but could not match the explosive offence of TONIX. A great performance overall!

PLAYER OF THE GAME: David Michaud

As much as I don’t want to relive this game… I must! My TOTS took on WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS, in what I thought would have been an offensive shootout, but ended up being field day for the BOATS. Alexandre Szalipszki had a fantastic game and was able to run all over our defence, scoring 2 rushing TDs along the way. The game started rough for SCOTT’S TOTS, and didn’t get any better. Alexandre kicked off the game by running 25 yards for a TD and then getting their 2 point conversion… spoiler alert: The BOATS were able to gain an additional 6 points from converts. David De Andrade, who has been a steady hand for the TOTS this season, had trouble connecting early on with his receivers and after throwing an interception on their second play, was then forced into 4 incompletions, turning over the ball in their own territory. After another BOATS TD, the TOTS finally got some breathing room after David threw a beautiful 33 yard TD to Kenny Boutilier! Things started looking up for the TOTS when I was able to get 2 sacks against Alexandre and our defence forced them into a 4th down position. Unfortunately, our bend-don’t-break defence broke down and were unable to stop another TD. BUT IT WAS OK! TOTS came back and scored again, keeping our hopes and dreams alive with a score of 30-12. If we could just hold them out of the endzone, we could get the ball back in the 2nd half and start working on chipping away at the lead! It wasn’t meant to be – Alexandre Szalipszki and his shifty legs were able to shimmy his way for the last TD of the half, giving the BOATS an impressive 36-12 lead after the first half.

Despite a much better performance in the 2nd half, and being able to rally and keep the BOATS to only 2 TDS, my TOTs were unable to score enough to catch up and were left in the dust with a final score of 48-24! Truly, the BOATS have impressed me all season, and showed me just how good they are and why teams have struggled to beat them all season. They would have to face TONIX in the Semi-Finals, but I thought that they might actually be able to go all the way! Clement Billard had a fantastic offensive game and Roxanne Roy came up big with 2 TDs, but ultimately I have to give the player of the game to:

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Alexandre Szalipszki

I must say, CHEFS BANDITS almost pulled the upset over NO PUNT INTENDED! Although they ultimately lost 26-18, CHEFS BANDITS gave Sanders and his squad a run for their money. It started off a bit shaky with CHEFS BANDITS being pushed back 14 yards off a bad snap and then giving up a safety, starting the game 2-0 and NO PUNT INTENDED essentially starting on offence. It took them a few plays, but eventually Sanders was able to march the field and throw a quick pass to Jared Buck for the first TD of the game. Guillaume Girard stepped up again for another shot at a TD, but unfortunately, turned over the ball when Geraldine Cabillo-Abante intercepted him! It looked like the PUNTS were going to close this game out quick, but the CHEFS got another breath of life when Alexis Rousseau-Turenne returned the favor and intercepted Sanders! The CHEFS BANDITS were able to punch it in to bring the score to 8-6. It was then that Sanders turned on the jets and ran for a 27 yard TD….. With the final possession of half falling to CHEFS BANDITS, they had a chance to tie it up, but unfortunately, another interception was thrown and NO PUNT INTENDED were able to get the ball after the half, being up 14-6.

True to their name, NO PUNT INTENDED were able to save their drive multiple times on 3rd down and get some first downs, which seemed to always lead to a TD. Despite the CHEFS BANDITS being able to match the PUNTS score for score in the 2nd half, the lead that was gained from the first half was enough to keep NO PUNT INTENDED ahead this game. All things considered, it was the small mistakes that cost the BANDITS the game – the early Safety, and the 2 interceptions, essentially lost the BANDITS 3 possessions and 3 potential TDs. Everybody on offence did the best they could and despite Guillaume spreading the ball, their defence struggled to stop Geraldine Cabillo-Abante and her 2 TDs! NO PUNT INTENDED head to the Semi Finals and keep their championship dreams alive!

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Geraldine Cabillo-Abante

Our last game in the Quarter Finals was KAMIKAZE vs BACK THAT PASS UP! I had recently played both of these teams and was impressed by both of their skills and ability to move the ball. BACK THAT PASS UP has an impressive roster and Jason Rossie, a well known high division QB, at the helm. They went 6-4 in the regular season and were on a big win streak that was only interrupted by their game against NO PUNT INTENDED. KAMIKAZE only lost their last game of their season to the TOTs to allow Jean-Sebastien St-Arneault a chance to beat the sack record and earn their bye week. I had no idea which team would come out on top but I was leaning slightly towards KAMIKAZE and their amazing defence! Unfortunately, Gabriel Lemonde struggled in this game and did not throw more than 1 TD. On top of that, despite Jean-Sebastien’s amazing rushing, Jason Rossie was able to squeak in for a rushing TD.

The first half was largely uneventful due to both teams struggling to push into the endzone, but ended 12-6 for BACK THAT PASS UP when they scored at the end of the half. KAMIKAZE started the 2nd half with the ball, but lost the chance to tie it up when Justin Gauthier intercepted Gabriel Lemonde. Not totally out of the game yet, the straw that broke the camel’s back would occur when Gabriel Lemonde threw his second interception, losing another chance to score and giving BACK THAT PASS UP another TD. Overall, KAMIKAZE just fell short in this defensive game, while BACK THAT PASS UP was able to capitalize on all of their turnovers! Special shout out to Justin Gauthier for his timely interception, but ultimately, as is the standard so far, player of the game goes to a QB.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jason Rossie

SEMI-FINALS RECAP:

A big game to kick off our Semi-Finals: TONIX vs WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS. A relatively low scoring game (in my opinion) for 2 teams that have shown how explosive they can be on offence, but a close game nonetheless! The BOATS started off with the ball and as the underdog in this game, but were able to quickly score and take the lead with an additional 2 point convert (I love that this team always goes for 2). TONIX was able to respond in kind, with a TD throw to Alexandra Falcon-Korb and a 1 point convert, confident that they would be able to catch up later in the game. Alexandre Szalipszki kept the next drive alive with his legs, but threw an unfortunate interception into the hands of Hugo Lepine – which would be his first of 4 interceptions this game! This began the mini period “hot potato” where the BOATS were intercepted, then TONIX was intercepted, and then the BOATS were intercepted again, etc, etc – TONIX ended the half on yet another interception to Alexandre Szalipszki.

With the BOATS up by 1 point in the 2nd, it was looking like they might be able to pull the ultimate upset over TONIX! However, after an impressive back and forth from both teams, the BOATS found themselves down by 6 points (20-14) with the last possession of the game. If they could score this, their success at 2 point conversions could almost guarantee them the win, or at least an overtime chance. Unfortunately for Alexandre Szalipszki, Hugo Lépine was feeling hungry and was able to close the game with another interception! It was a fantastic shoot out, but with 4 interceptions, WHO’S GONNA CARRY THE BOATS could not make up the difference! TONIX got a lucky break and are looking to prove themselves one last time in the finals!

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Hugo Lépine

My oh my! What a game this turned out to be! NO PUNT INTENDED vs BACK THAT PASS UP! These 2 teams faced each other during the last week of the season, with NO PUNT INTENDED coming away the winners by 6 points. This time, more than just a record was on the line and as most teams might know – it’s hard to beat the same team twice in 1 season. So, despite being the underdogs, BACK THAT PASS UP was definitely the wild card that had what it took to knock the PUNTs out of the playoffs. Both QBs had essentially the same game – Both threw 5 TDs, both were able to find some success running, no one threw an interception, both were sacked once, and both threw for about 170 yards! Their offences were also sporting similar performances: Geraldine Cabillo-Abante (NO PUNT INTENDED) was able to rack up 58 yards and 2 TDs, while Chris Brockwell (BACK THAT PASS UP) was able to accumulate 52 yards and 2 TDS. Jared Buck had 43 yards and 2 TDs, compared to Justin Gauthier who had 47 yards and 2 TDs, while Sammy Benaouda (NO PUNT INTENDED) and Stephanie Garey (BACK THAT PASS UP) both brought in 1 TD!

I could not ask for a closer game! Each team played their hearts out, knew exactly what was on the line, and executed with amazing precision! With BACK THAT PASS UP starting on offence and no interceptions, I wish I could say that Jason and the squad did what no other team had been able to do up until that point – beat the undefeated team. However, the game was decided by the one thing I’ve tried to mention every week up until this point: EXTRA POINTS!!!!!!!! Both teams struggled all game to complete the converts, but it was Sanders and his squad that were able to punch the last convert in, giving them the smallest edge. BACK THAT PASS UP tried going for 2 points a few times during the game and tried for 2 points again for the win on their last TD, but alas, it was not meant to be. You couldn’t ask for a better or closer match between 2 amazing teams, but only 1 could come away the winner! NO PUNT INTENDED remain the only undefeated team and will defend their streak in the Finals against TONIX!

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Sanders Armand

FINALS PREVIEW:

NO PUNT INTENDED

TONIX

AND HERE IT IS! After 11 weeks and 3 playoff games, the final 2 teams will come together for the first official Fall Season Championship! TONIX vs NO PUNT INTENDED, #1 QB vs #2 QB, #1 offence vs #2 offence, and the Undefeated vs the Unshakeable! I have no idea who will come out of this game as the winners, but NO PUNT INTENDED is the slight favored in my books due to their undefeated record and their ability to match up against any and all challenges. TONIX is not to be underestimated though, despite their 1 loss and 1 tie, their defence has shown time and time again that they can push any team to the limit, and can give 150% when the game is on the line! Comparatively, both of these QBs are fairly equal. Sanders may have more TDs (50 to David’s 43), but he also has more sacks. David – who does not pose as much of a threat with his legs – and has thrown 2 more interceptions, also has the defensive edge over Sanders and currently leads his defence with 11 interceptions and 6x PICK-6’s! With the QBs obviously being the key playmakers on both of these teams, let’s see the other potential big match ups to look for:

When you have Geraldine Cabillo-Abante and Jared Buck on offence at the same time AND Sanders behind the snap, you’re already looking at an oppressive offensive unit. David Michaud and Hugo Lépine will have their work cut out for them and will have to ensure that all 3 of these players are covered! Thankfully, Alexie Galarneau has been controlling the division at the rushing position with 15 sacks in the regular season! She has been overshadowed this season by the record tying Jean-Sebastien, but has been able to put some amazing pressure on the mobile QBs this year and will be the key player in this defensive unit! Her job will arguably be the most important – STOP SANDERS FROM RUNNING! The goal will need to be to force him to throw the ball to one of his receivers and hope that your defense can make the necessary stops. This will not be an easy task since Sanders is the #1 Rushing QB in the division, and Alexie will find herself challenged in perhaps the biggest game of her FPF Career!

On the flip side, although NO PUNT INTENDED might not be able to boast the same rushing consistency as TONIX, they may be very thankful that David Michaud does not seem to be much of a rushing QB. Instead, they will have to attend to the MANY targets that David has to choose from, and actually does pass to in any given game. Despite Mederic Lauzon being the #1 target for David, Hugo Lépine, Alexie Galarneau, Alexandra Falcon-Korb, and Meggie Gervais are all BIG targets. This is where I think NO PUNT INTENDED might struggle… While TONIX will have to focus on 3 big players (not including the talented Sammy Benaouda), NO PUNT INTENDED will have to essentially cover the entire field. Offensively, I give the edge to NO PUNT INTENDED, but defensively, I think I would give the edge to TONIX. Then take into account that NO PUNT INTENDED have the most points scored in the division AND have allowed around 50 more points than TONIX, and you can see why this game is so hard to predict!

At the end of the day, it will come down to the team that can make the fewest mistakes while also capitalizing on any turnovers they manage to force! Both QBs will need to be patient to make sure they don’t burn themselves out playing both offence and defence! Good luck to both teams and congratulations to whoever becomes the 1st official Fall Season Champions!!!

KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH: Alexie Galarneau vs Sanders Armand

PREDICTION: TONIX 32 – 28 NO PUNT INTENDED

And that’s it for this season’s articles! Apologies for missing a few weeks, but I hope you enjoyed the journey! Hope to see most of you again next season! Rest up in the off season because the Winter season is just around the corner and the competition will be fierce!