And then there were two; Division C Finals Preview

So this is it, after four months of football, four rounds of post-season, and 268 games, we are down to the final two teams and the last game of the season. Backfield Penetration versus Idaho Udapimps for the Division C championship, Sunday night in Brossard.

Let’s look at how both teams got to this point.

Backfield Penetration punched their ticket to the Finals with a (36-32) win over Les Petites Carottes. The game came down to the final possession for both teams, as Backfield Penetration found themselves trailing by four until Quarterback Alessandro Barazzoni found Receiver Anthony Lazzara for a touchdown to give their team a two-point lead. They were able to go up by four, as Massimo D’ipolito recorded the team’s only 2-point conversion of the evening.

With less than a minute to five plays remaining in the contest, Les Petites Carottes had a chance to get the last laugh. It looked like LPC would be laughing all the way to the Finals as they started their drive out hot, with Quarterback Jason Rayes connecting on a five-yard pass to his top Receiver in Zack Cloutier, then scrambling for 10 yards on the very next play for a first down.

The QB would hook up with his favorite target again, as he hit Cloutier for a gain of 21 yards. The good times would come to an end right there, as an incompletion would be followed by a five-yard penalty to Rayes for flag-guarding, and then a sack by Rusher Raffaele Morelli, setting up the game’s final play.

Looking for his big play security blanket in Xavier Brault, Rayes threw a jump ball up to his tallest Receiver, but the Backfield Penetration defense saw it coming, as they elected to put their tallest defender in D’ipolito on Brault in a matchup of the big men who both stand over 6 ft 3. D’ipolito would get a hand on the pass and break it up, giving his team the hard-fought win.     

In addition to the pass deflection at the end, the Backfield Penetration defense came up huge in the victory. No one however was bigger than Raffaele Morelli, who had a game-high three sacks. In my Semi-Final Preview article from earlier in the week, I said that the Rusher would have to slow down the dual threat in Rayes, as he was averaging 16 a carry. Morelli held him to 18 total yards on two rushes. Well done.

The Backfield Penetration offense had a standout performer as well as Santino Sparagna, as he had a tremendous outing with a game-high four touchdown grabs on 6 six catches for 88 yards. Talk about making an impact.

Idaho Udapimps earned their ticket to championship Sunday with even tighter game than their upcoming opponents, as they slid by Jagerbomb (38-36).

Two-way threat Jerome Hovington would have to be considered the game’s most valuable player, as the vet had three touchdowns as a Receiver, and an interception on defense.

The two-time All-Star would save his biggest play for last, as when his team was down by four with less than five plays left in the game, the shifty pass-catcher would get open in the endzone for a 4-yard TD pass from Quarterback Brady Ohanessian, for the go-ahead score.

After the 1-point convo attempt by Idaho Udapimps was no good, Jagerbomb got the ball back one final time with three plays remaining.

The Jagerbomb drive started off with a Mike Breen level bang, as opposing QB Simon Duchesne, connected with Receiver Kevin Marcil for a 20-yard gain. The excitement would fade away just as quick for the team, as an incomplete pass would set up the final play of the game.

Needing 20 yards to score and win the game, Jagerbomb had to go deep. In all the excitement, the fundamentals sometimes get lost, and that is what happened to this veteran squad, as a bad snap that led to a sack is how this game would end.

Heartbreak for Jagerbomb, and jubilation mixed in with a sense of relief for Idaho Udapimps. Football will break your heart if you play it long enough. Look no further than this as an example.

If you were in Brossard on Tuesday night, or if you’re reading this, you can tell that the Semi-Finals were fantastic. As a player, fan, and writer, that’s all you can ask for. I think the Finals will be the same.

Finals Preview

(3) Idaho Udapimps versus (8) Backfield Penetration

Previous Meeting: Idaho Udapimps (32-14) Week 1

It’s only fitting that these two teams kicked off the regular season against each other, and will now close the campaign versus one another.

As you can tell by the score, the first encounter was a blowout, as Backfield Penetration Quarterback Alessandro Barazzoni, threw five interceptions, in what was by far his worst game of the year. Even the presence of future FPF Hall-of-Famer Jeanslee Alexis, and a four-sack performance by Rusher Raffaele Morelli, couldn’t save the team from their QB. Idaho Udapimps feasted on those turnovers and turned them into points. The extra possessions allowed them to jump out to a (20-6) halftime lead, and then put the game in cruise control during the second half as they outscored their opponents (12-8).

To get the ultimate revenge and walk out as champs, Backfield Penetration will need to avoid the turnovers that killed them in the first meeting and get off to a better start. To do that, Barazzoni, will need to avoid throwing the ball to Idaho Udapmip’s Marvin Steinberg. In Week 1, the eight-time All-Star dominated the game as he recorded four of his team’s five INTs (he returned one for a touchdown) including two picks on Backfield Penetration’s first three drives to start the game. The other drive failed as well, as they turned the ball over on downs.

He wasn’t done there, as Steinberg also showed why he is the reigning Two-Way Player of the Year, as he led his team with eight catches for 49 yards, and all players with two touchdowns as a Receiver.  He was joined in the endzone by teammates Jerome Hovington and Eric Letourneau, as the duo recorded a TD each.

The Backfield Penetration Receiving corps must also find a way to beat the tight and aggressive coverage of their opponents, as they made the offense settle for short and intermediate throws.

The only Receiver to score a touchdown was Jeanslee Alexis. He won’t be there on Sunday, as he did not play the five regular season games needed to qualify for the playoffs, so the team will need their best playmakers in Anthony Siggia who had a solid game with seven receptions for 89 yards, along with their other weapons in Slimani Mohamed Ali, Anthony Lazzara, Massimo D’ipolito, Xavier, and both Dante and Santino Sparagna to step up.

On defense, Backfield Penetration will have to find a way to combat the three-headed Receiving monster of Hovington, Steinberg, and Danick Coulombe. All three have the speed to beat you deep, the craftiness to win inside, and the hands to snatch balls out of the air. The BP defense must find a way to make things hard on the trio.

The unit must also find a way to force Brady Ohanessian into interceptions. The veteran who has two INTs so far this post-season, likes to air it out and take chances. Can Backfield Penetration make him pay when he does?

To be crowned new Division C champs, Idaho Udapimp will need to get after Barazzoni, and force him into questionable and high-risk throws as they did in the first meeting when they held him to a 48.1% completion percentage and a 38.9 QB Rating, both were his worst showing of the season. Changing coverages post-snap will be key to getting a repeat performance.

Staying on defense, Idaho Udapimps will have to contain the trio of Santino Sparagna, Dante Sparagna, and Xavier Couture. All three Receivers are blessed with top end speed and smooth route running. The trio were not in the lineup in the Week 1 matchup, so IU will have to make sure they deliver in man-to-man coverage and communicate when they pass them off in zone.

On offense, Brady Ohanessian will need to protect the ball. As good as the QB of the Year has been, in addition to the two interceptions in the first meeting, he has also thrown three INTs over his last two playoff games.

If I am looking at X-Factors, I am picking Anthony Siggia for Backfield Penetration. He doesn’t have the top end speed like some of his teammates, but he is a great route runner, who carves defenders up in the redzone with his ability to create space and has solid hands.

For Idaho Udapimps, Salim Tayae is my pick. He is an underrated Receiver and can play multiple positions on defense. If you need coverage, or pass rush, he can do it all, and provides his team with the type of versatility that every squad needs.

I think this will be a fantastic game. These are clearly the best two teams in Division C. I said on numerous occasions that I feel that Idaho Udapimps are the best team in the division. The tight comeback games they have played this post-season showed me that what I was thinking was right. No upset special this week, I am picking them as Div. C champs.

Prediction: Idaho Udapimps (42-36)

Picks

Backfield Penetration vs Idaho Udapimps – Idaho Udapimps

Last Week: (2-0)

Playoffs: (10-6)

Upset Special: (10-14)

That is it for this week and this season. Thank-you to everyone for reading my articles and for the kind words. I truly appreciate it. It was my pleasure to write for you guys this year!

Good luck to both teams on Sunday! Enjoy the roadshow!

See you in the Fall season!

If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page.