Categories: Division 3Winter

Back to Regular Article Coverage, NFL Free Agency Frenzy and a Beer-Filled Weekend

Alright, we’ve got some catching up to do in Div 3. But first, a small flash to the past. In going through my article archive, one of the article titles from this time last year in Division 6 caught my eye — Crunch Time, A Shocked Armenti and Remember The Name Oriola Poirier.

Safe to say Oriola Poirier has made a name for himself and put himself on the map 🗺️📌 The guy has elite speed and can shake you out of your cleats. He is such a dangerous weapon on the field, but more importantly, the guy is fun to have in the huddle. He’s always got the big smile on his face, will cheer on teammates for their success and plays they make on the field, and when it’s time to get serious, the guy can lock it down and make the big play to win your team games. Just a quick shoutout!

Next. Damn, was the NFL free agency period WILD or what? So many teams have new-look offenses, including of course my Eagles picking up Saquon. While he’s in the back-half of his career, he should be a nice punch to the Eagles offense.

Okay, so now that the report cards are done, let’s get back to analyzing where the division sits in mid-March. Of course, the analysis may be a bit hazy with all the drinks going in, as it is St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Montreal. Absolutely go out with your boys and celebrate this weekend’s exciting victory or numb the pain of a dreadful defeat, but either way, drink responsibly and make it back home in one piece, we need you out there balling in the final weeks of the season! Cheers!

Division 3 Roundtable Discussion

  • Jared Buck with a BIG game in Week 10. He was your Passing yards leader for the week, as he was able to snap a 2-game losing streak for Friends with Danny with a win over Wide Open Bar.
  • Jean Philippe Hudon had a monster game for Une Phrase Bien Fournie, but despite his 114-yard, 4 TD effort, UPBF fell to Kiss My Inlaws 39-24. Also, damn, putting up those stats with a jersey violation sucks! Get that simple jersey with a number so those stats can shine!
  • Oriola Poirier and Jerome Hovington of Dime and Bougie tag teamed for 2 INTs each in their 38-30 victory over That’s What She Said. Dime and Bougie survived and thrived without their starting QB, coming away with 2 victories in Regimbald‘s absence to better their record to 4-1-1. There’s not a QB controversy brewing in Dime and Bougie’s court is there? Nah….
  • The defeat for That’s What She Said is now back-to-back losses and losses in 3 of their last 4 games. They NEED to win one of their next 2 games which are games that are more within reach, otherwise they are in trouble vs Bruins and The Infantry to end their season.
  • Thanks to videographer extraordinaire Chris Rivest, we caught glimpses of brilliance from Juwan Edgehill from the drone POV. Edgehill was a thorn in Dom Lefort’s side last Saturday, with 2 INTs and perhaps a controversial Pick 6 touchdown awarded on the last play of the half to break a 13-13 tie. Had he been ruled just short, obviously the score changes, but more importantly the game script would have changed. Maybe Lightweight still wins, but the way the game is managed shifts significantly. Sure, LGC made it look close, losing by 1, but Lightweight were up 9 with 5 plays remaining with LGC already having used their onside attempt, so the game was over and Lightweight even conceded the 2 points to avoid any injuries on the final play of the game. While that pick 6 was a huge swing in score, what should perhaps be talked about more was LGC’s onside attempt. Dom Lefort deciding to run on the onside attempt is a questionable decision. I think the odds of crossing the half via run is like 5% while a pass has anywhere between 10-30% odds of being successful. I’m an odds guy, so give me the better odds every time. Throw the rock, baby!
  • Beer Belly broke a 4-game losing streak after starting the season 3-0. Alex Fafard had a 100-yard rushing performance and also threw… wait for it… 5 touchdowns… on 9 completions… on 15 attempts. Think about that… every 3rd pass Fafard attempted found the endzone. Oh, and every 3rd run also added 6 points, as he ran for 2 TDs and 6 rushing attempts. Olivier Claveau was the main beneficiary at receiver with 3 TDs on 3 targets for 108 yards.
  • Griffnation desperately need the win over UPBF in Week 11 in attempts to solidify their playoff position. They shouldn’t take them too lightly though, or they could find themselves in a close game that could come down to the final drive.
  • OC/UR alert! Both Daron Migdesyan (Minions of Migdesyan) and Jordan Allard (Backyard Bullies) currently sit with 2 OC’s. The next one spells a 1-week suspension. Their teams need these guys to contribute to their success, so they should be keeping them in check!
  • Another week for Mel’s Angels, another week without AJ Gomes. That said, Backyard Bullies will need to contend against Jimmy Lee Janvier at QB, Isiah Allard at rush and the dangerous Tam Vilaydeth both ways. Add to that mid-season MVP Xavier Couture and Backyard Bullies have a tougher test than they would have thought.        
  • If there is a team that needs a win to get this week its Dirty Birds. In games 2, 3, and 4 of the season, they scored 33 points in each game for a total 99 points (easy math!) and went 2-1 in that span. In games 5, 6, and 7? An 0-3 record with a combined 47 points scored. They need a confidence booster game. Their matchup vs. Friends With Danny will be an interesting one between a struggling offensive team looking to get back on track vs. another who needed the very same thing last week and got the W.
  • As previewed on CTA, The BrotherHood vs. EZW is essentially a battle for the Group A title and one of the Top 4 seeds. Two 5-1 teams, one the epitome of great defense vs. a fluid and masterclass offense. Should be a matchup you don’t want to miss! If you happen to be in or around Laval at 4pm on Sunday March 17th, you may wanna stop by.
  • One of the hotter teams Division 3 right now is Minions of Migdesyan. After shutting out Arouch in the 2nd half for the comeback win last week, the Minions have now racked up 3 straight wins off the back of their defense. Their game against AF1 is actually a low-key great matchup. Two teams that are looking to cement their playoff hopes and gain momentum heading into the final weeks of the season. I think it will be quite the defensive battle. Whichever Quarterback does a better job protecting the ball will be the one that comes out victorious.
  • The Infantry, once again without Zack Stacey and with Sean Semerjian in at QB, came away with the dub, defeating the last undefeated team in Div 3 — The Bruins. Week 10 was a tough week for Kris Verreault, as he suffered 3 losses (Les Porcinets, Les Otaries Extremes, Bruins). The key play in the game came on a turnover-on-downs play for the Bruins in the 2nd half. Verreault was being hunted down by Ethan Adrian on 4th down, chasing him 15 yards behind the Line of Scrimmage. Kris would escape Ethan and get back to the LOS, and fall just half-a-yard short with 3 Infantry defenders converging on him to prevent the first down. It was Nick Di Maulo who got the crucial, first-down-saving tackle that gave the offense the chance to put this game away with a score, which they did. Di Maulo has become one of the more aggressive and sure-handed tacklers in the middle divisions and The Infantry should thank him for his clutch tackle on Verreault.
  • After, what seems almost like a season ago, Arouch was once on a 3-game winning streak in the early weeks of the season, but have since gone 1-4 in their last 5. They have already played 9 games, with 1 more game on March 30th, and will only play in Round 1 of the playoff 2 weeks later. The classic question will always be raised: Will the extended time off create too much rust, or will they be well rested and fresh for the playoffs? Always a curious discussion.

Div 3 Question of the Week

With Groups in the Division playing an important role with seeding, I asked a few more players on which group they believe is the best/toughest and why. Of course, you’ll get your chance to chime in by answering the same question in the poll below. Enjoy!

And since the players got to explain their rationale, I’ll give the readers the ability to rank the Groups as well. Enjoy!

First up, Manu Allard-Roy making amends with his thoughts on the best group in Div 3:

When purely looking at records, Group A or B stands out. In my opinion Group A is the strongest with powerhouses like EZW and Brotherhood, both sitting at 5-1. EZW offense is rolling, scoring 253 points in 6 games is so impressive. Then you got A-Team who has a top defense full of ballers and an offense that is getting stronger every week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see teams from this group making it far in the playoffs. I’ve said it on the podcast; I truly think A-Team is a Final-4 contender. Then, the other teams are still strong if you go down the list: Moongose can always hurt you and control the game. I wouldn’t want to face them in the playoffs. Blue Chips, Mels Angels and Greendale Human Beings might only have 2 wins, but I still believe two out of these 3 teams can squeeze in the playoffs.

– Manu Allard-Roy

Next up, we have C-Riv, looking flushed in FPF profile picture his 20’s (or younger??), sharing his thoughts on Div 3’s Groups:

When looking at the top Groups in Div 3,  the one that immediately grabbed my attention was Group B. First, we have the Sharks, with one of the top defenses in the division. Led by Jaylan Greaves with 3 INTs and 1 pick. On offense they’re led by Corey Walwaski, who always seems to find a way to make it to the roadshow, and be the last team standing. The Sharks will feast on any mistakes opposing teams make, which makes them a team to look out for as we get closer to the playoffs.  

The Bruins are currently at the top of the division, boasting an impressive roster with both young guns and trusty veterans. Kris Verreault has taken FPF by storm, with his dual threat ability to dip the shi* out of you, or find the open receiver by extending plays. The Bruins are the perfect balance of size (Gab Champagne, Jocelyn Calixte, Zach Zwirn, Tahnyus Steer) and speed (Rocco Christiano , Kris Verreault , Siriano Bagayogo) so it’s no wonder they’re sitting at the top of the group right now.      

Then there’s the Infantry (who just beat the Bruins), a team that no one wants to face come playoff time. They have one of the top rushers in the entire league in Ethan Adrian. Add to that a balance of fiery Semerjian brothers and an ice-cold Zack Stacey, and you get a scary team right there. 

Friends with Danny and That’s What She Said are both struggling at the moment, but can turn it on anytime during the playoffs, as they are both coming off respective championship games last Winter and Spring.  

Wide Open Bar is at the bottom of this group, but they have the playmakers in Charles Verreault and Phillipe Leroux to spark momentum in their last four games to try and get into the playoffs.

– Chris Rivest

And we had a last contributor here give his thoughts on the Div 3 groups, in the fiery and talented Rory Semerjian

It’s hard to just pinpoint one group in Division 3 as the clear cut “best group”. There are teams in all the groups that have a lesser record than the top teams, but who are still just as good as them. If I had to choose, I’d probably say Group A. They have the team with likely the best defense in The BrotherHood, which is a very scary element to come across in the playoffs. There are of course, teams like EZW and their high-powered offense and a solid squad in A-team that can all easily contend and ultimately win everything as well. Division 3 is fun in that way. A lot of teams coming out of Group A could be in the Finals.

– Rory Semerjian
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Week 11 Game Picks

Griffnation vs. Une Phrase Bien Fournie – Iggy’s Pick: Griffnation

Backyard Bullies vs. Mel’s Angels – Iggy’s Pick: Backyard Bullies

Dirty Birds vs. Friends with Danny – Iggy’s Pick: Dirty Birds

Sharks vs. Speed Academy – Iggy’s Pick: Sharks

The BrotherHood vs. EZW – Iggy’s Pick: EZW

Minions of Migdesyan vs. Air Force 1 – Iggy’s Pick: Air Force 1 – AF1 slows down a hot MOM (yeah, I had to)

Greendale Human Beings vs. That’s What She Said – Iggy’s Pick: Greendale Human Beings

Wide Open Bar vs. Mongoose – Iggy’s Pick: Mongoose

Iggy’s Prediction record

Last Week: 5-3

Overall: 18-9

Epilogue

Alright Div 3, that does it for this week. Good luck in your push to the playoffs and be sure to come back next week and see what’s happening in the division. If you want more content, there’s always more! Check out our podcast, Calling The Audible, as Moe and Manu broke things down this past week.