Battle for First Place is On in Coed

After another week of games in Coed, the division has stayed true to its tendencies. All the games went as expected, except for one upset. This week, it was Power Rangers’ turn to cause the upset, beating 3^rd Down For What 33-25. I have maintained that in order for 3^rd Down For What to prove they have taken their game to the next level, they would need to beat Power Rangers. Despite 3DW’s improvements to their roster, Power Rangers still have their number. The only bright side for 3DW is that they play Power Rangers again this week and a win puts them back in first place. Stay tuned for more about this game later in the article.

Week 7 Recaps

Funtastic 9 (22) vs Yin & Yang (21)

I expected this to be a close game that would come right down to the wire and that is exactly what we got. With this win, Funtastic 9 guaranteed themselves a top two finish in the division. Neither Yin & Yang or La Secte will be able to catch them. That also means that the highest Y&Y can hope to finish is second.

Neither of these quarterbacks had very good outings. Edouard Leroux only completed 13 passes for 147 yards, and he threw for as many touchdowns as he did interceptions, two. Justin Weir was even worse, throwing for 116 yards, three scores and two interceptions. While Y&Y’s offence might have struggled, their defence finally started showing signs of life. All season long, they have been looking for a defensive playmaker, a player who will turn defended passes into interceptions. It looks like they might have finally found that player and his name is Micky Mensah. He was an absolute threat in this game. He produced both of Y&Y’s interceptions and added three tackles and a PD to his two picks for good measure. If Mensah can keep up this level of play, I think Yin & Yang have a very good chance of turning their season around and making a deep playoff push.

I think part of the issue for Funtastic offensively might be that their playbook is not very varied. They have mastered a few plays and they use the 2^nd quarterback better than anyone else in Coed. However, they do not have a ton of variety in their offensive playcalling. They are still reliant on deep crossing routes, flies and the run game. While that strategy might work for Edouard Leroux and Johnny Fireball in Division D, it is less efficient in Coed when you are facing the same opponent for the third time in seven games. By now, Y&Y must know Funtastic’s playbook inside and out and there is a good chance that these teams face each other for a fourth time, in the playoffs. If Funtastic want to take their game to the next level, I think they need to start adding some new plays and concepts to their repertoire.

Power Rangers (33) vs 3^rd Down For What (25)

While 3^rd Down For What might have lost this game, there is at least a silver lining. In past confrontations between these two teams, Sara Parker has struggled. When these two teams played in the Winter 2019 championship, Parker threw five interceptions. In this game, she was nearly perfect. Instead of throwing five interceptions she threw none. In a game like this one with no interceptions or punts, success on fourth down is what will win you the game and that is exactly what we saw playout. Power Rangers were forced to attempt three fourth down plays, and they were able to convert all three of them. On the other hand, 3DW failed to convert on their only fourth down attempt.

Other than that failed fourth down conversion, I think there is a very simple reason as to why Power Rangers won this game. They spread the ball better and involved their women more than 3DW. In fact, three of Power Rangers top five receivers were female whereas 3DW did not have a single female player catch a call. Of course, 3DW have one fewer female receiver since Parker cannot throw to herself. However, a top-level talent like Rachel Beaudoin needs to have more of an impact on the game then just two targets for 0 receptions. A fair share of Beaudoin’s usual targets were going instead to Jeremy Murphy. While Murphy did have a fantastic game, catching nine passes for 80 yards, he was over targeted by Parker. She threw the ball in his direction thirteen times, which means that two out of every five passes were thrown his way. That is a huge number of targets for one player to get and I am surprised that Power Rangers defence did not clue into this. If Parker keeps on targeting Murphy as much, Power Rangers will find a way to turn that predictability into interceptions.

As for Power Rangers, I loved seeing how Marilou Beland, Jasmine Farmer and Constance Millaire stepped up in this game. That trio had been underutilized all season until now. This week, they accounted for 80 receiving yards and three scores. In other words, they produced roughly half of their team’s offensive output. We have always known that those three have all the talent necessary to take over a game, but it was nice to see Power Rangers finally using them to the fullest of their abilities.

Week 7 Team of the Week

Offence

Quarterback: Sara Parker (3^rd Down For What) 23 completions, 213 passing yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT

Receiver: Jeremy Murphy (3^rd Down For What) 9 receptions, 13 targets, 80 passing yards, 1 TD

Receiver: Julian McLaren-Thompson (Fightin’ Tigers) 3 receptions, 5 targets, 74 receiving yards, 1 TD

Receiver: Guillaume St-Jean (Funtastic 9) 7 receptions, 7 targets, 96 receiving yards, 1 TD

Receiver: Laurie  St-Pierre (Yin & Yang) 5 receptions, 6 targets, 62 receiving yards, 1 TD

Receiver: Vincent Hamel (Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce) 3 receptions, 3 targets, 68 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Defence

Rusher: Meggie Gervais (Fightin’ Tigers) 1 tackle, 1 sack

Defensive Back: Edouard Leroux (Funtastic 9) 3 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD

Defensive Back: Micky Mensah (Yin & Yang) 3 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD

Defensive Back: Charles Montpetit (Les Semi-Croquants) 3 tackles, 2 INTs

Defensive Back: Loic Robidoux (La Secte) 2 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD

Defensive Back: Lea Turpin (Yin & Yang) 5 tackles

Week 8 Predictions

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (3-4) vs Party Mix (3-3)

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce registered their first win of the season versus Coed 1 opposition last week with a convincing win over the Fightin’ Tigers. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce definitely seem to be getting better as the season progresses. JF Marquis has maintained his high level of play and the women on this team have taken their game to the next level. That being said, they would need to take their game to a whole other level to be able to beat Party Mix. Last time these teams met, Francois Deslauriers threw two interceptions, but SHCS cannot count on that happening again. Ultimately, I think SHCS will keep this one close, but I see them turning the ball over one more time than their opponents and losing.

Prediction: Party Mix

Funtastic 9 (4-2) vs Les Semi-Croquants (4-3)

With a win Funtastic 9 can lockup the top seed in Coed 2. While that is a lot of pressure, all signs indicate that Funtastic are up to the task. Last time they faced off against Les Semi-Croquants, they stifled Mariève Girard like no other defence has been able to. I do not see much changing from that last encounter. I expect Girard to struggle and Funtastic to score just enough points to win.

Prediction: Funtastic 9

Fightin’ Tigers (2-5) vs Party Mix (3-3)

I thought that the Fightin’ Tigers had turned things around when they beat Power Rangers. Instead of maintaining their level of play, they have gone back to their old ways, and I think a large part of that is due their roster inconsistencies. It is very hard to compete against the best teams in Coed 1 when you struggle to field the same roster week after week. I also think that Party Mix have two major advantages against the Fightin’ Tigers. They have the superior quarterback in Francois Deslauriers and the better women. I think those two advantages will propel them to victory.

Prediction: Party Mix

Yin & Yang (2-4) vs La Secte (0-7)

Last time these two teams played, it looked like La Secte were going to keep the game close. Ultimately it was costly mental mistakes which led to La Secte getting blown out. While I doubt that La Secte can win, I think they can eliminate those mental errors from their game. If La Secte do not concede a 40-yard touchdown or throw multiple interceptions, that will be a marked improvement for them. That being said, even if they succeed in those two things, I do not think it will be enough to beat Y&Y.

Prediction: Yin & Yang

3^rd Down For What (6-1) vs Power Rangers (6-1)

I know Power Rangers beat 3^rd Down For What last week and they are the heavy favorites heading into this game. However, I saw some very promising signs from 3DW in last week’s game. Most importantly, Sara Parker seems to have gotten over her Power Rangers curse. She played a great game last week and instead of being the reason 3DW lost, she was the reason the game was so close. I also think Power Rangers got lucky a few times on fourth down. They converted all three of their fourth down attempts and I do not see that happening again this week.

Prediction: 3^rd Down For What

That wraps up your Coed article for week 7. I can be reached at [email protected] with any questions or comments about the article.

Good luck to everyone in week 8!