Breaking Down the Tier 1 Finals

Breaking Down the Tier 1 Finals

On Sunday  December 8th, DA Braves will take on Vengeance in the Tier 1 finals. In the regular season DA Braves (8-2) finished first and while Vengeance (6-4) finished third, they were without Quarterback Kevin Wyeth for 2 of those losses.

How did these teams get here?

DA Braves finished first in the regular season so they earned a bye and advanced to a semifinals game. They took the field against Blessed in a game that was closer than they would have liked. DA Braves averaged roughly 39 points a game during the regular season but were only able to put up 33 against a Blessed defence that allowed 35 points a game during the regular season. Blessed had an opportunity to win this game but DA Braves defence featuring Gabriel-Charles Dabe Champagne, Jean-Daniel Chevalier, Guillaume Beland and Jonathan Maheu shut down any possibility of a comeback when they denied a Blessed onside attempt.

DA Braves 33 – Blessed 30

Blessed and quarterback of the year Stephen Harripersaud can still look back on this season and see tremendous success. Marvin Steinberg and Laurent Foucault always get open, William Power is one of the best double quarterback options in the division and James Langshaw has become a dominant defender. They do however have a clear objective for next season: Improve the defence. I don’t think they need different players, I think it’s their coverages or schemes that need to change.

Vengeance did not get a bye and took on EZW in a quarter finals game they had control of for most of the game. After a comfortable victory they took the field against Run it Once in the semi finals. Jamal Noël was the X factor in this game, from the very beginning he was either sacking Run it Once quarterback Jeff Rosenblatt or burning their defence for huge touchdowns. Noël finished with 109 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 sacks. Veteran Quaid Johnson was disciplined on both sides of the ball, he caught all 6 of his targets for 50 yards and a touchdown, and on defence led his team with 7 tackles.

Vengeance 42 – Run it Once 32

All Eyes on the Prize: 

DA Braves vs. Vengeance in a High-Stakes Final

Will Kevin Wyeth win his 19th championship? Will Jonathan Maheu and DA Braves continue to dominate like they have been since entering the league? We’re going to find out on December 8th. If you’re a fan of the sport this matchup is sure to get you excited, this game truly feels like we are going to witness the highest level of flag football that can be seen in the country. These two quarterbacks are playing at such an elite level going into the finals. In their semi finals games these quarterbacks combined for a total of 5 incompletions, an absolutely ridiculous stat that highlights what they’re doing on the field. It could be long methodical drives or 40 yard bombs, either way these quarterbacks don’t miss!

Both teams have deep talented rosters so it’s not easy to determine who will be the “game changers” that will result in a victory for either side. For Vengeance I will predict Rory Semerjian, he had a quiet semi finals but he’s always ready to make an impact when it matters most. Semerjian is one of the most competitive and intense players FPF has to offer, and that will be on full display sunday. I predict Semerjian will score 2+ times and make significant defensive plays. For DA Braves I can see Gabriel-Charles Dabe Champagne being the difference maker that can win them the game. His ability to intercept opposing quarterbacks has been second to none this season, both in Tier 1 and 5v5 competitive. If Champagne can get one on Wyeth it would be a massive momentum swing and may be enough to win the championship assuming DA Braves offence produces like it normally does.

This game is going to keep us on the edge of our seats!

Thank you for tuning in this Fall season and enjoy the game on Sunday!