Carmine’s Coffin Corner – Q-Final review and a look to the S-Finals

Ah the playoffs. A time of excitement, intensity, and pressure. Each play takes on a new level of importance as there are no more “wait until next week” or “we’ll fix that” statements to be made. The only statements to be made are by the victorious team as they continue their season while the losing teams head to the bar to look back on what went wrong. Unless you are the Outsiders and get a double elimination format. That wacky Spring Season format continues into the playoffs!!!

I no longer need the following paragraph as it is Playoff Time: what you see is what you get (if they show up…more on that later).

I am simply copy/pasting my frustrations with attempting to decipher the possibilities due to all of the roster movement. I am honestly going nuts with this. How can people be expected to provide ANY insight when the rosters are as *&^$&% as they are???

FLAGPLUS Football Cup 2019

A quick reminder that registration for the tournament opened up on August 1st. Slightly different format this season as the league looks to create more parity amongst the different tiers. For more info simply stalk Simon Dagenais on FB. He has multiple posts.

Random Thoughts & Observations (FYI some DB “spoilers” within)

Does the Regular Season mean anything? Should we simply focus on making the “Dance” and see how things play out? Well the team with the better record in the 24 QF games won 15 of them. 60% of the time the better record moved on. Guess it does mean something.
I always like to see the 35+ Players doing well. Jeff Rosenblatt and Gino DiFazio both led their teams into the DC Semi Finals on Sunday night
Speaking of Jeff Rosenblatt, he not only led the Dream Killers into the DB SF, He lit things up in DC with Keyport Lock. Went off finishing 23/31 for 265 yards & 6 TDs. His main target, as usual, was Jeremy Anderson (10-152-2 TDs)
Simon Dagenais might have been eliminated with Lightweight, but he made sure that Simon Says moves on in DC. 17/21 for 229 yards and 6 TDS. Of course, this was the Justin2 game as Blanchard and Lerner WENT OFF. Blanchard with 4-88-3 TDs on Offence and 4 Tackles, 3 PDs, and a PICK 6 on D. Lerner with 6-73-1 TD on O and 5 Tackles and 2 PDs on D.
D2 saw the Infantry continue their amazing season. Sean Semerjian with a pedestrian 14/16 night but those 14 completions went for 223 yards & 7 TDs. Brother Rory chipped in with 3 receiving TDs and a PICK 6!

Division A/B Week QF Review

BYOB came up “empty” against the Dream Killers 35-30

What I wrote: Mathieu Rene looks like he is ready to go. A very solid second half of the season is just what the doctor ordered for BYOB. Sebastien Crisi-Lauzon was their rock all season long and it paid off for him with an All-Star nomination. On the flip side we have Jeff Rosenblatt, who has been hot & cold in DA/B. He has been a monster in DC with Keyport Lock. Not sure if that has played a factor or not. I really think that BYOB are playing better ball defensively at the moment and have more talent on that side of the ball. Look for them to move on with a W.

What actually happened: Jeff Rosenblatt was indeed a MONSTER in DC this week as he led Keyport Lock to a big W. He also had an equally impressive game for the Dream Killers leading them to a SF match up with the Alkaholiks. A very efficient 26/30 evening means that he kept the ball out of Mathieu Rene’s hands. The Dream Killers got off to an early lead and then managed to play “keep away” from BYOB. Khalil Kerr played a huge part as he finished with 11 receptions for 93 yards. As BYOB fell behind early, it changed the play calling for them, evidenced by Rene finishing 14/28 as he had to push the ball downfield a bit more. A fun game that got somewhat “chippy” at the end. Kendal Mayers and Sebastien Crisi-Lauzon exchanging some “tender whispers” to each other.

Lightweight counted out by Jasmin N Sons 39-27

What I wrote: While JNS squeaked into the playoffs with their dramatic victory over Dad Bod this week, I actually have them as the favorite in this game. Lightweight started the season on fire but have crashed during the last 6 games. Simon Dagenais has definitely earned my respect for his play, attitude, and mental toughness this season. He was asked to fill a hole at the last moment and Lightweight have been a very competitive squad all year. I just think that JNS, IF EVERYONE IS THERE, are the better squad.

What actually happened: Read the last line above. Had I known in advance that Anthony Brisebois, Anthony Vendrame (injured), and the QB Fred Viens would ALL be absent I would never have picked JNS. Had you told me that JNS would play this game with 5 players, I would have been ready to wager a large amount AGAINST JNS. Well, that is why you have to actually play the game. Tam Vilyadeth, no stranger to the QB role, stepped in for the missing Viens. One of the things he does have is a long history with Pat Jerome. Hello Lightweight defence. Meet Pat Jerome. You may have noticed him on the occasional championship team or stat page. #4 in league history for Receptions and #1 for both Yardage and TDs. Well he finished with 9-107-2 TDs on this night. Tam went 16/21 with only 4 receivers? While I am disappointed with the D, I must admit to being completely flummoxed by Simon Dagenais finishing 22/37 against a 5-man defence??? Not sure which is worse…the fact that he threw an INT or that JNS had 7 (seven) PDs!! Short a player?? Hopefully JNS has a full squad for the next game because the Alpha-T’s will make them pay otherwise.

Braves come back against #NR 34-33

What I wrote: How is Cory Pecker? Where is Cory Pecker? Pressing questions as this team needs him to be there. If not, then this will be a ####- show of a game as they will lose their top offensive weapon, Paul Lapierre, who will most likely be pressed into service. For the Braves, they need to simply focus on what they do best, smothering defence and efficiency on offence. Even with Cory at 100% I cannot see the Braves losing this game.

What actually happened: Cory Pecker truly makes the difference with this team. #NR got off to a quick start and a 14-0 lead as the Braves were somewhat flat. Much of the team spent the previous day in a plane flying back from Saskatoon where they played 7 games in the Flag Championships over the weekend. Fatigue might have been a factor. The Braves found themselves down 14-6 at the half. Cue the comeback. Both QBs finished the game with 5 TDs but the time of possession was definitely slanted towards #NR. Missed opportunities would haunt #NR on this one. They had an opportunity late in the first half to go up by 2 scores but missed. This allowed the Braves to tie things up to open the second half and then move forward. When things all settled down it came down to the last play with #NR down by 1 and having to decide to go for the win or play for the tie & OT. This is an age-old debate and you can logically argue both sides of this particular coin. #NR went for 2, came up short, and the Braves move on to face the Outsiders. Hats off to Paul Lapierre who played big (go figure) for #NR in a losing cause. 11-120-2 TDs is a nice night.

YCSWU outlast the Outsiders 37-26

What I wrote: The game of the week, IMHO. Holowach and Wyeth match up. McLean and Jerome. This should be fun to watch, just don’t blink. The winner of this game moves straight to the finals. The loser gets to meet up, most likely, with the Braves, which is not what either of these teams wants. Last possession will win this one and I think the Mad Bomber makes the difference on a convert. Give me the Outsiders for the W

What actually happened: When playing against YCSWU you need to score on almost every drive because of their offence. The Outsiders came up short on their first drive of the game and that tilted the field in the direction of YCSWU. After that point it was a back & forth affair with both teams trading TDs (AND INTS) in a fun tennis match. For YCSWU it was the Justin McLean show as usual. Living up to his 2 Way Player of the Year award he was the Big Man on both sides of the ball. 5-66-3 TDs on O and 2 INTs and a PD on D. Kevin Wyeth had a weird night for the Outsiders. The 3 INTs were mostly the result of bad bounces off the hands of his receiving corps. That happens. What I found surprising was the 4 PDs from the YCSWU defence. Kev got one of those INTs back himself on D as he continues to prove his mettle on both sides of the ball. This is the 3rd time that YCSWU defeat the Outsiders this season. Due to the WHACKY SEASON that is S2019, they could potentially meet for a 4th time in the finals! YCSWU move straight there and await the winner of the Braves/Outsiders who meet for the THIRD time this year. Ironically the Outsiders have beat the Braves in their first two games. Football is definitely a game of match ups.

Carmine’s Players of the Week

Jeff Rosenblatt (Dream Killers) – 26/30 for 187 yards & 5 TDs

Khalil Kerr (Dream Killers) – 11-93-1 TD on O, 4 Tackles, 1 INT, & 1 PD on D

Pat Jerome (JNS) – 9-107-2 TDs on O, 3 Tackles & 3 PDs on D

Justin Lerner (Lightweight) – 8-68-2 TDs on O, 7 Tackles on D

Jonathan Maheu (Braves) 18/22 for 152 yards & 5 TDs on O, 3 Tackles on D

Paul Lapierre (#NR) – 11-120-2 TDs

Justin McLean (YCSWU) – 5-66-3 TDs on O, 1 Tackle, 2 INTs, & 1 PD on D

Serge Pilon (Outsiders) – 6-104-1 TD on O, 5 Tackles & 1 PD on D

The week ahead

2 ½ Alkaholiks host the Dream Killers

What happened in their first match up (Week 10): 2 ½ Alkaholiks 34 -14 over the Dream Killers)

Review of that game: A busy and up & down week for Jeff Rosenblatt. He was efficient in his first game, going 22/30. Unfortunately, it was for a grand total of 148 yards. Dink and dunk works for Joey Taylor. Most others will lose. Jonathan Lyristis was on the other end of half of those 22 completions, but he netted a grand total of 60 yards. At some point in time the ball needs to go downfield. Joey Taylor also did the dink & dunk routine (20 completions for 119 yards) but got a 40-yard Rush TD from Danny D’Amour and just enough stops from the D to make it work. Zach Zwirn continues his monster second half of the season finishing with 7 receptions and getting named to the All-Star squad.

What I think will happen this time: The first game saw the Dream Killers play without Khalil Kerr and Quaysie Gordon-Maule. I have a funny feeling that this will not be the case for the semi-final match up. This gives Jeff Rosenblatt his two big guns. Add in his safety blanket, Jeremy Anderson, and things will be different for the defence of the Alkaholiks. Speaking of which, unless Brandon Aylward puts some pressure on Rosenblatt, this will be a very LONG night for the D. Joey Taylor runs his offence quite efficiently and I think that he will move the ball in his little dink ‘n dunk fashion. While the first game was not that close, this one will be. Paul Lapierre will be the difference as the Alkaholiks move to the finals in a super close game

The Alpha-T’s host Jasmin N Sons

What happened in their first match up (Week 1): Tie game 34-34

Review of that game: Here we go again with the revolving door rosters. My thought process was that Vendrame would be all over the score sheet. Unfortunately, he was not there. However, when your replacement is Pat Jerome that is not a bad thing. Frederic Viens had a very efficient game going 23-29 (79%) which has been his trademark. However, he finished with less than 7 yards an attempt. You are going to have to push the ball farther than that on most evenings. Pat Jerome was his favorite target with 8 receptions but was held to only 59 yards. M-A Viens also chipped in 8 receptions with 3 of them resulting in TDs. Jesse Dupuis had a less productive evening that his counterpart as he finished 16-27 with 4 TDs. Mike Pierrecin picked up where he left off this past Winter as he led all receivers in this game with 81 yards. Anthony Lapointe had a very busy night with 6 receptions, 1 TD, 5 tackles, and he also went 2-2 with a TD tossing the ball!

What I think will happen this time: Can I use a lifeline and call a friend to see who is showing up for JNS? If they try to play against TATs with 5, they will lose this game. Jesse Dupuis will not make the same mistakes that SD did this past week. Pat Jerome is the best player in this game. However, the TATs do have Alexis Gaumont and Mathieu Houle who can both restrict Jerome’s vertical jump game. Gaumont deep and Houle in the Red Zone. Expect this game to show those match ups. Anthony Lapointe and M-A Viens have both done a great job of getting the ball to their respective QBs and then giving them a reliable target afterwards. Julien Paiement is one of the most dominant rushers in FPF at this point in time and will force Frederic Viens to get rid of the ball quickly. JNS have had multiple rushers this season and I am not sure that any of them can contain Jesse Dupuis if he decides to take off with the ball. To me this will be the difference. Many QBs use their legs to buy time. Jesse uses his to gain yards when he thinks he can beat the Rusher. The first game was a tie. Alexis Gaumont was not there, and Jesse Dupuis only rushed for 11 yards. I cannot see that happening again. TATS will move on to the finals.

Outsiders host the Braves (again…)

What happened in their first match up (Week 2): Outsiders beat the Braves 31-25

Review of that game: Damn these rosters! When you take out your QB, and two-way monster, use your top receiver as QB in his place, bad things happen. The Braves were missing Jonathan Maheu, so JD Chevalier was at the pivot position. Guess what? He is not Jonathan Maheu. 2 INTs is not something you see beside the Braves QB stats. Kevin Wyeth continues his hot start and adds another defensive INT. Remember what I said about that chip on his shoulder….it will come back to bite many teams in the a$$ this year. J-C M-F (too long to type) with a monster game going off for 6-100-3 TDs. Welcome to DA!

What happened in their second match up (Week 10): Outsiders beat the Braves 45-44

Review of that game: This game lived up to its billing. Both QBs with monster nights, 7 TDs and no INTs on each side, helped this game move at a frantic pace. The Braves went into the half with a 1 score lead, paced by JD Chevalier and his 3 TD night. All 5 starting receivers for the Braves found the end zone as Jonathan Maheu did a great job spreading things around. No stranger to big time drama, Kevin Wyeth calmly did his thing and brought his team back to win by a single convert. Ah those pesky PATs. The Mad Bomber himself led the way with 8 receptions from the center position. The man he replaced, Serge Pilon, finished right behind him with 7. Add Pat Jerome to the mix and all 3 found the end zone twice. Not quite as balanced as the Braves but just as effective.

What I think will happen this time: I really hope that we see a repeat of the Week 10 match up. 600 yards of offence and 14 TDs with a single convert dividing the teams! Go for a bio break and you missed 3 TDs!! These teams know each other well as they have faced off in MULTIPLE big games over the past few seasons. While the Braves have had the more consistent roster the Outsiders have Kevin Wyeth, Pat Jerome, Serge Pilon, and Don Shepherd (4 HoF players) on their side so star power is up for grabs in this one. While Maheu is better known as the 2 Way player, Wyeth has contributed BIG time on D when called upon this year. 2 INTs, 2 Sacks, and 4 PDs in a part time role shows that he is not out of position on D. Alex Pilon and Serge Pilon make for a great match up. Pat Jerome and Georges Gariepy also match up well. Both centers have a blazing first step. I think that Mike Pierrecin has the edge for overall top speed, but Don Shepherd makes such a difference in the Red Zone with his size. All of this to say that I think that the Braves finally break the losing streak (Outsiders have beat them twice) and that is because of JD Chevalier. He was forced into QB duty in the first game but played a significant role in the rematch. I see him as the difference maker. Part of me hates to bet against KW (he likes to prove me wrong…&$$&#%^$) and a 4th match up between YCSWU & the Outsiders would be interesting, I simply think that the Braves will squeak this one out.

Thanks for reading