Co-Ed and Women’s Report Cards: Part 2
Ignacio Valdes-Manzanedo
14-10-2023 12:54 AM
Damn, we’ve reached about 3/4’s of the season already! The Fall Cup is flying by and some teams are heating up, others are finding their identity, while others are just struggling to get things going. With so many games in the last 2 weeks, when I started the report card didn’t have 4 games and now most teams have played 6.
Alright, well after some Thanksgiving turkey, it’s time to get back to the writing logs. So here we go.
The Grading Scheme
Let’s break down how the grading scheme works since it might be a TAD different from your usual expectations when you think of school grades. First thing, the grades will be based off of pre-season expectations. If, for example, you are 5-0 and are expecting an automatic A, that’s not how to the grading scheme works. If I expected you to be 5-0 at this point you’ll likely get a C, maybe B-, but definitely not an A. Likewise, if I expected you to struggle and are 1-4 or 0-5, you won’t be getting an F. In fact, you might receive a B or C, depending on the second thing to look for: the quality of your opponents, and even, how you’ve held up in your games (Are you getting blown out or losing by 1 point?).
Each team will get a summary of their season, their grade, the key players that have led to their success so far, and a record prediction to close the year. Note: The key players are not the players I like best or who I believe are the best players on the team but rather it is based on their usage and how they are contributing this season. The letter grade reflects the following scoring system:
A – You’ve greatly exceeded pre-season expectations. I never would have thought the team in question would have performed this well.
B – The team is surpassing the expectations that I placed on them ahead of the season, or perhaps you are meeting expectations with your record, but have lost close matchups against tough opponents.
C – I was right, and the team is performing exactly as expected.
D – The team is underperforming. Huddles are strained and it feels like the season is slipping away. We’re a losing streak away from missing the playoffs.
E – Evil, this team is full of people I consider evil. This is a socially constructed grade that no one gets and fills in the gap that the school system has failed to classify. – A Shoutout to Peeze
F – Your team is really underperforming. This is abject failure.
Co-Ed 2 Report Cards
Balls Deep (5-1)
Note: Written on Saturday October 7th
Grade: A-
Season summary: As a mostly rookie team in FPF, the ability to put up points and win games is not an easy feat, and this Balls Deep squad has floated (somewhat) through the schedule so far, with the exception of the TIGRES and Subzero games (for different reasons). Their first half of the season was relatively easy, at least compared to their back half of the schedule, where they will face the other 2 undefeated teams in Y&Y and Kiss My Christmas Balls. Those 2 games in particular will be a true test and measuring stick for this team, and may just be their ticket into or out of the double elimination side of the bracket to start the post-season. Ben Carli is putting up fantastic numbers as an FPF rookie QB with a sick 19:2 TD-to-INT ratio, completing two-thirds of his passes with an eye-popping 120.5 QBR, and don’t forget about the 169 rushing yards to complement the throws. I don’t care who your competition is, in your first 4 FPF games as a Quarterback to put up those numbers is not easy, so props to Carli. He’s done it by spreading the ball quite evenly as well, with Steven Fioriti, Nathan Vezina and Xavier Paquette as the main three-headed monster on offense, alongside Julianne Morisset and Emma Langlois who have contributed with 5 TDs between the two of them. That starting lineup on offense is a great one when any one of the receivers is a threat to score.
On defense, Carli is the turnover threat to watch out for, with his team-leading 5 INTs, as he looks to make noise as the 2-way player of the year in Co-Ed 2. The rushers have gone to work as a committee, between Félix Castonguay, Xavier Paquette and Justine Ratelle racking up 6 sacks between them. The 79 points allowed are great, but again, have only faced 1 legitimate flag football offense and allowed 42 points. Let’s see how the defense fares moving forward.
Things to improve on in the 2nd half of the season: More picks from players not names Ben Carli, get Will Sebag more involved on the offensive side of the ball and (nice to have), but get a 3rd girl more involved in the offense.
All that said, it’s an A-grade for this Balls Deep team!
Key Players: Benjamin Carli, Xavier Paquette, Nathan Vezina
Prediction Record to end the season: 6-2
Y&Y (5-0)
Note: Written on Monday Oct 9th
Grade: B+
Season summary: This was one of the pre-season Top 3-4 teams and they have performed as expected, if not better. Under a rookie Quarterback for his first full season, Antoine Charlebois has performed better-than-average and done a good job of spreading the ball around his starting 5, given the variability of the team roster each week.
The offense has been good, but not elite, putting up 25 points per game. The best quality though, is protecting the ball, turning the ball over just 3 times interceptions. While the offense has been above average, the defense has been stellar, allowing a mere 11 points per game. Whether it’s the 12 turnovers in 5 games, or the limited first downs from tackling queen Maya Di Fazio, the defense is the true calling card of this team. That said, they have faced 1, maybe 2 good offenses, but they haven’t faced the best of the division yet. They will have their defense tested against the Subzero and Balls Deep offenses in back to back days on Oct 14th and 15th, so time will tell how they fare against more competent and athletic teams.
For now, they were expected to be a Top team, they are, but they have slightly passed those expectations, sitting at 5-0. Their toughest tests are yet to come, so let’s see how they come out. For that, they get a B+ grade.
Key Players: Antoine Charlebois, Julien Provost, Shanton Smith, Maya Di Fazio
Prediction Record to end the season: 7-1
Kiss My Christmas Balls (5-1)
Note: Written on Monday Oct 9th
Grade: B
Season summary: It’s been a while since Alex Noel has quarterbacked a team, since Winter 2020 to be exact. Back then, he quarterbacked Ghosts in Div 6. After a couple of shoulder injuries in the past 2 years, to comeback and throw a division-high 24 TDs, completing 77.7% of his passes for 835 yards and boasting a 128.1 QBR must feeling amazing. He has led the team to a division-best 36 points per game and has been magistral when it comes to throwing to all his receivers. 7 different receivers have at least 8 targets and have caught at least 2 TD’s, while 3 of them have already 129 yards or more. Of course, Noel is as a dual-threat as any QB, averaging a first down (10.1 yds/att) every time he runs with the ball and putting 2 scores on the ground.
The team defense has been averaging more points than they would like (24.6 per game), but when the offense is putting up 36 and scoring in 5 plays, its inevitable you end up giving more possessions to your opponents and therefore more points. They have created 5 turnovers from interceptions in 5 games, and while 1 per game is good, the team is capable of intercepting more than what they have. That said, they have created turnovers on downs and forced teams to punt which are turnovers in their own right.
The team is well balanced on both sides of the ball, including new End Zone members Mickael Viau (2 interceptions), Jason Hervieux (2 INTs, 166 yards, 6 TDs) and Steven Besner (2 TDs). The girls on the team, notably Laury-Ann Potvin, Abigail Cockerton and Lory Ouellette have made significant contributions to the team with their combined 9 touchdowns and 4 sacks.
Key Players: Alex Noel, Jason Hervieux, Lory Ouellette
Prediction Record to end the season: 8-0
At Least We Tried (3-1-1)
Note: Written on Monday Oct 9th
Grade: C-
Season summary: I’m not sure how to evaluate this team so far. They are 2-1-1 which is a decent record, but when looking at their opponents, I would have assumed they would be 4-0. The surprising results are the loss to the Step Bro’s and the tie against WGCTB. The core of this team has solid players, with one of the best female casts as any team with Carolane Larivière, Catherine Bolduc, Chloe Corbeil and Josianne Martin. That is some serious female talent, to go alongside many of the Drink Team male core, led with 3x FPF champ Shelder Valéry, Darryl Dorcely and Jimmy-Lee Janvier.
With Darryl Dorcely taking the reigns at QB, he’s seen mixed results in a tougher Co-Ed 2 division than last spring. His 7 TDs to 5 INTs are not great, and they already tried it out for one game, but they may decide to make the switch to Catherine Bolduc as the full time QB. That will be interesting to follow as the season goes along and the playoffs begin. We know the experience she has accumulated in FPF with the Wildcats, so let’s so if her play in Women’s can carry over into Co-Ed. Whoever the QB is, it’s not a surprise that Shelder Valéry is the leading receiver and that close behind is Carolane Larivière. These 2 players can make defenders miss flags and can gain a bunch of yards off those missed tackles.
Defensively, they have been strong, allowing a mere 12.3 points per game, creating 6 turnovers off interceptions and with Darryl Dorcely chasing down QB’s, it’s no surprise he is tied for 2nd in the division with 5 sacks and 1st as a rusher with 5 PDs. The combination of Dorcely rushing and the hungry DBs they have, it’s no wonder why the defense has been so menacing.
If the offense could produce a bit more, this team could be dangerous come playoff time
Key Players: Shelder Valéry, Carolane Larivière, Darryl Dorcely
Prediction Record to end the season: 3-4-1
Who’s Gonna Carry The Boats (2-4-1)
Grade: B-
Season summary: I started writing this team’s recap on Monday Oct 9th, and since then, they’ve played 2 more game. This is pretty much where I had this team being after 5 games. In fact, they get a B- for being competitive in every single one of their games with a rookie Quarterback under centre. The QB position is incredibly hard, so for a somewhat first-time QB to stay competitive in every game is a positive sign for things to come with this team. The 12 TDs in 5 games isn’t the sign of a high rolling offense, but the defense has been able to get enough stops where it doesn’t put them in trouble. Cam Chaput has been the security blanket once the offense reaches the redzone, while Kayla Gauthier and Roxanne Roy have been heavily targeted on their way driving down the field. Gauthier‘s been playing a lot of flag and accumulating a ton of experience, leading her to be the team’s leading receiver with 228 yards and has found the endzone 4 times.
While the team D only has 4 interceptions, they have gotten their fair share of stops on 4th down/punts since the most points they’ve allowed in a single game is 28 (this past week against a fast-paced TIGRES offense). Jenna Araujo helps place the defense in good situations, making it 3rd and 4th-and-long for offenses to convert, with her 8 sacks on the season, which is actually now ranks 1st in the CE2 division.
The team now stands at 2-4-1 and could potentially still make it in the double elimination club, but they would need some help along the way. I think they get their max points of 7, putting them in the best position possible to do so. The biggest thing with this team though, has been the roster inconsistencies. If they can get the same core for their playoff run, this team could sneakily do some damage.
Key Players: Mason Miller, Kayla Gauthier, Jenna Araujo
Prediction Record to end the season: 3-4-1
Free Agents No More (0-5-1)
Note: Written on the morning of Thursday Oct 12th
Grade: C-
Season summary: After their 2nd game of the season saw them put up 37 points, I thought Dallas Odem was on his way to improved quarterback play. Unfortunately since then, the offense hasn’t been able to score more than 3 TDs in a game. The game is meant for offense, and averaging 20 points a game will not win you many games. While it’s fine to have a main target or 2 on a team, there’s a drastic drop-off in target share, particularly in the female department. It’s often said that in Co-Ed divisions, the best teams are those with strong female players, but it’s often said with the caveat where the male players are strong as well. Either way, the female players need to be utilized, especially when that is your mis-match on defense. That said, Mathieu Béland and Anthony Moustache are great players, but teams looking to play this team clearly know who to cover, and that’s where the depth needs to be used.
While Eagle is leading the defense, his lack of presence is clearly showing. 34, 42, 40, and 31 are the points allowed in 5 games. They did a good job against an offense that struggles to move the ball in Ballhard University, but 4 INTs, just 2 sacks, and allowing opposing offenses to convert a division-high 54.6% on 3rd down and 66% (also a division-high) on 4th down are just not going to cut it. As much as I expected the offense to click, I also expected the defense to be on the same page and make it more difficult for offenses, this being the 3rd or 4th season together as a core.
I did expect the team to struggle since the teams in CE2 are strong this year, which gives them the C grade, but the minus for not showing limited signs of improvement.
Key Players: Anthony Moustache, Mathieu Béland
Prediction Record to end the season: 0-7-1
Women’s Division Report Cards
Wildcats (2-4)
Grade: C
Season summary: After starting the season 0-4, Wildcats have turned their season around with 2 straight victories, which now gives them a shot at the double elimination bracket, just behind Red Nation. They do play Red Nation in their last game of the season which could be a game that gets them in or out of that double elim bracket, which would be huge, as it would allow them to lose a playoff game and still be in the Fall Cup knockout round. Their first half of the season had 2 games against Vortex and BRUTES, the class of the division, and while you wouldn’t have Wildcats as the favorites, I would have liked to see them keep it as close as possible. That happened more so in the Vortex game, losing by 14. Their more disappointing losses came against Red Nation and to Wolfpack in Weeks 3 and 4, though they were able to get one back against Wolfpack and put up a convincing win against X&X.
I know that there are often more interceptions in the Women’s game since there is no punting and it’s worth it for defenses to intercept a 4th and long situation, but throwing 20 interceptions to 14 TDs is not the usual Catherine Bolduc we’ve seen in past seasons. She’s definitely not having her best season, but putting up 1,000 yards through the air in 6 games means she is driving the field, but lacking the edge to punch it into the endzone, with just 88 points in 6 games. No surprise that snapper Josianne Martin leads the team with 42 targets, 300 yards and 6 TDs, but to have 2 other receivers with 260+ yards in Alexandra Ladouceur and Sabrina Neveu is a great trio to work with for Wildcats. The Wildcats offense needs to work on punching it in for 6 and converting on their converts. Right now, they have converted 3/14. They need to start hitting at least 50% from their current 21% conversion rate.
The defense has been giving up 26 points per game, which is fine, because I expect this offense to be able to put 26 or more points in any 1 game. With 8 interceptions in 6 games, that’s also good, but I would have expected Josianne to have at least 1 or 2 of them, so that team total could be at 10 INTs. Expect her to have a couple of INTs to end the season.
Key Players: Virginie Journeau, Josianne Martin, Sabrina Neveu, Alexandra Ladouceur
Prediction Record to end the season: 4-4
X&X (1-5-1)
Grade: C
Season summary: Another season with an inconsistent roster and a rotating cast of players subbing in makes it difficult for Maya Di Fazio to build chemistry with her receivers. While I’ve seen improved play from Maya at the QB position, particularly in the early part of the season, where she was confident with her deep throws, the last few games have been tougher, especially against Vortex in back-to-back games. On the season she’s matched each TD with an INT, but if you remove the Vortex games, she’s throwing at a 2:1 ratio, which is still not enough to win games, but is a better indicator over the 1:1 ratio she currently sits at. The beneficiaries of her improved play have been snapper Tanya Tambo and Olivia Stewart, as they have combined for 629 yards and 9 TDs on 68 receptions. Frida Llaguno is also in that mix, as she is explosive with the ball in her hands and can make defenders miss her flags, as she gains 15.9 yards per reception, leading to be the 3rd receiver with 200+ yards. Like Wildcats, the yards are there, but the scoring is lacking, as X&X have scored 14 points a game, which is not going to win you many flag football games.
Defensively, the lack of a true rusher is hurting the team, with just 1 sack accumulated in 7 games. The 8 interceptions are good, led by Maya and Tanya Tambo and even the 28 points per game are a tad high, but is to be expected in the game of flag. While the team will be in the single-elimination bracket in the knockout round, they need to win their next game against Red Bulls to gain some confidence going into the playoffs. That tuneup game before the knockout round will be after some much needed rest, with a month break between their 7th and 8th game.
Key Players: Maya Di Fazio, Tanya Tambo, Frida Llaguno
Prediction Record to end the season: 2-5-1
Red Bulls (0-6)
Grade: C
Season summary: There’s not much to analyze here. Red Bulls have struggled this season, and it starts with the QB position. I love that Rachel Shea is giving her shot at Quarterback, but she is now seeing how tough playing the position truly is. Magalie Ruel, if she hadn’t already, is making a name for herself, as a true offensive threat, beating defenses and gaining 265 yards on a struggling offense. They’ve also brought in for a few games, Florence Brault and has made an impact in the 2 games as receiver, with 16 receptions and 159 yards, and even threw fairly well against a tough Vortex defense. If she can drop back for a few plays as a 2nd QB to relieve the pressure off of Shea, to gain a few first down, for example, this may be something they want to try out.
The team will be a single-elimination team, so they may as well try to find, in their last 2 games, what works best for them and scrap out what doesn’t work, in order to best prepare for the knockout round. On defense, they need to be more aggressive in the flats to try and create turnovers, as just the 1 INT from Tatiana Dias is simply not enough to help the offense.
Key Players: Magalie Ruel, Kayla Gauthier, Florence Brault
Prediction Record to end the season: 0-8
Co-Ed 1 Mid-Season Report Cards
Plenty of Fish (3-2-1)
Grade: A
Season summary: I don’t give too many A’s out, but this team has impressed me so far. I mentioned in my first article that they tend to have a solid roster each year, but fall short of their potential, usually ending up 4-6 or 5-5. Their free agent addition(s) of Rocco Christiano and Thomas Chaussé have been great contributors, combining for over 350 yards and 13 touchdowns. That’s some serious firepower for Maude Lacasse who has been darting TD’s and racking up the yards. She would probably like to lower the interceptions by half, but as long as she can score 5 or better, 6 TDs in games, then she gives her team a fighting shot to win games in this years Co-Ed 1 division. Otherwise, her ball distribution has been elegant, as 6 players have been targeted 15 or more times and 6 receivers have 100+ receiving yards (2 of them with over 250).
With Julian McLaren-Thompson as your rusher, he provides constant pressure on the opposing QB which gives their DB’s the chance to close in on some errant or rushed passes, which has surely contributed to some of the 8 interceptions the defense has collected so far this season. Rebecca Décary-Corbeil has been the turnover machine on D with her 3 interceptions, which have likely been aided by the D calling of the savvy veteran Seth Galina.
Averaging 33 points a game, this version of Plenty of Fish are finally living up their offensive potential and are winning more games because of it. They currently hold the final double-elimination spot and will look to cement that spot with 2 more games on tap.
Key Players: Maude Lacasse, Rocco Christiano, Rebecca Décary-Corbeil, Seth Galina
Prediction Record to end the season: 4-3-1
Kiss My End Zone (4-2)
Grade: C+
Season summary: Remember, a C grade is where I expected this team to be. With a 4-2 record after 6 games, I would have expected them to be 5-1, but with their latest victory over EZFun, they have once again opened the path towards getting the #1 seed if they were to win out their remaining games. The team lost their opening season game against their newest rivals in The IG Team, setting up one, if not 2 potential knockout round matchups. Their other loss was at the hands of Fitsquad who were able to exact their revenge after KMEZ won by 35 in their first matchup. The loss to Fitsquad comes with an asterisk though, as KMEZ was without their starting Quarterback.
After a tough first game, the offense has been clicking after there were some free agent additions joining the squad in Justin Gauthier, Amélie Durocher, Vincent Cheung and Marvin Steinberg, particularly on their 2 point conversions. This has been a big edge KMEZ has over the other teams in CE1. In their 4 wins, they have outscored their opponents on converts: 6-1, 4-3, 4-3 and 5-0. This is a big reason why the team can pull away from their opponents in games. That said, every game has been close, and while the offense is picking it up, they have failed to put away teams when they’ve had their chance to ice a game, so there is some room for improvement on finishing drives.
While the defense has produced 9 turnovers from interceptions, which is good for 3rd best in the division, they have given up a CE1 worst 32.2 points per game. The pressure from their rushers has been lacking, with just 3 sacks combined on the season (with 2 of them coming on Hail Mary plays to end the half). Like the offense, which needed some time to gel, the defense needs to be tighter and communicate better. The good thing is, with 1 stop the defense gets, the #1 ranked offense that scores 33.8 points per game can often capitalize to go ahead in games.
Key Players: Ignacio Valdes Manzanedo, Marvin Steinberg, Justin Gauthier, Amélie Durocher
Prediction Record to end the season: N/A
Vultures (1-4-1)
Grade: D
Season summary: If you told me the Vultures would have 1 win after 6 games and that it would come against The IG Team, I wouldn’t believe you and tell you that you don’t know your FPF flag football. One thing that has led to their disappointing record is that one of the best players in the league in James “Air” Drysdale has only suited up 2 games. If they want to be a serious contender, they better make sure he plays or at least is present at the next 2 games!
Whether it’s the Vultures Men’s or Co-Ed division, the same idea seems to plague the team; their defense consistently cannot keep out of the endzone and can’t stop teams at the same pace that their own offense scores. Scoring 29.5 points per game should get you victories, 2 if not 3, but not when the D is allowing 31.6. It’s a convert here or there, but that’s the fine line between victories and losses in flag.
If you are a snapper, you want to hit up Ben McMahon and ask if he’s missing a snapper because his snappers are consistently the top receiver in his offense. This time it’s flag junkie, Manu Allard-Roy that is the main beneficiary from the QB-Snapper connection McMahon loves to have. His 33 receptions are close to twice the next reception-leader on the team, in GG Cabillo-Abante with 17 of her own. With more reps together, Ben has utilized the athletic and gifted Cabillo-Abante superbly to fit his offense and she has delivered the goods.
Defensively, if you remove Drysdale from the equation, they have produced 3 turnovers from interceptions. While Tanya Manno has put decent pressure on Quarterbacks with her 4 sacks, the defense in general has been average, if not below-average. Keep in mind that playing D in FPF is HARD and that the game is meant for offenses to flourish. Still, they have some back-breaking 4th-and-long situations get converted from opposing offenses and have had some critical drops on 3rd and 4th downs to keep their drives alive.
I hate giving this team a D grade, but I just expect more from this talented group of players across the board.
Key Players: Benjamin McMahon, Geraldine Cabillo-Abante, Manu Allard-Roy, Tanya Manno
Prediction Record to end the season: 2-5-1
Fitsquad (2-3)
Grade: C-
Season summary: I’m giving the C- grade because with a 2-3, that is pretty much where I expected the team to be after 5 games, maybe 3-2. In fact, I thought they would be ranked 5th in the standing by the end of the season, and that’s exactly where they stand after 5 games. They are getting the minus though because of the brutal way they started the season. They lost their first games by 21, 35 and then 20. They will even tell you that the season didn’t start so hot. That said, they have rattled off 2 wins in a row to get out of the 0-3 hole they dug themselves in and now find themselves in a position to battle for a double-elimination spot with 3 games remaining on their schedule, including a battle with Plenty of Fish that may just determine which team makes it as a double-elim team.
The offense, like the team in general started off cold, but William Brouard has been much better as of late, putting up 9 TDs to 2 INTs, completing 70% of his passes and putting up 109.8 and 119.4 QB ratings in his last 2 outings. Hugo Lépine and Jarod Pita have carried the offense in the midst of their early-season struggles, but have put up 208 and 122 yards respectively, combining for 5 TDs. The team will need more production from Laurence Pontbriand who is one of the toughest receivers to defend in Co-Ed 1. We are not used to seeing her with a 50% reception-to-target ratio, but some of that doesn’t fall on her shoulders. Defenses are more keenly aware of how good she is and Brouard himself was completing 50% of his passes in the first 3 games.
Amidst the poor start to the season, the defense in terms of points allowed hasn’t been all that bad. In their last 3 games, they have held their opponents to 26, 24 and 24 points, all of which are games where you would expect Fitsquad to be able to get 26 or more points in a game. They were able to get victories in their last 2 and will look to continue that win streak and defensive play against Vultures. To do that though, they will need more interceptions from the defense to setup the offense better, as they have only accumulated 2 so far. They could use more sacks and a better conversion rate, all of which will help them return to form and hopefully get them into the upper bracket.
Key Players: Hugo Lépine, Jarod Pita
Prediction Record to end the season: 3-5
Alright, that does it for the report cards! They are always long to write, so apologies for the weeks delay on it.
We will be back with regularly scheduled content in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!
Cheers,
Iggy Magnets