Co-Ed Week 3 Recap

Another week has passed and the picture is getting clearer in the co-ed division. This week we witnessed who is the front runner in this division as the top two teams did battle and there was one victor. This week also brought us an offensive outpour as an All-Star Quarterback has resurrected. The final matchup this week was an entertaining one and it was evenly matched throughout. Which teams came out of week 3 looking fresh? The answer will come within this article.

Party Mix vs. 3rd Down for What?

François Deslauriers continues to make strides this season. He put together another remarkable performance and it does not seem like he’s slowing down anytime soon. He proved once again that being safe with the ball will get the job done in this league. He just threw 5 incompletions and those came because he did not want to force the ball to any of his receivers. He had the same amount of touchdown passes as he did incompletions. A performance like this should get the recognition it deserves especially since it came against a pretty stellar defense. Knowing the defense it did not stop him from doing what he does best and protect the ball. He connected with 5 different receivers throughout the game and he connected with 3 of them for touchdowns.

His main target was once again Catherine Piche who continuously proves why the snapper is an important player for the Quarterback. She made 8 catches and although her yardage was not spectacular she was able to get open when Frank needed her most. That led to her getting a crucial touchdown reception when it seemed that there was not enough room for it to happen. Jeff Brown is another sure handed receiver who is usually open mid-range and easy for Frank to see him. That ability to find the open field helped him secure 2 touchdown receptions in this game. Laurence Lamy on the other is a receiver that shows up for the always important short yard game and that was the case. She had 3 catches and although her yard totals were not staggering that did not mean she did not show up when it counts. It counts in the end zone and that is where Frank found her twice.

Sara Parker was not terrible in this game but when she needed to make the right decisions she always thought about making the big plays. That cost her deeply in this game as she threw 2 interceptions and those turnovers were converted on by the opposing team. Besides that the rest of the team was shut down by Party Mix and it looked as if there were no cracks in their foundation. It was a tough game for 3rd down for what but they can only look up from this performance and work on what they need to. They were simply outplayed and I believe it is because they came into this matchup expecting things to work out. When you battle a team like Party Mix there needs to be strategy and they could not figure out how to matchup best against them. Certain things could have been avoided but they should not base the rest of their season on this performance. In the end, there is always going to be room for improvements and once 3rd down for what figure out what they can do better they will certainly be a threat in this division.

Party Mix took advantage of the lack of patience shown by 3rd down for what and they made the most of it. They came away with a 35-12 victory in the battle of the top seeds.

Hot-Dawgz vs TC

Hot-Dawgz were simply the victims of the resurgence of an All-Star and to be honest they are not a bad team. This game is all about taking advantage of opportunities and they get many opportunities due to Vincent Boutin playing smart with the ball. They just need to find ways to capitalize in the key areas on the field and they will be just fine. What I see on the field when they play is a team that needs a little bit more practice that understands the game and then they will click. Granted this week they were offensively outmatched but that is only because the team they played has been playing together for years. In my opinion nothing beats chemistry and the great teams have this sixth sense that has them connected on so many different levels.

Vanessa Birri is my stand out performer of the week as she was simply incredible. Everything she did just worked out and there was no stopping it. She could do no wrong and it showed as she connected with 5 different receivers and she was throwing darts. She finished her game with just under 260 yards passing and 7 touchdowns. When a quarterback is playing at that level it’s only a matter of time before they get that win and that was the case here. She spread the ball around the field and finding open receivers. She picked apart the opposing defense as if it came as second nature to her and she did not look back. I am not saying that she was lucky I am saying that she knew what to do and she got the job done and made it look easy. That is the level of play TC needs from their All-Star in order to continue succeeding. She could not do this alone as she had the help of her trustworthy receivers backing her up.

Her main receiver was Audrey Sauvé-Desjardins and she was just a nightmare for the opposing team. She played in a way that makes you believe she always went unnoticed. She had 8 receptions for 110 yards receiving and to top that off she had 3 touchdown receptions. There was simply no stopping her and she was not the only one. Emilie Pfeiffer-Badoux was simply a tough player to cover as she always found ways to come down with the ball even when the opposing team had stuck to her like glue. Her hands did not let her down as she ended her game with 5 catches for just below 70 yards and she also added 3 touchdown receptions. When those two were covered it did not startle Vanessa one bit as she was able to find another receiver Sabrina Neveu 4 times for just under 30 yards but most importantly she was able to find her in the open while Sabrina was chilling in the end zone waiting for that perfect pass and Vanessa delivered.

Overall Vanessa and her offense were too much to handle for Hot-Dawgz as they came away with a dominating 50-6 victory in what could very well be one of the most dominating performances I have seen in this division.

Michael Scott’s Tots vs. Yin & Yang

Michael Scott’s Tots seems to have found themselves in a bit of a slump which I did not see coming to be honest. It’s not because of poor quarterback play because Evan has been having a pretty good season. It’s not because of lack of receiver initiation because Zackary is tied first in touchdown receptions and this week Gerry Gilbert found his stride putting up more than 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. I believe that they need to adjust a few schematics on their defense; they still have the reigning defensive player of the year Kenny on their team but the rest of that defense needs to step up. If I know this team which I do considering I have been following them the past two seasons; I can safely say that they are a better team than their record makes them seem. Believe me when I say there is much more potential in this team than they have shown in the first couple weeks and I believe that it is only a matter of time before they achieve that potential. Once they fix a few defensive kinks in their game they will be on track to becoming a team that is much better than what it may seem at this point in the season.

I am not taking anything away from Yin & Yang they seem to have found the winning formula these last two weeks and I believe it has come from their Quarterback Michael Roy. Now although he suffered a pretty nasty cut on his chin I do not expect that to change the way he has been throwing in this division so far. He had one blemish this game but his defense helped him by not letting that small blemish to the reigning defensive player of the year hurt them in any way. Going back to Michael he knows this game, he has been playing in this league for 9 years and in those 9 years he has 9 seasons under his belt. That is more than enough experience in this league to know what it takes to succeed. I am happy to see he brought his veteran experience to a team that needed it after that week one matchup. They fixed a few key parts of their strategy and so far the last two weeks it has worked like a charm. I hope it continues to work but it won’t be long before other teams realize what the strategy is. That is when I looking forward to how they adjust.

Michael seems to have established a strong connection with two receivers these past two weeks. That connection was noticed again this week as he connected with Andrew Carruthers 10 times and out of those 10 times he found him in the end zone 3 times. Now Andrew is coming off a spectacular season in the 35+ division last season and it seems like he has not skipped a beat as he shares the lead with Zackary for touchdown receptions this season so far. The other strong connection he has developed the last couple weeks is with one Olivia Sormany. Olivia is currently 5th in receptions, 6th in yardage, and she is tied for 4th in receptions. That is pretty spectacular considering the majority of her stats has come in the last 2 weeks when Michael joined the fray.

Yin & Yang played a good game and they made the right plays to secure a hard fought 27-22 victory. If they continue this level of play it will surely be an interesting playoff season in the co-ed division.

Power Rankings

• 1- Party Mix: After winning the battle of the top seeds it seems to me like there is no stopping them and they continue to play conservative and it always works in their favor so far.
• 2- 3rd Down For What?: Although they were outplayed this week it does not change the fact that they are a very good team and with a few adjustments they could probably be on top of this division right now.
• 3- Yin & Yang: After a very hard earned victory they seem to have found their calling and things seem to be working out for this team. If they continue this level of play they could very well be a serious contender.
• 4- TC: All-Star Vanessa was back and ready to make a claim that this season is far from over. I believe if she continues to play the way she could without worrying about the numbers and just play the game she loves this team will be in a very good position moving forward.
• 5- Michael Scott’s Tots: They are struggling so far but I know this team and they have an incredible way of bouncing back and that is what I expect out of this team. Make a few minor adjustments and things will be just fine for them.
• 6- Hot-Dawgz: After back to back weeks of being badly outplayed they find themselves at the bottom. But the bright side is that the only way is up and once they clean up their offensive game and take advantage of the opportunities presented to them I am sure they will find their way on the winning side soon.

Predictions

Yin & Yang vs. TC

Considering how both these teams have played the last couple games this is sure to be an interesting contest. I believe that this game will come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes. Michael and Vanessa have both come off good performances , and Vanessa has the momentum going for her now especially after that breathtaking performance she just had. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will win and in my opinion these mistake will be forced and Yin & Yang have the edge. If Adi Sharma is there to lead their defense I believe that they will have a strong chance at coming out victorious.

Michael Scott’s Tots vs. Party Mix

If there week 2 matchup was any indication it is clear that Party Mix is the favorite but I truly believe that Michael Scott’s Tots knows how to contain Frank Deslauriers and if they do that they will definitely come out victorious. Although if they haven’t adjusted from that week 2 performances and made the necessary changes I expect Party Mix to come out with a victory, it may not be hard fought but either way this matchup should be interesting. I am looking forward to see who comes out victorious in this one but I also feel like this is where Michael Scott’s Tots needs to wake up and get the job done.

3rd Down for What vs. Hot-Dawgz

Although both of these teams came off some pretty tough loses I believe that this game will go to the team that has more experience. That being said 3rd down for what is my pick because they have played this level already and they’ve added some serious talent. I believe that their experience and their additions this season will give them the edge in this matchup. Although this is a game of surprise and all it takes is for one person to be off their game and then Hot-Dawgz could capitalize on it. Truth is 3rd down for what is a clear favourite and most likely will come out victorious but I would never count out the underdogs. If sports has thought us anything is that you should never expect the worse of the little guys.

That’s all for me this week and I am looking forward to this week’s matchup that showcases the level of each team in this division. If you have any questions, queries, and / or comments send me an email at ([email protected]) or send me a Facebook message. Search my name if we have mutual friends which may very well be the case send me a message.