Cover Zero (Div C)

I believe some welcoming is in order.

First of all, I’d like to, I’m not sure the word I’m looking for is thank, but it’ll do for now, FlagPlus Football’s team for putting me on the spot once again and asking me to cover one of the best divisions this season. For the first time, they’ve entrusted the whole division to me and in English too. We’ll see how that goes.

As for many of us, I’ve been following the NFL Draft and now the CFL Draft which gave me this mindset for the past few days. This article might reflect upon that slightly. No worries, this is FPF, not a professional league, I have no intention of mentioning those drafts, although…!

I’ll try to do my best and be present to most of Div C’s games. Please don’t be shy and come talk to me or even just hang with me to make me look popular on the sidelines whenever you feel like it, it’s what’s going to make this division a lot better (coverage-wise, of course). To have insight on you, well, we kinda need to talk, wouldn’t you agree?

This season, I haven’t quite decided the looks of my article just yet. I’m open to suggestions. I’ll keep my famous segments as players of the week and a power rankings, we’ll see where the rest leads us.

 

I think I’ve done enough introductions for one article, we’ll move to the interesting part.

 

 

Week 1

As many of you know, I’ve been playing in this league and covering it for a while now. That being said, I’ve grown to know most of you either because I’ve faced you or because I’ve grown into a fanboy.

That being said, I’ve looked at some of those preliminary lineups you submitted and I have no admit, some of you look scary. I’m happy I’m not facing all of these 15 faces (excluding mine, of course).

This got me thinking and I’ve decided to make a segment just for this article.

 

 

The Draft

The name might sound cheesy, but everyone got the idea; the teams with the best preseason additions to their roster.

Dragons : Après une saison satisfaisante la saison dernière, les Dragons reviennent en force avec le retour de plusieurs joueurs clés dont Antonin Desgent et Jean-Daniel Joly. L’addition de Benoit Fredette et Jonathan Massé-Simard devrait ajouter ce qu’il manquait aux Dragons pour être victorieux, du moins, je l’espère.

 

Two and a Half Dans : Known to play with only 6 players, they’ve got out of their ways and got a seventh ! In all seriousness, when I saw Simon Lahaie’s name in this roster, I thought this was the perfect fit for both of them. His speed and talent seems to fit the squad perfectly and I believe the Dans might have found the weapon they’ve been craving for recently. Great addition.

 

Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan : Returning without Nathan Groves and Anthony Brisebois could hurt their roster, but the recent addition of the Aridi brothers should more than likely cover up for those losses. Keeping the same idea of, well, being fast except Ryan, I believe they’ll have another great season.

 

BearSkins : Now, I’ve talked about great addition, but this one is amongst my top 3. Adding Jacob Peterson to this very successful lineup makes it, now, pretty deadly. Last season, I felt like BearSkins were very strong, but were missing one last weapon; they’ve added it now. I ignore if Peterson will respond properly to Bearskin’s offense, but if they manage to click, this could be a serious game changer.

 

Project Mayhem : I’m not too sure where to begin with this team. They’ve added so much talent, I’m not even sure how this whole thing will turn out. Regardless, adding raw talent in Alex David and Jordan Moses is a great addition to any given squad. I’ve overheard that Alex, young holo, Holowach would throw for this team and with the new talent he’s got, I believe in Mayhem this season.

 

Knights : Probably the best addition of the season goes to Knights. Last season, they were dominant, but they had issues at the quarterback position. They lacked a strong free safety as well, although their corners were pretty dominant. This year, they’ve decided to add Marco Masciotra which comes in and solves both problems at once. I’m glad I’m not facing this squad this season.

 

Power Ranking

Every week, I’ll try my best to rank the top 5 teams. Of course, it’s very subjective and it’s based purely on recent success or my overwhelming predictions.

For the preseason, I’ve decided to add a little something to the Power Ranking segment. I’ve asked around and got the help of a few other media members to shim in on the Power Rankings. So, this week, I’ll give my preseason Top 5 and I’ll be adding Justin Blanchard’s, Peeze Della Reeze’s, Alex Eagle D’Aquila’s and GM Kolethras’. Playing respectively for Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan, Moose, Lockdown and Old Farts, they are also covering other divisions or involved in many other ways, so their input might be either interesting or completely ridiculous, only time will tell.

 

1. Moose. Coming off a great season in Div 3, Moose is bound to have another excellent season in Div C. Frédéric Morissette is, probably, the best QB in the division at the moment and he’s bound to prove it sooner or later. With his current weapons and the chemistry they’ve developed, I hardly see how they can be stopped this season.

 

2. BearSkins. Call me a fanboy, but this squad is fantastic. They did awesome last year and they’re bound to do awesome again this season. I don’t expect the competition to be easier on them, but with Jacob Peterson in the lineup, there’s no more worries. This isn’t me being nice and putting them up here, this is me looking at this squad and fearing my week 6 matchup.

 

3. Predators. Last season, I ranked Predators #1 seed in my Top 10 in preseason. They’ve moved as the season went along, but ended up winning the Finale. Now, I’m not saying I predict winners, but Predators are an early favorite. They won’t have an easy schedule, nor will we expect them to, but I believe their developed chemistry is something to fear at this point. They are bound to make the playoffs and more if they play as well as they have since that whoopin’ I took on GOTW.

 

 

 

4. The Originals. This roster is ridiculous. As a QB, when you imagine a dream lineup, it kind of looks like this one. Offensive and defensive juggernauts taking the field together. The only worry is who will QB this team and how great is he? In all honesty, I’m not too worried; he’s got some serious weapons on both side of the ball.

 

5. Game Changers. I like the idea of having a “new” team in my Top 5 and that they are moving up divisions. I’m not only doing this to encourage the behavior, but because I actually believe their style will translate in success in Div C. Their ball-hawking defense might create just enough turnovers for their offense to score those 40+ points. Call me a believer.

 

 

Justin Blanchard’s Top 5

 

1. Predators: The recently crowned Division 4 champions. ‘Nuff said.

 

2. Moose: You can tell yourself you’re going to stop the Fred Morissette-to-Gabriel Parent connection. You won’t actually do it, though.

 

 

3. The Originals: Two Ojeahas, an Omar Jackson and a Jamal Gittens. I don’t know who on the roster will be going QB, but it doesn’t really matter with a supporting cast that’s the FPF equivalent of The Expendables.

 

4. BearSkins: Neil Etinson dominated the competition in Division 4 throwing it to receivers Sacha Papich and Marco Bertoldi. Now he gets to throw it to Jacob Peterson, too? That’s not even fair.

 

 

5. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans: The loss of Nathan Groves and Anthony Brisebois hurts, but this is still the same core group of guys who were a drive away from making the Division 4 championship game this past winter.

 

 

Peeze Della Reeze’s Top 5

 

1. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan: I put them number one because it will be that much more satisfying when we (Moose) beat them week 1. That being said, here’s some actual analysis: This is a team I fell in love with last season. Fred Viens proved to be a first class quarterback and this will definitely help the team compete throughout the season. Justin Blanchard is an exceptional receiver in space and as a rusher he can single handedly take over a game. Speaking of rushers, 6F+R have added Ryan Aridi to the roster and the rich have officially gotten richer. In addition, Ryan’s brother Jad joins the team, as does Francois Deslauriers to make this look like the front runners this season. Plus they already have a team picture up. How badass is that?

 

2. Moose: Moose made the jump from division 5 to division 3 and surprised everyone by looking like a legitimate contender last winter. They won’t surprise anyone this season as Frederic Morissette, Minh Ton-That and Gabriel Parent have all become household names. Seriously, if you doubt it, ask you’re old ladies! The addition of Kevin Lubin gives them yet another weapon in their arsenal and the addition of Brent Callender will help on the defensive side of the ball.

 

3. Project Mayhem: This love child is the frankenbrew that could only have been conceived in a dark closet where the wild things are free to roam. Orange+#NoRegard may just be the recipe for success. Now with Alex Holowach at quarterback, the typical Project Mayhem threats such as James Nowakowski and Danny D’Amour are joined by #NoRegard’s Jordan Moses. This already strong squad also added Alex David a few weeks ago and needs to considered as one of the favorites. Does being orange make them gingers? If so, this is why they aren’t higher on my list because it isn’t the lack of talent or depth.

 

4. Dragons: Simon Dagenais has perhaps the most weapons he has ever had on this Dragons roster. Benoit Fredette, Antonin Desgent, Max Cote and the brothers Beauséjours are a very talented corps. If Dagenais can’t win with this squad he should think twice about quarterbacking, or perhaps football all together. I hear cricket is an up an coming recreational sport.

 

5. Predators: The Preds were the division 4 champions in the winter season. James Floreani looked great all season and was surrounded by a strong receivng corps. While it can be argued that the apparent loss of Kenton Lowe and Darnell Lovelace make it a weaker team, last season’s surprise standout, Mathieu Brunet is back. The Predators have also landed Yavar Ashfari that will help bolster an already strong defense.

 

 

 

Alex, Eagle, D’Aquila’s Top 5

 

1. Moose: Their offense was never a question, now it has gotten even better with the addition of Kevin Lubin and George Elie-Voyer. Their defense has improved as well and I can’t see a weakness that can be exploited. One of the most solid teams in Div C, kudos to Peeze for assembling this roster.

 

2. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan: Albeit Justin Blanchard was doing a great job rushing last season, adding Ryan Aridi lets Blachard cover some field and become a thorn in the side of many quarterbacks. Their offense can put up points and it will be hard to come from behind to beat them

 

 

3. The Originals: With household franchise player names all over this roster (Including Ojeaha x2), this team on paper has got what it takes.

 

4. Predators: The Winter 2014 Div 4 champions are back with a slightly modified roster. I can’t justify not having them in the top 5 since they finished 1st out of 52 teams; an impressive feat.

 

 

5. Dragons: I like this roster a lot. Speed, size and football skill is all over the field. The pressure will be on Grenade Sergeant Dagenais to lead this team to victory.

 

 

GM Kolethras’ Top 5

 

1. The Originals : I don’t think it even matters who is quarterbacking this team. Based on the roster, this team looks INSANE. There’s enough defensive power on this team to dominate Division B, let alone Division C. In all honesty, Theo Ojeaha is enough of an athlete that even if he isn’t a pure pocket passer, he can buy time with his feet in the pocket for someone to get open. If they say that defense wins championships, I would put my bet on this team booking their trip to the finals. Also Theo, don’t think we didn’t notice that you picked a team name with your own name in it.

 

2. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan : A strong established roster from Division 4 that has huge pickups. Adding defensive mastermind Francois Deslauriers, the sure-handed Jad Aridi and nightmare rusher Ryan Aridi are definitely pickups of the year for this team. You would be hard-pressed to find a weak link in this roster; expect big things from them and to hear their name throughout the season.

 

 

3. Moose : Just about the only full Division 3 team to register in Division C with an as-strong roster. Under the excellent play calling of Frederic Morissette, Paolo Della Rocca can do no wrong in building a team as Fred will make do with whatever he is given. If you give him star athletes like Gabriel Parent and Kevin Lubin, damage will be done. Time will tell if this team can hold up under the collective egos and tempers.

 

4. BearSkins : After making a switch to Neil Etinson at quarterback, this team struck gold and looked amazing up until losing to La Sauce in the playoffs in a tightly contested overtime game. Now, having added Jacob Peterson is going to make this roster look even more Incredible (pun intended). Expect them to do some serious damage while still playing cohesively as a group.

 

 

5. Knights : This roster is chalk-full of potential. Like The Originals, with a solid defense it’s manageable to have a quarterback who isn’t playing their natural position. Antonio Lanni quarterbacked and propelled the Knights to a mediocre record, however with this roster and the rookie jitters out, it looks like they’re poised to do some damage. Although unable to throw in the division, having the play calling of Marco Masciotra will also be a huge advantage to this team. Don’t judge them based on last season or you’ll be in for a surprise.

 

 

Now, looking at it, it’s interesting enough to see that certain teams tend to be mentioned by all of us. On the other hand, Peeze is completely out there. A trend seems to be in place for our predicted Power Rankings, but in all honesty, only time will tell who’s right, who’s wrong and who actually wins anything.

With many years in FPF, I’ve learnt to expect the unexpected. I’m not saying these teams won’t be successful, but don’t expect these rankings to stay the same the whole season; we’re in for a hell of a ride.

 

 

Predictions

Now, what’s an article without predictions? I’ll keep track of my own success in hopes of giving myself a sense of ego boosting. With 16 teams, this is bound to be highly interesting.

I’ve decided to also include the preview segment in this one. More coverage means more fun for you guys, right?

 

Project Mayhem vs BearSkins : Although these two teams got great additions in the preseason, I don’t expect these weapons to be dominant this early in the season. I’m giving them time to click with their new teams before we can call them game changers. That being said, I believe BearSkins have had a great run last season and that it’s bound to continue. With Papich back healthy, they should get the edge on Mayhem.

Prediction : BearSkins

 

Centurions vs Old Farts : Centurions decided to push themselves upwards, which I salute and they’re facing Old Farts in week 1. I’m not too sure what to think of Old Farts and I hope they’ll have more success than the Fiasco they’ve put together last season. The core seems strong and I believe that this team’s got enough juice to push through their schedule. Centurions are known for their defense and it’ll be put to the test every week from now on. Let’s see how their fare in Division C.

Prediction : Centurions

 

Moose vs Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan : Probably one of the best games of the week. I’ve been looking forward to this one and I know they have too. Both teams have new additions and will have to adjust to their new weapons. With Aridi rushing Morissette, it’s bound to be a great game. I believe old weapons will come forth and give success over the new ones so I’ll give the edge to Moose in this one.

Prediction : Moose

 

Broccasion vs Knights : Broccasion are coming off a very upsetting Winter season ending and Knights just got one of the best addition of the preseason. Broccasion is looking for a statement game here and I doubt Knights want to start the season on the wrong foot. I believe Broccasion’s chemistry might give them an edge in this first matchup although it’ll come down to the wire. If they manage to cover Lanni and avoid Masciotra deep, Broccasion will take this one home.

Prediction : Broccasion

 

Dragons vs Lockdown : Their last matchup was in the midnight tourney were Lockdown handled the Dragons 41-40 in an offensive shootout. It was a great game and I expect nothing less of their week 1’s game. With many new additions of the Dragons, it’s bound to great a few issues in the first weeks and Lockdown will look to take advantage of it. We’ll know the outcome Sunday night.

Prediction : N/A

 

ZOO vs Two and a Half Dans : ZOO, moving up due to the roster limitations, will be looking to enforce their dominance on Two and a Half Dans and their newest member. With the past season’s success with Frank Kaye, I believe ZOO has what it takes to start the season the right way. I believe Two and a Half Dans might hit a wall against ZOO’s clock management and run out of time. I don’t expect this game to be a high scoring game nor a blowout.

Prediction : ZOO

 

Eskimo Brothers vs Game Changers : In all honesty, if there’s two teams I’m not very familiar with, it’s these two, and they are facing off week 1. From what I know, Game Changers were simply dominant last season. Sakiz is a wonderful QB and their defense are simply a ball-hawking machine. Eskimo Brothers will have to play up to their potential and take the few opportunities’ Game Changers might hand them in this early in the season matchup if they want to come out on top. If Shawn Steen is allowed to run wild, Eskimo Brothers will take this one home.

Prediction : Game Changers

 

Predators vs The Originals : The other great game to watch this week is this one. Coming off a great season, our Division 4 champions are facing off, in Justin Blanchard’s words, the FPF Expendables, in week 1. With a, very slightly, different roster, Predators will have to fire on all cylinders and rely on Floreani’s ability to buy time like they have in the past 14 games of their Winter season. I believe in both these teams to finish great this season, but I believe The Originals might have too much to figure out to pull off a win against Predators in week 1.

Prediction : Predators

 

 

 

This is what concludes my very first article of the season. Expect to hear from me again in the following days or see me on the field watching those great plays or epic failures. Get in touch with me, it makes for better coverage and a better season overall. I’ll be at the fields, my email, [email protected] works and I’ll be watching twitter, @DagenaisFPF, closely this season. Leave it all on the field. I’d also like to take a moment and mention that, inevitably, either Justin or Peeze will end with the worst possible record after this week’s game; it’s making me happy on the inside a little.