Cover Zero (Div C)

Fourth article and still going strong.

After reading last week’s article, I realized I need to stop listening to the podcast WHILE writing; I look like a fanboy for G.M and God knows that’s not a good thing.

On the plus side, it gives me insight.

We’ve had another amazing week in FPF; half the teams that played lost (duh!) and some were serious shockers. This is why I love this division beyond any other, we’ve got no undefeated teams and it’s only the beginning of week 4. No other division can say the same. We’ve got serious parity. Either that or people need to show up more.

Regardless, I know most of you have been enjoying yourselves and that’s what we’re here for. FPF keeps improving and our biggest “thank you” is definitely seeing players get more involved and truly enjoying the league.

Enough with these introductions, I really should consider skipping them in the upcoming weeks.

 

Week 4

I was able to see great games that will be recapped. I was also able to witness Game Changers’ first ever FPF loss. (Yes, you read that right). This week was great and it’s funny to say that a winless team, at this point, could possibly end up winning their division by week 10. Don’t bet against the underdogs.

This week, I’ve got a brand new segment that will run for a few weeks. I’m still working on the name, but it’s something like Get to know your opponents. Each week, I’ll “interview” (the lazy way) a few captains and get to know who they are, how they got where they are and why they love this league. Getting to know your competition is always a fun way to grow, right?

 

 

Players of the Week

 

Nick Godbout (Dragons) : I hate giving my teammates props, but this kid had a hell of a game with 3 TDs and 3 sacks (blame Moe for bad scorekeeping). Beast performance.

Joey Taylor (Two and a half Dans) : Two weeks in a row; he’s starting to make some serious noise. Impeccable offensive performance with a sack. What else can you request from Joey?

Frédéric Morissette (Moose) : He won and didn’t throw a pick. He wasn’t flawless, but he won, so who cares, right? Great outing, very deserving.

 

Quick Recaps

 

Moose it up !

Coming into this game, missing a few key players, I expected Moose to give Predators a run for their money, but falling short. It was the other way around. I have to give credit where credit is due; both QBs played great. No interceptions, although defense was omnipresent, high completion ratio and a bunch of TDs.

The game started with TDs being traded left and right and having Moose end up on top at the half. Floreani showed that he could move in the pocket, but the best was yet to come. With defenses making a clean stop for both teams, the game was getting interesting.

With the game tied and only a few minutes to go, Moose managed to march down the field and with only 4 players remaining, on fourth down in the redzone, the powerful Morrissette-Parent connection shone once more to give Moose the lead. Floreani only had 3 plays left and was down by 6. That incomplete convert was hurting Moose.

And that’s when it happened; Floreani took off like a bullet with 2 plays left and ran for monstruous yards. He ran for 109 yards in 4 rushes in the game. Last play of the game, Floreani went for Brunet on the sideline, but Moose’s new defender, Ogan Key, showed that he can ball with the best and the ball was tipped. Moose was crowned winner. What a game.

 

You’ve been Dan’ed.

Game Changers simply didn’t know what hit them last week as they faced off against The Dans. The unorthodox offense was simply too much to manage as Joey Taylor nets another 6 TD game.

The Dans started marching and scoring early as Sakiz kept throwing deep and got intercepted. Throwing interceptions isn’t the Sakiz we’ve grown to know; throwing only 7 last season and 0 in the first two games, 3 is very unlikely, yet happened.

On the bright side, Game Changers started to march strong late in the game, but the game was already out of hand by the time Sakiz started finding holes and hitting the proper receivers. Kudos to those receivers, who made huge plays all game. I’ve grown fond of GC’s receivers who can make those leaping catches all game; these guys are better than I’ve expected.

Suffering their first loss ever, Game Changers should look back at this game thinking it was simply a bad outing, nothing else. Their defense needs a little bit of tweaking, but they’ll be fine. The Dans were simply on their game last week.

 

Ain’t fast enough.

In a battle of trading TDs, 6Fast managed to put themselves ahead of The Originals before the end. Coming around the end of the game, both QBs looked pretty good out there. Theo is improving on a weekly basis and Frédéric Viens was his usual self.

6Fast had the lead 31-25 when their safety dropped what should have been the game ending ball. Few plays later, Theo found the endzone making it a tie game at 31-31. Converts are starting to weight heavy. With only 4 plays left, pressure is on Viens to punch it in when it counts if they want to go home with the W rather than a tie.

The small and silent, yet deadly Jonathan Louis had a different plan. Jumping the route on the following play, he picked off Viens for the first time of the night and ran it back for six closing the game and shredding hopes. A rough finish for 6Fast.

 

 

Get to know your Opponents

So, I’ve been thinking about a new segment for my article and this idea came to mind; why not get more info on the other teams. Every week, I’ll ask a few captains for some information regarding their teams and how they’ve got to where they are. Nothing fancy, but enough to give a small spotlight to everyone every week.

This segment is possible because this league is growing into something fantastic. Players love everything FPF related and they’re ready to give 10-15 minutes of their time to help improve it. Note, this is purely voluntary and I appreciate every little bit of feedback I get. In the end, you guys make this segment, article, division, league even possible!

 

Predators (Captain James Floreani)

–       How did Predators start ?

Predators started in spring 2012. It was my second season in the league and it was a team that was made pretty last minute ( much like the other predators teams to be honest! My brother was on the team along with some friends. We were only 6 and since there was no room in any other division we were put in div C. Our first two games we got absolutely hammered by the other team and the articles were predicting us to go 0-10. However we stuck with it and we won game 3 and actually ended up finishing 6-4 an making the playoffs against all odds. We ended up losing to G.M’s team in the playoffs but we did get revenge the year later… But that’s another story!

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

The unspoken star is either Phil De Kovachich or Alex Noel. They don’t get the press but Phil is a top flight rusher and an awesome snapper while Alex is a sure tackler and will come up with a big play when we need it most like when picked off Lazarra in the championship game for example. Both are also team players and good friends of mine so it’s great to see how far they’ve come.

–       The team has changed a lot in the past years, with the recent adding of the ranking system, do you believe this particular Predators squad is stronger or weaker than its previous forms ?

Yeah this edition of the Preds is different than the last and that seems to be a trend. From the first Predators team to this one, only I remain on the roster. I adjust my playing style to whoever is playing on the team with me and I think although we lost some key guys from last season, we also added some very capable players and I foresee another successful season for this franchise. I think this league is about a good balance of athlecism, smarts and chemistry and I think we’re definitely on the right track.

–       How was the name Predators chosen / came to existence ?

Haha well a Predator is basically any organism that feasts off other organisms to survive so I thought it would be cool to name the team after something that can dominate its prey, in this case their opponents on the football field. I also admire the Nashville Predators franchise in hockey for always being competitive no matter the team they have and no matter how overmatched they may look on paper, they always find a way to compete and be successful. And the idea behind this team is that we always compete no matter who we’re playing, give it our all and thrive to dominate our opponents. We’re the team nobody wants to face and we’d have it no other way! I think it fits us perfectly.

–       Realistically, what’s the record Predators will achieve this season?

That’s a question I won’t answer but like I said there’s no reason that the Predators won’t be successful once again this season! That being said, there are some very good teams in C this year and I’m really excited to see how it’ll play out and especially to play teams we have history with. Teams like Eskimo Brothers, Broccasion and even you guys Dragons later in the year will be some fun rivalry games to be a part of!

 

 

Lockdown (Captain Alex D’Aquila)

–       How did Lockdown start ?

Lockdown was started by Gianfranco Ranaudo when he was looking into getting into football. With some contacts made at school and some friends, the first Lockdown team was registered for Division C in Spring 2009 and finished 1-9, including a 41-0 loss to the Triple Sixers. We beat Les Affreux though, so we had that going for us, which is nice.

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

I can’t answer this question without mentionning Geoffry Brown; the reason we are where we are today is because of him and the amount of knowledge and skill he brought to the team. Maybe I’m cheating by considering him unspoken but many opponents see a short old chubby balding man walk onto the field and completely underestimate his impact.

–       The team has changed a lot in the past years, with the recent adding of the ranking system, do you believe this particular Lockdown squad is stronger or weaker than its previous forms ?

Each Spring season has always been challenging for us because of the turnover on the roster; every Winter we regroup and then Spring comes and sets us back.

That being said, we decided to move up to Div C for the Spring; Gianfranco’s QB rating is 75 giving us the option to go into D but we wanted to challenge ourselves. We kept some of our existing core, brought back some previous teammates, and also brought in some new players. Right now I’d say the team is slightly weaker, but give us time to work on chemistry and I’m convinced we’ll be better.

–       How was the name Lockdown chosen / came to existence ?

The name is two-fold; the original team had a lot of defensive players on the team, so the concept of locking down the field was definitley used. Also a variety of players were pursuing careers in security so that was also considered. All the credit goes to Jeff Moscato for actually coining the name.

–       Realistically, what’s the record Lockdown will achieve this season ?

We had obviously hoped for a better start (God, we lost to you…). Looking at our schedule and how teams have been doing, realistically I can see us going 3-4 / 4-3 in the next 7 games.

 

 

Moose (Captain Paolo Della Rocca)

–       How did Moose start ?

I wasn’t there for the birth of the Moose. It was a brain child for many of the members who still remain (Namely Fred Morissette and Yann Drouin). It has been said that if the two were actually able to reproduce the child would look just as our logo looks today.

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

The unspoken star on this team is Max Lachapelle. He isn’t the star name that people oft mention. But he can be used anywhere and teams keep insisting on challenging him. Go ahead, keep testing him; he’ll keep making you pay!

–       The team has changed a lot in the past years, with the recent adding of the ranking system, do you believe this particular Moose squad is stronger or weaker than its previous forms ?

To be honest, every Moose team has been strong. Fred is an incredible qb. Yann is a monster slot receiver. Max Lachapelle is the most versatile player on the roster. The team’s core is solid and adding Minh Ton That and Gabriel Parent to that core has helped tremendously. This year we invited established players, Kevin Lubin, Brent Callender and Georges Elie Voyer to the party and I think it’s probably the most complete team we’ve ever had. Adding soon to be house hold names like Phil Angers will prove this to be the case.

–       How was the name Moose chosen / came to existence ?

.I joined when Checkmate lost quarterback Anthony Carbone and I worked on a merger between Checkmate and Moose. The Checkmoose experience led to a finals appearance and a little heartbreak. Since, then Moose has been reborn onto its own entity.

–       Realistically, what’s the record Moose will achieve this season ?

We’ve lost two games so we’re going 8-2. We will not lose another game, we will win the division C championship. I hope you’re all ok playing for second place! Seriously, why show up if you don’t believe you’ll win every game. I believe in my players. Moose on top baby!

 

 

Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans (Answered by Justin Blanchard)

–       How did Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans start ?

6FG+R dates back to Les Caves from the Division 4 2012 season. That’s when Ryan Phillips introduced me and Marc-Antoine Viens to FPF. Ryan was one of our coaches at Champlain College St. Lambert at the time and made a team with me and Marc and a few other people from Champlain. The three of us have been playing together just about every year since then. After Wheel of Fish disbanded, we made our own team essentially consisting of us, Marc’s brother, some other people we knew from Champlain and a few other pick-ups and that’s pretty much how the team was born.

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

f by unspoken you mean unsung, it would have to be Marc. He made All-Stars last season, but it still doesn’t do justice to his importance to this team. He’s really our workhorse, the go-to-guy on those 3rd and 1, 4th and 1 conversions. You’ll never see him drop a ball, you’ll always see him giving 110%.

–       The team has changed a lot in the past years, with the recent adding of the ranking system, do you believe this particular 6Fast squad is stronger or weaker than its previous forms ?

Well, I’m not sure if it’s changed “a lot.” We lost a solid deep threat in Anthony Brisebois, an excellent possession receiver in Nathan Groves, and a good defender in Sebastian Di Poi. This season we added a great safety in François Deslauriers, a dependable possession receiver in Jad Aridi and a top rusher in Ryan Aridi. So that clear deep threat may no longer be there, but I guess you could say I’m emerging into that role. Based on that we may look weaker on paper, but I think the fact we have a season under our belt as a team has been invaluable to our growth. Simply put, we’re better.

–       How was the name Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans chosen / came to existence ?

Actually, I came up it. We were discussing potential team names on Facebook right before the start of the Winter 2014 season and I jokingly offered the name seeing as we were literally a team made up of six fast guys…and Ryan Phillips. My teammates liked it enough that we decided to roll with it.

–       Realistically, what’s the record 6Fast will achieve this season ?

You’re asking me as a player, so I have to say realistically 9-1 is obtainable. Do I think we’ll actually go undefeated the rest of the way? No. Bad games happen. We had a bad one last week, we’re bound to have at least another one or two before the end of the season.

 

 

Power Rankings

This Power Ranking is simply getting harder and harder to do. With all these upsets, I simply do not know who’s more deserving. So painful, yet so fun.

 

1. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan.Their recent loss was a shocker, but they still keep the #1 spot for now.

 

2. Predators. They maintain second seed although they’ve lost. I believe in this squad.

 

3. Project Mayhem. Winning without every pieces of the puzzle proves this team is better than we’ve expected.

 

 

4. The Originals. This team is looking better and better with each passing week.

 

5. Two and a half Dans. Their style of play took many by surprise and they’ve been winning big recently. If they can keep it up, they’ll keep moving forward in my ranking.

 

 

 

Predictions

So I guessed every game wrong except one. This is getting sad. At least I’m not competing against anyone. My record escalates to 9/21, way below the expected ratio. I’ll have to step it up.

 

Predators vs BearSkins : After a rough beginning, BearSkins finally showed the character we’ve grown to know last season as they battled their way through their first win. Coming off a fresh loss, Predators will be going all out in this one to make sure they don’t fall early. Although I’ve grown to like both squads, in the words of Justin Blanchard, I just don’t see Predators losing two in a row right now. Defense will be the key here.

Prediction : Predators

 

Eskimo Brothers vs Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans : Eskimo Brothers without Shawn Steen simply isn’t the same team. They’ve managed to win without him last week, but Frank Kaye isn’t Frederic Viens. I do not foresee Viens throwing 4 INTs in a single game and 6Fast’s offense might just be too much to handle for Eskimo Brothers. I’ve been wrong in my predictions recently, so I might just be wrong again!

Prediction : Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans

 

Project Mayhem vs Lockdown : Lockdown are on a bad streak and it doesn’t get worst than this; -70 point differentials in 3 games. It’s a great group of guys, but I just don’t see it happening for them this week. Mayhem are adjusting brilliantly and the Moses’ brothers are shining on defense. I expect them to get some momemtum early and give Mayhem another W this week too.

Prediction : Project Mayhem

 

Moose vs Knights : One of the best offense against one of the best defense. This is bound to be a good game. Knights don’t miss tackles; Moose seem to always get those fourth downs. Morrissette was hot last week, but he’s facing a whole new defense with Lanni and Masciotra ball-hawking. I don’t think this game will hit the 40 points, but I don’t think Lanni can keep up with Morrissette’s ratio; Knights will fall once again.

Prediction : Knights

 

Broccasion vs Centurions : In their current subdivision, Broccasion can’t afford another loss this early in the season. That being said, Centurions are really rocking right now. Laporte is playing brilliantly and their offense is clicking. The band in green was known for their defense in the previous seasons and will have to show up strong this week if they want to stop the Cerantolas. Take away the ground game and it’s Centurions’ game to win. Otherwise, we might just see last season Cerantola re-emerge.

Prediction : Centurions

 

Dragons vs Two and a half Dans : In the words of G.M. and Justin, this might be this week’s GOTW. I believe it is. Dagenais still hasn’t been playing as good as he has last season, but his defense has been bailing him out. Bolstering the best defense, on paper, in the division, Dragons are pretty strong right now. On the other hand, The Dans have been playing great by giving teams their first loss of the season. If Joey Taylor throws another 6:0 game, they’ll walk away with the W. It’s time to see if the Dragons’ defense can adjust to the unorthodox style of the Dans and if Dagenais can stop throwing picks left and right.

Prediction : N/A

 

Old Farts vs Game Changers : Coming off their first loss in FPF history, Game Changers are expected to be hungry. Old Farts are having issues clicking and getting lucky (note, for once, it ain’t regarding sex). Lady Luck is simply taking her toll on Jonathan Brown as his receivers simply can’t get that extra yard that would change the game completely. I’m not forsaking this squad just yet has they might just win some upsets, this week might just be that week.

Prediction : Old Farts

 

ZOO vs The Originals : Theo’s offense is coming off a great win where his receivers showed up to ball. ZOO’s gritty defense will have something to bite into as The Originals’ receivers are all excessively talented. Seeing how both defenses are known to be clutch, it’ll come down to who throws the last interception. I might just jump in on the Originals’ bandwagon this week; they’ve just been that great so far.

Prediction : The Originals

 

That’s it for this week. 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. Don’t forget to tune in to the Unclehood’s show. Scoop + GM actually make a pretty decent duo in the all-new Monday Mess.