Cover Zero (Div C)

Closing in on the mid-season recap; not sure if I’m looking forward to it.

Putting my own ego aside, this division’s upsets make for a great one to cover. It’s hard to pinpoint a single underdog where everyone’s taking down everyone by week 4. 3-1 is considered solid, whereas a single loss could get you back at the bottom of your division.

In football, there’s a saying that every game matters. Compared to some other sports like hockey where a season runs for 82 games, a loss isn’t as defining as our 10 game seasons. In simple comparison, a loss for us is like a 8 game losing streak for a NHL team; now that’s hurtful.

My Get To Know Your Opponents segment runs for another week before taking a small break. This week will feature four more teams as we hit the middle mark.

Expect my usual mid-season article next week where I’ll run down every team in this division and give my thoughts.

Enough with these introductions.

 

Week 5

Some very strange things happened this week and I’m not talking upsets. In fact, I’ve seen some things that will make FPF History and some others that simply shouldn’t ever be mentioned again.

Luckily for you guys, I’m here to spill the beans.

 

 

Players of the Week

 

Neil Etinson (BearSkins) : Although 5 TDs is not astounding, he still managed to get his team the win over Predators, which means a lot more than plain stats.

Frédéric Viens (Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans) : His usual self proved too much for the Eskimo Brothers last week. Distributed the ball perfectly, he dominated the offense through air and ground and was omnipresent in defense. Clear MVP.

Alex Holowach (Project Mayhem) : I had doubts. I no longer do. Enough said.

Kyle Lebofsky (Broccasion) : With 3 offensive TD and 2 INTs, he’s very deserving of this award this week.

Justin Filteau (Game Changers) : I got nothing but love for this guy. With 3 offensive TDs and 3 sacks, he’s clearly a game changer.

Leonardo Lanni (Knights) : 3 of the 4 TDs went to him. He also got the 2 INTs and one that he brought back for six. Beast.

 

 

Quick Recaps

 

FPF Historical moments.

So the Moose vs Knights game didn’t quite go as planned for neither teams. Knights managed to score late in the final half to go into halftime with the lead. A five point deficit is nothing Moose can’t get back from.

And then the unexpected happened. After possibly Peeze’s worst game and a couple bad snaps, Morissette threw a bad pick down the field. Knights get the ball back, but couldn’t score as Moose defense was sturdy. Throwing another bad ball down the field, Lanni dropped what could have been a game ender. A few plays later, Peeze snaps another bad ball landing a few feet away from Morissette.

I have no idea what went through Fred’s head, probably frustrated trying to get the ball back in play as soon as possible, he stretched his leg where the ball was landing and the ball bounced on his foot. Technically still in play, it hasn’t touched the ground yet, the ball bounced from Fred’s foot towards the sideline at waist-level. Leonardo Lanni running fiercely forward from the corner position received the ball straight in his waist and ran it back for six. The refs called it a INT, thus, pick-six.

Frustrations were the name of the game as Knights finally took down Moose 30-25.

 

Originally Uncaged

The game was over in the first half. Theo looked very good as he drove his offense to the end zone on back to back to back drives. Getting the ball back efficiently from a pinpoint defense, The Originals were at the top of their game as they managed to lead 27 to 6 in the first half.

Frank Kaye started to show some teeth when the second half came around and they’ve slowed down the pace to show how ZOO does it. Their defense stood strong on multiple occasions and we were able to see the real ZOO team shine through. Sadly, the deficit was simply too big for them to overcome and they fell 33-12. That second half definitely gave them hopes and a rematch would end the game in a totally different way.

 

They Bro’d the Dans.

In the first matchup of week 5, Broccasion managed to take down the red hot Dans in a pretty nice game. In the words of Paolo Della Rocca, Cerantola had the killer instinct. The pick-six did hurt, but Broccasion really stepped up this week.

Cerantola looked like the one we’ve grown to know last season and he was simply driving the ball down the field every drive mechanically. Entering the second half with a deficit, they needed something, and that something came. Kristian had one of those games and the Dans bite the dust.

On the final drive, The Dans had the ball losing by 3 points and could’ve brought it home, but things simply went a different way. What truly puzzles me is the ending. With one play left to go, Joey Taylor who’s been great thus far decided to hand the ball over to Danny McFee for the last attempt.

As a QB, I’d want the last shot to be in my hands and give it all I’ve got, I wouldn’t hand it over and my teammates probably would agree with me. If you bring your team to a 3 points margin, they’ll trust you to make that last throw; trust yourself.

 

 

 

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!

 

ZOO (Captain Frank Kaye)

–       How did ZOO start ?

Zoo or LE Zoo was started by a good friend of mine Emile Carey who I played Touch football with and was looking to build a team. He had taken guys from the Free Agent list and some friends. He then called me to be on the team as he wanted to learn the QB position and as such I could help him develop. The next season he wasn’t able to play and asked me to take over the team because he had a good group of guys that wanted to. The next year he once again started a team in D5 “CDifficile” and once the season ended we merged the 2 teams as well as guys from our Touch Football team. Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

 

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

I would say we have numerous unspoken guys that play great and never complain about getting the ball more or letting their frustrations out, although Kevin Marcil our rusher this year is probably our most unspoken star. He is a young man just learning the game and has a lot of potential. This is his 3rd season playing with me and he has gone from starting defense to starting offence to rusher as we needed a good fast guy to take over the position. Kevin’s normal response is…”whatever I can do for the team and help”. This attitude is something that all our players have and is a pre-requisite to play for the Zoo.

 

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

I believe that we consistently try to improve and add the missing pieces however our team is based on a family environment and friendship which has been passed down every season since the creation of the team. We are a bunch of guys that love to play together in this as well as other leagues. This being said we would rather have fluency and play together as a family then to add a superstar that would cause a disruption in our team unit and environment – for example: to the younger guys on the team I am known as “Papi”. I believe the ranking/Cap system is bringing balance to the league and divisions and feel it is good for all involved.

 

–       How did the name ZOO was decided / came to existence ?

To be quite honest, I tried to find out exactly how Emile Carey came up with the name during that initial season, although I would like to think the name was chosen to signify that when you let us on the field we should play like a bunch of caged animals… But as I know my friend very well it was probably due to the fact that he could call us a bunch of stinky animals if we drop balls or blow coverages.

 

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

As I am not like my friend “Peeze” I prefer not to insert my small foot into my mouth. We are new in Div C and will have our up’s and down’s. Predicting a record isn’t in the best interest of our team, however I will say that our goal is to win every game that we play, to learn, improve and to have fun in the process.

 

 

Old Farts (Captain GM Kolethras)

–       How did Old Farts start ?

We had just lost to Les Buddays in the playoffs of Div 3 and were chatting. We have all played together in some form or another throughout the seasons, and just kinda went from there. Vadim played with us in past seasons and was welcomed back with open arms after a season of not playing. Along the way, we picked up Alex Lewis as Jeff played with him on Ball Busters and I played with him at St Lazare, and Miro came along after playing with Pickle Fiasco.

 

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

By and far, it’s gotta be Jeff Brown. You would be hard pressed to find a player who is football smart, very talented and a nice guy as well. Somehow, Jeff embodies all three and can basically play anywhere without a complaint. As a captain, Jeff is the ideal player and is always ready with a game-breaking play or gameplan.

 

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

I don’t think we are really limited per se by the rankings. There was no one left out, and no one we were really going to add preseason that would have posed a huge problem. We have 20 points of room on offense and 35 on defense, so there is almost no limitation for us. I think it’s more about us just playing below our potential as of right now. So, to answer your question, weaker.

 

–       How was the name Old Farts chosen / came to existence ?

Originally, the team was actually supposed to be called European Football Club on account of all of us being European. Somewhere, Jon Brown changed our name both referencing the Hoof Hearted team and the fact that they’re (they being Avi, Jon, Chris and Jeff) getting up in age.

 

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

Hopefully, 6-3-1. Realistically, I could see us going 4-5-1.

 

 

 

 

Eskimo Brothers (Captain Shawn Steen)

–       How did Eskimo Brothers start ?

The Eskimo Brothers started a couple years ago in the spring. We were honestly just a bunch of high school buddies trying to get some football in. We ended up enjoying our first season even though we lost almost every game… and we wanted more.

 

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

I don’t believe we have an unspoken star, we as a team try to give our teammates the gratification that they deserve. Therefore unspoken is non existent!

 

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

Our first year in the league we had all the same bros plus a few others. We made some cuts, and just this winter we lost one player Thomas Quinn, so we replaced him with another solid defensive player Patt Smith. Our team is probably a tad stronger, but we also have much more experience now.

 

–       How was the name Eskimo Brothers chosen / came to existence ?

(This is me hoping all you 10 guys aren’t actual Eskimo Brothers with that girl from last season’s picture)

The truth is, we don’t speak of the truth. We would prefer to leave everyone in the dust with this one. Sorry FPF.

 

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

You might be able to see that we are very confident in our ability no matter who we play. Going into the season we always expected an undefeated season. If you don’t go in expecting big things, chances are they won’t happen. Although it is impossible to completely that goal now, we still believe in our ability to make the playoffs and take home the title.

 

 

 

Dragons (Captain Simon Dagenais)

–       How did Dragons start ?

The Dragons officially started back in Winter 2011. Some of us were playing for different teams. JF Fortier introduced me and a couple of us to this league back when he was captain of Spartiates. After a few rough seasons, we dropped a few guys, turned around, grabbed friends for high school and got going in. We’re a bunch of guys who went to high school together and played football there. After graduation, we wanted to keep playing and FPF is where we ended up. Never knew we’d fall in love with this league so much.

 

–       Who’s the unspoken star of your team ?

In the recent seasons, our unspoken star as to be Maxime Côté as he’s been our two-way threat, but people are starting to know him and he ain’t as “unspoken” as he used to be. This season, I’ll have to call out my secret weapon in Jonathan Massé-Simard. He’s simply dominant on both sides of the ball.

 

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

The Dragons have a strict mentality. You can’t play with us if you aren’t our friend outside of the football field. That being said, it makes for tough recruitment. Our team has changed in the past seasons, but the core remains the same. I believe, by fitting very tightly under the cap this season and with our new additions in Ben Fredette, Jonathan Massé-Simard and a few old faces coming back like Antonin Desgent and JD Joly, this current Dragons squad is the best I’ve ever played with.

 

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

Initially, we had another name planned for our team, back in Winter 2011, but our high school where we all played football decided to invest in new jerseys and throw away the old ones. Some of us were coaching there and the opportunity presented itself to have free football jerseys with our old numbers on them. We jumped on the occasion and changed our team name for Dragons to match our jerseys.

 

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

I was hoping for a 8-2 season, to be honest. I believed we could achieve it, but this early season is a major setback. I still believe we can achieve a 7-3 season considering attendance to games will increase as people are coming back from vacations. Realistically, I’ll have to say 6-4 though.

 

 

Power Ranking

Another week, another Power Ranking where I look like a fool. Eh, what the hell !

 

1. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan.I have to keep them here.

 

2. Project Mayhem. Their recent success has them climbing.

 

3. The Originals. Theo is simply getting better with every passing week. Pun intended.

 

 

4. Predators. Regardless of record, I believe in this team. They can’t afford a third straight loss though.

 

5. Two and a half Dans. They keep winning; quite simply.

 

 

 

Predictions

Future favors the bold as I predicted a few games right. 4/7 this week brings me back to 13/28. Still believe the 50% mark, but I’m clawing my way back.

 

Game Changers vs Project Mayhem : Mayhem is hot right now. Their defense is clutch and Holowach is simply having field days. That being said, they better expect the unexpected against Game Changers. They came off an “easy” win last week against Lockdown and can’t afford to expect the same vs Game Changers as their defense will make Holowach regret it. Game Changers will have to be on point in defense if they want to keep Holowach frustrated. This is a game that could definitely go both ways.

Prediction : Project Mayhem

 

Lockdown vs Moose : LD are having a terrible season. I hate trashing teams, but they aren’t even keeping it close. With 8 TDs in 4 games, they can’t hope to get a rhythm going. This week, they face a nasty defense in Moose and I don’t expect Morissette to go gently after last week’s outing. With friends facing friends, this might just be another bad night for LD before they get a chance to bounce back in week 6.

Prediction : Moose

 

Centurions vs Predators : A sturdy defense against an aggressive offense plans for a great matchup. The men in green have been ontop of their game recently and have been playing great football. Physicality always gave Centurions an edge, but I don’t think it’ll be that fortunate for them this week facing Predators. It’ll come down to the qb that makes the best decision late in the game and I believe in JFlo’s ability over Laporte’s.

Prediction : Predators

 

Six Fast Guys Plus Ryans vs Dragons : Coming off a bad loss, Dragons will be hungry. I don’t expect the Dragons squad to have two bad games in a row and Six Fast might have met their match this week. With Fred Viens missing, this game could really go either way. If his backup, Beaudin plays great, he’ll have another very successful week, if he starts off bad, 6Fast’s offense might suffer from the 1:5 ratio Beaudin is known to have sometimes and Dragons might win it. A lot will rely on the backup this week.

Prediction : N/A

 

BearSkins vs Eskimo Brothers : Eskimo Brothers came off a bad loss against a great offense although they still managed to show some teeth. Scoring with 33 points with 4 INTs is pretty amazing. I wouldn’t count them out at any point. BearSkins are coming off a great win against Predators where Neil Etinson looked very good. He’ll have to look as good if they want to keep that momemtum going. BearSkins need that third win before the mid-season bend.

Prediction : BearSkins

 

The Originals vs Old Farts : Old Farts are having it rough lately. This came out wrong. The Originals are simply on top of their game and I really like this squad. Theo’s ability to gain some time and shoot nice balls down the field is giving his receivers just enough time to show off their abilities and it’s working wonderfully. With a defense that gives Theo the ball that often, I simply can’t imagine them losing this week; it’s just a bad matchup for the Farts.

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. Justin can’t seem to make transitions in the podcast, I laughed way too many times.