Tale of Many Quarterbacks with Division Winners on the Line.

Week 9 

Week 8 saw another round of exciting matchups across the league, with several playoff contenders emerging. The Knights 2.0 surprised everyone with a dominant win over The Process, while Notorious C.I.G. continued their roll with a victory against VTown. Black Shinobi also solidified their position in the playoff race with a hard-fought win over Old Pats. This was a week of substitute Quarterbacks as 3 different teams were without their starter.  This week’s focus is on the highly anticipated Week 9 clash between the Melons (6-2) and the Bandits (6-2). Both teams are vying for divisional supremacy, and the outcome will have major implications for playoff seeding. With the Melons’ explosive offense led by the red-hot Manny Bizogias facing off against the Bandits’ dominant defense, this game promises to be a nail-biter.

Week 8 Recaps 

Knights 2.0 Soar Past The Process Thanks to Reeves’ Stunning Performance

In a thrilling Week 8 matchup, the Knights 2.0 (previously with only 1 win) pulled off a stunning upset against The Process (6-1) by a final score of 42-38. The game was a high-scoring affair, with both quarterbacks putting on impressive displays.

Reeves Takes Center Stage:

The biggest story of the night was the phenomenal performance of Knights 2.0’s quarterback, Marc-Andre Reeves, who entered the game in relief duty for a second time this season. Reeves threw for a staggering 6 touchdowns, a huge offensive boost for the Knights 2.0. He spread the ball around effectively, connecting with multiple receivers throughout the game. Notably, John Masella emerged as a favorite target, with 5 receptions and hauling in 2 touchdown receptions.

Despite the loss, The Process shouldn’t be overlooked. With a strong record, quarterback Noah Groper also had a strong showing, throwing for 6 touchdowns but he did have one turnover. Librati was his go-to receiver as usual, catching 3 touchdowns himself. This win is a massive confidence booster for the Knights 2.0. With Marc-Andre Reeves at the helm, they might have found their spark as they are 2-0 with Marc at quarterback. But with only 2games played he will not be able to get eligible for playoffs and  the offence will still go through William Marie. The Process, on the other hand, will need to regroup and tighten up their defense if they want to stay competitive. 

Notorious C.I.G. Holds Off VTown in a High-Scoring Affair (32-26)

In a Week 8 nail-biter, Notorious C.I.G. (6-2) edged out VTown by a score of 32-26. Both teams showcased explosive offenses, but ultimately Notorious C.I.G.’s defense made the plays down the stretch to secure the victory.Despite missing their starting quarterback, VTown put up a valiant fight. Domenico Manno, stepping in under center, threw for 4 touchdowns but also crucially tossed 2 interceptions. His favourite target was Tristan Koutsoumbas, who hauled in 3 touchdowns himself. VTown even attempted an onside kick in the closing seconds, showcasing their aggressive approach.

Notaro Leads Notorious C.I.G. to Victory

Joey Notaro had a stellar performance for Notorious C.I.G., accounting for 5 touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing). James Langshaw emerged as his go-to receiver,  with the most catches, yards and even catching 2 touchdowns. The Notorious C.I.G. defense also deserves credit, particularly Zach Mastromonaco who snagged a a crucial INT in the second half. In the 1st halfNotorious C.I.G. struck first with a touchdown pass to James Langshaw. VTown responded with a touchdown of their own from top receiver Lucas Crivello. The first half ended at 20–12 in favour of Notorious C.I.G. The scoring continued in the second half, with both teams trading touchdowns. A crucial interception by Mastromonaco in the red zone late in the 4th quarter swung momentum in Notorious C.I.G.’s favour. They capitalized on the turnover with a touchdown pass to Zach Mastromonaco, extending their lead to 6 points. VTown answered with a touchdown of their own, but ultimately fell short on their onside kick attempt on the last play of the game. Notorious C.I.G. continues to roll, solidifying their position as a top contender. VTown, despite the loss, they were missing John Velasco and played well against a good team. They’ll need to tighten up their ball security and find a way to finish close games if they want to have a solid playoff run.

Black Shinobi Secure Hard-Fought Victory Over Old Pats (28-15)

Black Shinobi, now 5-3, continued their climb up the standings with a convincing 28-15 victory over Old Pats (5-2) in Week 8. The game was a defensive struggle for most of the way, but Black Shinobi’s offense was able to capitalize on a few key opportunities to secure the win.

Old Pats Struggle Offensively

Going to their third different starting quarterback, Old Pats’ offense remained stagnant. Samuel Saumure, filling in under center, completed some passes but was unable to consistently move the ball down the field. Their struggles were further compounded by a safety conceded and a crucial interception late in the 4th quarter. Black Shinobi took advantage. Black Shinobi’s offense did enough to win the game as Sammy Omombo scored 4 touchdowns, with Jordy Ngankoy emerging as a favourite target. Black Shinobi defense also deserves credit, forcing turnovers and getting key sacks throughout the game. Notably, Charles-Emile Deveault had a standout performance with 3 total sacks. Black Shinobi drew first blood with a touchdown pass to Mendley Joseph. Old Pats responded with a touchdown of their own from Will Seguin. In the following possession a bad snap by Black Shinobi resulted in a safety and tied them at 8-8 which was the score at half. The the second half began with a Old Pats safety with a sack by Deveault getting them those 2 points back. Black Shinobi are putting together a strong season. They’ll look to continue their winning ways in the coming weeks. Old Pats, on the other hand, will need to a bounce back win in week 9. 

Game of the Week 

Prediction record: 4-1

Melons (6-2) vs Bandits (6-2) 

This Week 9 matchup between the Melons and Bandits is shaping up to be a battle for divisional supremacy. Both teams boast high-powered offenses and stingy defenses, making it a tough one to call. This game has huge implications as these teams are in the same group. Both tied at 6-2 for first place in group D. Division winners get an automatic top 5 seed going into the playoffs. 

Here’s a breakdown of the key factors and a prediction. Melons Offense vs Bandits Defense. Quarterback Manny Bizogias has been on fire lately, throwing for 6 touchdowns last week. The Melons offense is averaging 30 points per game. The Bandits, despite allowing only 12 points per game, which is best in the league, the Bandits haven’t faced an offense as potent as the Melons. Their secondary will be put to the test. The Melons defense, while overshadowed by their offense, allows an average of 24 points per game.  They’ll need to force more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Will Darcy Jeannis have an outstanding game on offence and reach double digit touchdowns, or will Justin Schwartz continue his Interception streak. 

I think this game will be a low-scoring affair with both defences playing well and both creating turnovers. However, I expect the Melons’ explosive offense to able to find the endzone. Final Score Prediction: Melons 28 – Bandits 25. Manny Bizogias throws for 4 touchdowns, and the team is able to convert on most of their converts

Power Rankings 

1.  Snowdon Deli Degens 8-0

Still undefeated and dominating almost all their opponents. Looking at their remaining schedule confirms that they’ll be the #1 seed at 10-0. Adam Manlinoff becomes front runner for QBOY. With 37 touchdowns and only 4 INTs hell be tough to catch, these next to games will make it or break it for him. 

2. Notorious C.I.G 6-2

Joey Notaro has taken over and this team might even look better now then before. Unfortunately Joey will be missing this Sunday Vs Hail Marty’s so that game will come down to who will be under center for them. Still at 6-2 they can afford to drop a game and still finish 7-3.  Zachary Mastromonaco has been on fire as he has caught 13 touchdowns which is good enough to lead the division. WROY?  

3. Bandits 6-2

Bandits rise up all the way to #3 as they have won 4 games in a row. Emile Skaf has been playing well, limiting turnovers and putting up solid points on the board. But their defence has been what really has led this team on their streak. Teams only convert 28 % of the time on 4th down against their defence. And they have forced a lot of 4th downs as it takes an average of 13 plays to score against this squad.  

4.  Love Me Sexy 6-2

Missing Nick Groppini was awful as Love Me Sexy only scored 6 points against bandits and just fell apart as we threw 3 INTs and gave up 2 safeties. All I can say is that were ready to get back out there after a week 8 Bye. 

5. Melons 6-2

A number of teams at 6-2 in the division and Melons are one of the top 5 teams in the division thus far. Manny Bizogias has thrown 34 touchdowns with a 64 completion percentage. 3rd in the division in yardage with 1367. Justin Schwartz has been a ball hawk all season as he has tallied up 6 interceptions in 8 games. 

6.SNP  5-3

Sitting at 5-3 this team has been a pleasant surprise beating top teams like Notorious C.I.G, Melons and Black Shinobi. Sam Anastasopoulos has been one of the best 2-Way players of the year. Double digit touchdowns and 5 interceptions on the season will absolutely put him in the discussion. 

7.   Black Shinobi 5-3

Black Shinobi has played well most of the season and big part is due to Sammy Omombo and emerging #1 receiver Mendley Joseph. He now leads the team with 7 touchdowns. Their size  and speed make most of their players tough to run routes on. After 8 games this defence only allows 15 points per game and have a total of 15 interceptions. With two games left on the season their week 9 game against a 1-7 team should make their week 10 game versus Jaegerbomb a winner take all for Group E winner. 

8. Jägerbombers 6-2

Despite being 6-2 and playing really good football but have failed to beat any of the top teams. Both of their losses came to Snowdon Deli Degens and The Process. But they have a chance to change that as they still have two important games remaining, one being against Black Shinobi which I predict will be for the Group winner. Thomas G-Lajoie has surpassed Alexandre Bachaalani as touchdown leader with 9. 

9. The Process 5-3

The Process had many Highs and Lows this season and have had wildly different results. Their week 8 loss to Knights 2.0 was unexpected as they only had 1 win previously. To be fair, their offence did perform well as they scored 38. Noah Groper is probably one of the best mobile quarterbacks in div D. Their week 3 loss to Old Pats means they need 2 more wins and another loss for Old Pats to win the division.  

10. GloGang 4-3

Unable to win the Division and catch Love Me Sexy, GloGang are still fighting for the best seeding possible. With Bruno Provencher, under center the team has rallied offensively but have been struggling defensively. Their last 3 opponents have scored 25 or more and GloGang have one of the lowest total turnover numbers in the entire division. They need to figure out how to improve their defence and fast as they have a double header here in week 9.