Div E Quarter Final Recap

(Hello all, I’m sorry that this article is so late. I wrote it days ago and meant to post it before Tuesday’s game, but I came down with an ear infection among other things and spent a couple days in bed and totally forgot to post this. My semi-final recap will be out shortly.) 

Good afternoon everyone, if you’re reading this I am assuming that your team has advanced to the semi final, however if you are simply reading it for pleasure, nice! 

I did not give predictions for the quarter final, but if I had they would have been pretty spot-on given our four teams in the semis. 

Additionally, I’ve been asked to do play-by-play in the Div E final so if your team advances to that point not only do you get the chance to compete for a championship, but you also get to hear my beautiful voice from the sideline! I’m not sure which one is more appealing to be honest. 

The Praetorian Guard 26 – 6 Tsizzle

It must be said that the first half of this game, despite being close, was terribly boring. Tsizzle’s opening drive was promising. They used five plays to march the majority of the field, before Jared Buck intercepted a throw from Carmelo Di Giovanni. Buck’s strong play continued on offense, he and Mederic Lauzon connected for a 25 yard gain which ultimately set up Michael Timmis’ 1 yard touchdown and put the Praetorian Guard on top early. Tsizzle responded with a solid 9 play possession, resulting in an 8 yard score from Joe Morgese to even the match. Morgese finished with a game-high 64 receiving yards with a touchdown, he also recorded 2 PDs and 4 tackles on defense. Both teams traded interceptions on the next two possessions but neither were able to convert them to points, the game went to halftime 6-6. The Praetorian Guard had a much different tone in the second half. They had the ball to start, and with it they marched down the field in 7 plays and converted with a two yard touchdown to Benjamin Bourque. Three plays later Etienne de Blois picked off an errand throw by Di Giovanni and The Praetorian Guard were off to the races. Lauzon found Buck for a 10 yard touchdown and the game was somewhat out of reach. In case it wasn’t, after another pick by the guards, they needed just one play for Lauzon to find De Blois for a 40 yard touchdown and secure their trip to the semi final. 

I must give Tsizzle their due credit; they held a powerhouse of a team to just 6 points in the first half, albeit the guards did make a number of mistakes, they also defeated Magnetos in the first round which is very impressive no matter how many players they had on the field. 

As for The Praetorian Guard, despite having a less than ideal first half, they were able to rally to score 20 unanswered points in the second half and show why they belong in the top four of Div E. The best part of it all, for me at least, is that after the game I said ‘good game’ to Qb Mederic Lauzon, and he responded ‘no. Bad game.” They definitely have a winning mentality, and I would not be surprised to see this team in the final come August 14th (which I will be doing play-by-play for if you didn’t know). 

Minchia FT 6 – 27 Black Label 

This game was a toss-up for me heading into it, because I hadn’t seen much of Black Label beforehand. One thing I must say is that their Qb Frederic Juneau throws the ball harder than I can hit a golf ball. Obviously that is hyperbole, but I’m just trying to demonstrate that he absolutely rips it. I saw this man running right and throw a dart across his body to the other side of the field twice. Only one was caught but they were both dimes. He did not start the game well though, on Black Label’s first drive he threw a pick to Justin Néemeh. On the next play Néemeh and Qb Adam Antel connected for a 25 yard gain which set up his own 15 yard touchdown. The ensuing drive from Black Label had much more umph to it, if you will. It was only three plays long resulting in a 10 yard rushing touchdown from Juneau, who is quite a good runner along with his bullet arm. On the next scrimmage play Samuel Sicard regained possession for his team, he intercepted a throw from Antel, setting up a short field for Black Label. Unfortunately for them they were unable to convert it to points and the game remained tied. Minchia’s ensuing drive began strong with two 9 yard completions, however it stalled at mid-field and the ball would be turned over on downs. Juneau and Black Label did not squander their opportunity again. First he found Felix Cossette for 26 yards, then he and Julien Pare for the touchdown to take the lead. 

Minchia began the second half with a 22 yard completion to Matthew Neiss, however the opportunity slipped through their fingers on the goal line with a turnover on downs. They also would be at a disadvantage on defense as Justin Neemeh got into an argument with a ref and had to sit out 10 plays. Black Label’s next possession was remarkable. Juneau rushed for a 40 yard touchdown, avoiding many tackles, and seemingly running into the semis for his squad. 

In the past I’ve criticized Adam Antel’s Qb play for Minchia. However, his first drive of the game was tremendous, and it made me believe that all he needs to improve is his confidence. I noticed this again late in the game before it was out of reach, rather than taking a chance on the deep ball he went for the checkdown multiple times. If he had a little more confidence in his throws I believe this game could have ended differently, I hope you take that into consideration next season. 

Les Petites Carottes 45 – 32 Win Diesel 

This was a tremendous game to watch and the Qb play was excellent on both sides. The score does not reflect the tight nature of the game and that’s because on the final play Gabriel Jobin picked off William Sebag and took it home for 6, other than that it was tense. 

Win Diesel opened the match with 7 play touchdown drive which was scored by Marcus Lynch. Les Petites Carottes responded with two plays, one being a 36 yard gain by Laurent Beauchamp, and the other a 4 yard touchdown from Jason Rayes to the league leader Xavier Brault. Win Diesel’s next drive resulted in a punt, which opened the door for LPC, and they capitalized. Another quick drive ended in a 33 yard touchdown to Nicolas Cloutier and LPC had taken the lead. Win Desel remained undeterred though and ran a crazy-long 10 play drive which resulted in another Marcus Lynch score. Lynch did account for all 5 of Win Diesel’s touchdowns so if this seems repetitive I apoligize. 

LPC scored once more before the half and took a 7 point lead into the break. Win Disel started the second half very well. They forced a turnover on downs for LPC, then took just one play for a 43 yard touchdown to Marcus Lynch to tie up the game. Unfortunately for them, Laurent Beauchamp did the same thing on the next play from scrimmage to regain the lead. 

This game was tremendous because neither team stopped trying. Just before the 5 play mark, Sebag and Lynch connected for his fifth score of the game and had all of the spectators thinking we were in for some overtime. Unfortunately for them Les Petites Carottes had other plans. On first down Rayes ran half the field, then after two incompletions he finally connected with Beauchamp once more to put them ahead. As I mentioned before, Win Diesel were unable to recover and LPC have secured a spot in the semis. 

I must say that I hardly expected this game to be so close, and maybe it could have gone differently if Win Diesel had Barthelemy Hugé in the game. Regardless, this was some fantastic competition and I commend Win Diesel’s efforts against one of the better teams in the division. 

Vick in A Box 28 – 6 The Penetrators 

I always had Vick in a Box pegged as a final four team but I never expected them to have such a dominant showing against a solid Penetrators team. 

The Penetrators took the ball to begin and it seemed like we were in for another tight one. Justin Goodman completed his first two throws to Josh Jacobson for a total of 27 yards. The drive then unfortunately stalled in VIAB territory, turning the ball over on downs. Vick in a Box then drove down most of the field with a very long drive, but ultimately they too were unable to convert on fourth down, handing the ball back to the Pens. 

The Penetrators gained control of the ball deep in their own territory, and quickly went 4-and-out. Vick in a Box did not squander their opportunity again, Nick Richard found Nicholas Sanche for the 1 yard touchdown to break the 0-0 tie. Things quickly went downhill for the Penetrators after that. On the next drive Nicholas Fon beat Craig Browning cleanly with a stop-n-go and I was sure it would be a touchdown. Then Max Burah appeared somehow and swatted the ball, an amazing play. This play was a little controversial though, as the last time these two teams met Fon made a similar play but was given a substantial penalty for it. In my opinion, neither of the plays warranted penalties as both times the ball was the principal point of contact. Credit to Fon, he agreed despite being on the wrong end of the swat and it was ruled an incompletion. Hunter Fodor on the other hand, vehemently disagreed with the refs and started yelling at them despite Fon’s best efforts to calm him down. He was immediately slapped with a 10 play objectionable conduct penalty, and one play later he was ejected because he did not stop. Fodor single handedly lost his team 20 yards and a player and took them out of opposing territory. The next play was 2nd and 30, which resulted in a Nicholas Sanche pick-6, a devastating dagger for The Penetrators. 

I understand being angry with a call, but I don’t really get continuing to chew out the ref when you’ve already penalized your team from the sideline. 

Nevertheless, the Pens still had the ball and were looking to cut a hole in VIAB’s lead before the half. They made it into opposing territory before another unfortunate mishap. On the final play of the half rather than having a chance at the end zone, the snap soared over the head of Justin Goodman and the Penetrators went into the break down 13-0. 

Midway through the second half Noah Assayag delivered a glimmer of hope to his team. He picked off a throw from Nick Richard, and punched in a 10 yard touchdown to erase the 0 from the board. Sadly for them it did not amount to much. Just before the 5 play remaining mark Nick Richard and Coby Burah connected for a 23 yard touchdown which put the difference at 22 effectively ending the game. 

I’ve said it before, and I’m saying it again now; Vick in a Box are tremendous on defense and it could genuinely take them far in these playoffs. 

Semi-Final Matchups

Les Petites Carottes vs. Vick in a Box. 

The Praetorian Guard vs. Black Label.

Good luck to everyone! I am excited to see who makes the final.