Division 5 players of the month; who is the best 0-4 team?

Every season, it’s the same story. We have a few teams that ride the wave of an impressive regular season record on their way to the playoffs. Conversely, we have teams that are singled out as the dark horse due to their obviously stronger schedule, whereas their record is anything but indicative of their potential. Lastly, yes, football is a marathon, but some teams need to start their engines and join the race.

My mind is racing in circles and running laps, scribbling these words with these concepts and topics. Feeling like my vocab has almost been exhausted. Trying to find a balance, reaching for my equilibrium. I am not on the same schedule as most, my demeanor and my timing is a little o-o-offbeat. This week’s agenda is as follows:

 

By the NUMBERS, Top 3 Recaps, Players of the Month for January, Best 0-4 team, 2015 FPF Hall of Fame Class, and a few predictions.

 

By the NUMBERS

Here’s a numerical breakdown of events that transpired last week and since the beginning of the 2015 season.

13: division 5 games took place on Saturday night. Yup, it was a busy night for our division as we kicked off week 4 in style.

4: teams that are still pursuing perfection as the The Gryphons, Les Verges Folles, Tomahawk Nightmare and the Gators remain undefeated after 4 weeks, having won each of their respective games. We did not count ties in this category.

40+: number of points generated by the following six teams as Dope Boys, The Gryphons, Junkyard Dogs, Les Loups, Maximum Carnage and Cougars kept the scorekeepers busy with their offensive production.

7: Number of teams that have yet to find that elusive W. Some have been knocking on the door, so it is only a matter of time before this list diminishes. They are Les Guerriers de L’espace, Mad Bears, Tyrants, Butterfingers, Venom, the Road Warriors and Killuminati.

0: number of points separating the DG Goons and the Road Warriors when the final whistle went off. Their contest ended in a 24-24 draw for the only tie this week.

3: games in which the margin of victory was a single point in week 4. Talk about the importance of those converts! They may not show up on the stat sheet, but teams cannot afford to overlook them. Keyport Lock, Les Refs and Golden Flashes know what I am talking about.

0: points surrendered by the Blackshirts, who pitched the only shutout this week.

 

Top 3 Recaps

Aleksander Papich, The Gryphons top Goats 47-25

The Gryphons had a nice warm up opposite the Goats in the battle of the undefeated. Aleksander Papich tossed 7 touchdowns to stay in contention for the Div 5 QB of the year and help his team make a statement to the rest of the division, while remaining undefeated in the process. This was the real first test for The Gryphons, who opened the season with a very manageable schedule. They answered the bell in Week 4.

The Goats defence failed in its bid for a statement-making performance, after surrendering a season-high 47 points. However, the Goats’ offence was much more successful than its defence. They hit their mark in terms of their season average of 26.5 points per game. This is still a very good team and with the pressure of going undefeated in a season off their shoulders, I look for them to rebound and come out swinging next week against a tough opponent in the Rednecks.

Les Loups take down Venom 41-13

Venom’s quarterback J.S. St-Pierre was seeing orange all night as he was harassed and tossed 5 interceptions. He could have easily thrown in the towel, but he, as well as Venom, showed character and kept going. Having built a comfortable 26-point lead at half time, Les Loups quickly marked their territory against Venom. AJ Kirouac put his team up by two scores after hauling in a short pass in the middle of the Venom’s defence. Benoit Chabot added to the lead on a 40-yard TD shortly after. JR Beausoleil spelled doom for the defence and their rusher with electric moves that evaded the rush and allowed him to locate wide-open receivers all night.

Despite being down and almost out for the count midway through the game, Venom did show some heart and were determined to make the second half a much more competitive. Their offence finally got into gear as veterans Frank Kaye and François Brochu respectively found the end zone. Venom’s defence also stood tall only yielding 15 points in the second half.

Junkyard Dogs top The U 40-32, notching a third win in a row

The Junkyard Dogs stormed back from a 2-point deficit and a slow first half to seal the deal against a divisional opponent. Defence was not much of a factor in this one as each team recorded only one sack. The QBs managed to keep the ball out of the defensive team’s hands by not throwing a pick. Both Dustin White and Jason Rossie respectively rushed for a score. The Junkyard Dogs have been in a few close ones this season, but getting that W is all that matters. James Floreani continues to be sidelined with a lower body injury. The good news for the team as that their star player should return in the near future. Floreani, who also plays QB in Division 3, has yet to see the field with the Junkyard Dogs this season.

 

Players of the Month

Who’s trying to up their FPF ratings with monster performances? These guys are so good right now, it’s ridiculous. Trying to describe their dominance at their respective position can be summed up in one word: juggernauts. It’s the same effect in less words. Have a quick look at my Div 5 Players of the Month for January. Want to be featured on this list? You have the month of February to do so.

Defensive Player of the Month: Frédéric Leclerc (Sphinx)

It seems that Leclerc has the ability to hang with anyone who lines up on the offensive side. Whether in a zone defence or in man, he is steadily making plays and always around the ball. After 4 weeks of action, he leads the way with a team-high 19 tackles, including 3 interceptions—two of which have been returned for touchdowns. His two scores on defence, are the most in his FPF career and we still have 6 more games to be played. He is certainly making a strong case to boost up his ranking on D with a breakout year. Continue le beau travail.

QB of the Month: Jean-François Marquis (Tomahawk Nightmare)

Jean-François Marquis has been delivering consistently outrageous numbers for a couple of years now. In his first three seasons with Tomahawk Nightmare, Marquis has tossed at least 40 TD passes. With 17 TD passes so far, he is well on his way to duplicating those numbers. It is worth noting that prior to this week, he was the only starting QB in Div 5 to have not thrown an interception. All good things come to an edns and that streak ended against Saint-Lucs. Having already two championships to his FPF résumé, Marquis should have high expectations…and a slightly higher QB rating.

Offensive Player of the Month: Dylan Taylor (Blackshirts)

This was certainly not an easy one to choose from. Eddy Martinez and Tony Testa were in that photo finish. But Dylan Taylor has made a dent in the standings that cannot be ignored. Although his receiving yards per game have been on somewhat of a decline, his impact and production remains impressive. Being in the top 5 in receiving yards (330), receiving touchdowns (7) and receptions (24), you are killing it.

 

Best 0-4 team

Les Guerriers de L’espace get my nod for the best 0-4 team. Despite being a rookie team, there has not been a lack of offensive firepower for this group of young guys. Alex David, who is their QB, also coached these talented playmakers during the tackle season, and now they are trying to find a home in FPF. Antoine Charlebois and Tomas Concilio continue to impress me with their shifty moves and yards after the catch ability. Not easy to catch these two in the open field. Once they get acclimated to playing in our league, which may be sooner than later, they will be dangerous squad. All the pieces are in place for this talented team.

2015 FPF Hall of Fame Class

Congrats to Rehan Sawar, who was recently inducted into the FPF 2015 Hall of Fame class under the category of the contributor. Well deserved. He has been doing it for some time now and has always kept it 100. A class act on and off the field, with the determination to make this league reach its full potential. If you do not know who he is, just ask around. Those who have been around this league, from players, to referees and staff members, all know him. Maybe it’s time for you to see for yourself what all the hype is about.

 

A few predictions

Speed Demons vs Green Lantern Corps

J’s vs TDs and Beer

KGP Lite vs GG’WP’

Blackshirts vs Sticky Hands

Killuminati vs The U

Jagerbomb vs We Dem Boys

Golden Flashes vs Les Verges Folles

 

A few of you have already done so, but feel free to reach out to me via twitter at: @BryanMongeauE. If you have info about your team you wish to share or anything really, this is where I can be reached or on the field. Good luck this week.