Division 5 Semi Final Previews

Let’s keep it short and jump right into tonight’s matchups.

Good luck to the 8 teams still alive in Division 5.

 

Division 5A

Semi-Finals Preview

1. Greendale Human Beings vs. 5. 10 Guys, One Cup

Previous Matchup:  N/A

When you go 29/30 against a solid defense like the Mud Dogs, it can be difficult to step up for an encore. Danny Aylward was in record books territory as he only managed 1 incompletion in 30 pass attempts on the night. If you check the record books, he is already firmly atop with a completion percentage of 96.67%, the highest ever in a playoff game. Congratulations to Aylward, however I am sure that he is already looking forward to a bigger prize.

As usual, Brandon Aylward and Alex Joltopuf did most of the damage receiving, the latter managing 14 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. They definitely took advantage and used Joltopuf underneath while the Mud Dogs tried hard to take away the deep ball. Looking ahead, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Daniel Lazzara lock in on Joltopuf instead of Aylward and perhaps we would see more of a matchup between Daron Migdesyan and Brandon Aylward.

Regardless of the way you look at things, I can’t imagine this game being anything other than a shootout. Both teams have offenses that are clicking right now and both Danny Aylward and Matthew Yanakoulias have been at the top of their game. I believe that this game will be somewhat matchup proof in the sense that regardless of who covers who, I give the advantage to the offense. This game will come down to who scores last.

 

Keys to Victory:

Greendale Human Beings

• Can Danny Aylward be close to perfect for two games in a row?
• One two punch of Brandon Aylward and Alex Joltopuf have been unstoppable all season, they will need to keep it rolling.
• If they can get Yanakoulias off of his game early, they may fall into a hole and get off their game plan.
• Pick on other players besides Lazzara and Migdesyan.

 

10 Guys, One Cup

• Will Lerner be healthy enough to be relevant?
• Matthew Yanakoulias needs to be dialled in as he has been recently.
• Win Ugly
• Bend but don’t break kind of defense. If you can match Greendale score for score, you have a chance to win on a last possession or because of extra points.

 

Prediction: 33-31 Greendale Human Beings

 

7. Hurricane SZN vs. 8. Les Flamants Fous

Previous Matchup: 44-21 Hurricane SZN

Who says defense wins championships? If you take a look at the Quarterfinals, the four teams remaining have put up a total of 135 points, averaging just over 38 points each. It’s also amazing to see the 7 seed and 8 seed playing against eachother. However, if you watch the Game of the Week from last game, you’ll see that it’s no surprise to see a player like Jarryd Taylor bring his team to the semis. Les Flamants Fous, on the other hand, have played extremely well in the playoffs and caught Grand Lionel and Texas BareManz by surprise.

You could argue that neither of the teams that Les Flamants Fous have played were at full strength, however they are definitely entering the dragon’s den tonight. Taylor can use any of his weapons at any given time and mix in some rushing offense to keep Les Flamants Fous on their toes. If their previous matchup is any indication, Hurricane SZN should be able to score at will. They made Zach Zwirn look pedestrian in their last game, the pressure will be on Thomas Coutu this time around.

 

Keys to Victory:

Hurricane SZN

• Stick to the game plan. Athletically, they match up well against anybody.
• Taylor to not force any throws, take what the defense gives him.
• Keep an extra eye on Thomas Coutu both offensively and defensively.

 

Les Flamants Fous

• Contain Jarryd Taylor, force him to throw from the pocket and hope he makes mistakes
• No turnovers. If you give Hurricane any extra posessions, this game will be over fast.
• Thomas Coutu needs to have a huge game on both sides of the ball, no pressure.

 

Prediction: 39 – 32 Hurricane SZN

 

Divison 5B

 

Semi-Finals Preview

 

1. Wrecking Crew vs. Blue Team

Previous Matchup: N/A

Both times are quick off extremely close games and probably feel like they are lucky to still be around – more so even for Wrecking Crew. I’ve been surprised by the chemistry all season for Wrecking Crew and they have yet to come out with two poor performances in a row. For Blue Team, they beat a very good team and managed to do so even on a day where Alexandre Raymond threw 2 interceptions. To me, what was even more impressive, was that they did it without really having a huge input from David Horwood. They have proven that they can win tight games with other players stepping up and that makes them dangerous.

The Wrecking Crew formula is fairly simple. Avoid big plays on defense and take advantage of mismatches on offense. Stephen Harripersaud has done a good job seeing the field and will need to avoid players like Alex Deslauriers and Alexandre Raymond. What I can say for certain is that they will need to put together more successful drives and punch the ball in if they want to succeed. 13 points won’t cut it this time around.

It was great to see Alexandre Raymond spread the ball around evenly and he will need to dissect another zone defense yet again tonight. I would imagine that if they can put up 30+ points that they will have a good chance at success. If it’s a low scoring game, I give the advantage to Wrecking Crew.

 

Keys to Victory:

Wrecking Crew

• No turnovers for Harripersaud
• Shyanne Stewart to not be as invisible this week, I expect him to have more of an impact.
• Contain Alex Deslauriers and David Horwood

 

Blue Team

• I see Raymond using his legs a bit more this time around.
• Get in the Wrecking Qbs face early, make him move around.
• David Horwood to have a bigger presence, even if that means on defense.

 

Prediction: Wrecking Crew 26-21

 

1. Moss City vs. 2. Takeover

Previous Matchup : 38-28 Moss City

I’d like to start for saying two things. Apologies for taking Moss City lightly; Arno Desjardins and company absolutely dominated the game against Black Knights and as I mentioned would need to happen, a few players stepped up who were not named Bruno Provencher. Secondly, could Moss City have the secret formula to dismantle Takeover? Is there previous game any kind of indication that this matchup is highly in their favour? I can no longer dismiss what Moss City has done late in the season, the playoffs, and most importantly, in their previous matchup against Takeover.

As for Takeover, while they were able to beat a good team in Mogadishu Pirates, Ian Einheiber and the team as a whole will have to play better against Moss City. 3 interceptions just simply won’t cut it, however I liked the way that Einheiber distributed the ball. There are both pros and cons to William Power not needing to be the main focus and them still coming away with the win, but I think he will need to be a bigger force on offense. That said, it should be Moss City’s first order of business to try and remove him from the game. To be clear, that doesn’t mean injure him, but keep his impact low.

This game will be interesting as Moss City will try and duplicate their performance from earlier in the season, however I still expect Takeover to perform better and show that they have learned a thing or two from their previous meeting and from the subpar game last week. It’s hard to give an edge to either team, but I would bet that Moss City is in their opponents head somewhat whether Takeover would agree or not.

 

Keys to Victory:

Moss City

• Make William Power a non-factor on both sides of the ball.
• Arno Desjardins to build off last week, distribute the ball evenly and stay in his comfort zone.
• Is Ben De Tilly’s name finally catching some attention? He will have to continue to shine in situations where the defense focuses on Provencher

 

Takevover

• Repetitive, but Einheiber will have to be much better this week. His mistakes will burn him this time around.
• Arciero and Benjamin will play huge roles yet again.
• Keep an eye on Provencher but don’t over compensate either. Trust in the defence that brought you this far.

 

Prediction: 28-25 Moss City