Division 5A & 5B Week 7 Recap – FlagPlus Football League

Week 7

Thoughts of the week

Great to see the Longhorns get back into the Top 8. If they continue to figure things out, they’ll be a tough team to knock out of the playoffs.
It’s never a good idea to jump into a game playing QB right after scorekeeping.
I finally tracked down Adam Rosen, great guy.
Two of my favorite guys to interview make another appearance this week.
Planning for a vacation with other people is never an easy task.
Why are all the best shows on Netflix about unsolved crime and serial killers?
It’s never fun taking highway 40 to drive to Hebert. They really need to do something about our roads.
Just found a new glitch in GTA online to make $1000 every 2 seconds, too bad these shortcuts didn’t exist in real life.
We’re coming up to the best few months in sports and I couldn’t be more excited.
Shoutout to Dan Lazzara who helped score keep for me while I had to play my game.
Thanks for reading, hope everybody has a great week.

GLC 40 vs. Dream Chasers 39

The game of the week for me, it’s not often that we see 79 points scored in a game in Division 5. If you enjoy tough nosed defense then this game probably isn’t for you. If I was Ben McMahon then I wouldn’t be able to help think about my one interception and whether or not it cost me the game. Not to put any added pressure on him, because if I am able to put up 39 points, I don’t see it being his fault.

The game probably shouldn’t have been as close as it was, as the Dream Chasers were able to get a couple of lucky bounces in the endzone for a few of their scores, but either way, what stood out to me was the determination of GLC and their ability to win games in different ways every week. Their defense has been carrying them most of the season as Hai Minh Luong points out in an interview later in the article, but their offense got going in their time of need.

Ben McMahon was able to buy a lot of time with the ball to let his receivers get open and it caused GLC a lot of headache. Ultimately, the GLC defense never really figured it out. On the offensive side of the ball, Hai Minh Luong didn’t focus on a single player, but rather call patterns to get different guys open at different times and take advantage of the holes in the zones that the Dream Chasers were giving up. 6 different receivers had at least 2 catches and 3 different receivers had a touchdown.

The matchup came down to each teams’ redzone offense and the real score of the game, in my opinion, was 4 extra points to 3. A lot of times with these make or break plays it can take some luck, but most of all it requires experience. Hai Minh Luong just had a few more options to work with and a little bit more experience than McMahon and it’s the reason why they finished just on top. Barely.

Les Voyous 34 vs. Bruthers 18

As it turns out, it’s not just the Christmas break that can hurt teams. Due to the bye week and a little bit of unlucky scheduling, the Bruthers haven’t played in almost three weeks and it showed. They looked extremely rusty in Week 6 both on offense and defense. Blown coverages, a lot of dropped balls and a lack of communication led to the upset.

Les Voyous started strong and simply didn’t stop scoring. Often using trips to perfection, Sebastien Dallaire looked to Vincent Laganiere early and often and the Bruthers simply didn’t have an answer. Steve Sanner didn’t have his best game on either side of the ball, only managing their first points on their last drive of the first half. I asked him what about Les Voyous caused them problems in this game and he gave me one word – opportunistic. It’s a great description as you can see that Dallaire averaged more than 10 yards per completion and when he had trouble going short, the long ball often opened up for him where it hasn’t really yet this season.

While the game was much closer in the second half, the Bruthers were already too far behind, which led to Sanner’s interception. Once Dallaire moved the ball into the redzone, the Bruthers simply didn’t have an answer. I think if we played this game again later on in the season, the result may be different, but ultimately none of that matters. Les Voyous jumped on every opportunity they had and sent the Bruthers home with a loss.

The Process 26 vs. ORSA 19

In a much closer tilt than the Process we’re probably expecting, they were able to narrowly escape the upset and avoid losing to a team with only 1 other win. While their record isn’t great, ORSA is a much better team than how they show up in the standings.

ORSA has two outstanding players and a great support cast, with a quarterback who can drive the field. If I had to critique their game with only a small sample size, it would be to try and stretch the field a little bit more to keep their opponent guessing. They use a lot of short hooks and slants and while they are extremely efficient doing so, they would upon up some more space if they took a few more shots deep. Matteo Marino and Agostino Giagnacovo are two of the better players in the Division and are more than capable of making big plays down the field, I actually got the sense that they were underused.

Antonio Spezzia started the game with a very efficient drive, completing 5 straight passes at one point, getting a first down by running the ball and finishing the driver off with a 3 yard touchdown to Massimo Barbusci. They excelled and holding the ball for long periods of time, keeping the ball out of Langburt’s hands in order to keep the game close and to try and get The Process to make a mistake. On defense, ORSA pretty much kept DonnDre Borden out of the game so it was Ariel Librati and Noah “Edleman” Groper who had to rise up to the occasion for the process. Both of them showed the ability to make plays for the Process and be counted upon. Ariel Librati in particular made a few Moss like catches to wow the crowd. I shouldn’t call it a crowd really, there was probably 3 people in attendance. More if you count Andrew’s family watching the tapes.

The Process, equally efficient on offense, didn’t have a lot of trouble driving the field in this one, save for a tipped ball into the defender’s hands. They were able to score just before the and then again to start the 2nd half which was huge for them. Late in the second half, DonnDre Borden made up for the low output on offense by breaking up a 4th down play to shut down the hopes for ORSA to get the upset. While ORSA did manage to score on their next drive, they simply ran out of time to be able to mount any kind of comeback.

Black Knights 31 vs Les Carcajous 12

For those expecting a blowout in this game, myself included, you would think judging by the score that we got what we expected. Watching the game first hand, I’d actually argue that this one was a lot closer than the score shows and that Les Carcajous showed a lot of promise at times. Just to give you an idea, we were all tied up at 12 at the half before the Black Knights turned it on in the second. Let’s take a closer look.

The first drive started and ended with 7 yard passes to Simon Ryan-Plourde with a big play by James Tremblay on 3rd down in between. Just like that, Les Carcajous were up 6-0. On the ensuing drive, Stephane Larosiliere completed 3 passes to Dynell Pierre, including a 12 yard touchdown pass and I watched, iPad in hand, happy that my prediction looked to be coming true. When Les Carcajous came up empty on their second driver, the Black Knights were able to go up 12-6. Each time, both teams went for 2 which was a little bit surprising to me. On the play of the night, though, Alexandre Lacroix made a fantastic grab for 38 yards to set up his team nicely and then Steven Boulay-Bourque finished it off. Just like that, 12-12.

It was around this time I noticed that Dynell was playing with his shoes untied, so like any good Samaritan, I mentioned it to him. He laughed it off with a slightly cocky smile and let me know that this was exactly how he preferred to torch his defenders. Imagine having a guy burn you only to realize he did it without even tying his shoes? I wonder how many defenders Pierre has done this to in the past.

The second half was all Black Knights. I should mention that Les Carcajous made big plays in the first half and showed that they belong in this game. Benjamin Reid has a very strong arm and I think he’s just missing a weapon or two to really get this offense going. On a positive note, I finally learned what a “Carcajous” looks like as I couldn’t help but look it up on my phone.

Power Rankings

Division 5A

Super Saiyans (6-0)
Outlaws (6-0)
Rollin’ with Mahomies (6-1)
GLC (6-1)
Voodoo (6-2)
Bruthers (4-1)
Spartans (4-2)
Longhorns (4-3)

Division 5B

The Process (6-0)
Bruins (6-0)
The U (5-1)
EZW (5-2)
Takeover (5-2)
Honey Martin (5-1-1)
Le Speakeasy (5-2)
Black Knights (4-3)

Corey’s Love ‘EM & Hate ‘EM

Since we’re a little bit too late for me to make predictions, let’s take a look at how I did last week. Both Joel Houle and Justin Cerantola had 4 touchdown games, but they also each had at least 1 turnover, so let’s call that a draw. Brandon Aylward didn’t play and Tents & Hammocks got shut out, and David De Andrade had a very decent game and beat a good team. I’d actually say that Nicolas Saro had a slow day for his standards, but Adam Rosen balled out. To round out Division 5A, Vincent Marquis led Palpatine with 7 catches and a touchdown, while Kevin Donnet only had 2 catches.

In 5B, Larosiliere and Dynell Pierre had a big day but Emile Plante had a disappointing outing against the Punishers who look to be back to form on defense. Benjamin Reid starting his game way but then came back down to earth in the second half against a tough oppoenent and Ryan Kharouf looked like the real Ryan Kharouf this week. You’ll hear more from him later. Both Matteo Marino and Ryan Lelinowski had quiet days as I thought, and while Jimmy Marneris led his team, it was only with 4 catches for 44 yards, hardly to his potential.

5A Quarterbacks I LOVE in Week 7

“You Ball, You get the Call”

Another lineup of great performances this week, including a return to form by both Ryan Kharouf and Alex Bachaalani. Also, I finally tracked down Adam Rosen after a big week for the Longhorns, you’ll want to see just how he compares himself to Antonio Brown. Wide Receivers can be such divas, but Rosen, he is no diva. As usually, thanks for participating everybody, see you at the field.

Broccasion – Kristian Cerantola – 8 catches, 40 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs

Big win this week! What do you attribute the success on both sides of the ball to?

Definitely attribute the team success to effort and time. Without a doubt there has been a tremendous amount of effort put in from all on both sides of the ball and we were beginning to hit our stride in week 6. Justin has been able to identify individual skills set which are attributing to our overall success and creating synergies on the field with every passing week. We’re beginning to gel as a team.

Has it been tough giving the reigns to Justin? Do you ever speak up in the huddle or you leave him total control?

I hardly ever speak up in the hudle….as long as he knows im always open, I think were good to go.

Give me a few reasons why you think Broccasion will compete for a championship this year.

Effort, communication, and a willingness to learn. Our biggest obstacle this season has been the lack of experience on the roster, FPF is a different type of game and guys like Brian, Josh, and Andreas who have never played before have done a great job of acclimating to the game and fulfilling their duties on the field. P.S shout out to the rest of the team! Michael, Franco, Jonathan….and Owen, I guess.

Super Saiyans – Dylan Segall – 4 catches, 70 yards, 3 TDs, 2 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD

Every week I seem to feature a new guy from your squad, would you say your depth is the strength of the team?

No doubt, everyone on our team balls out. You can’t cover all of us so a different guy steps up every week.

Do you guys have any friendly competitions going on as to who can produce the most?

Yes we gotta stay competitive within the team. When one guy goes off it gives me motivation to show out next game.

Who would you compare yourself to in the NFL and why?

Michael Thomas. He never drops a pass and I pride myself on being a reliable target for our Qb. Also he uses his height to abuse smaller DBs.

GLC – Hai Minh Luong – 16/27, 196 yards, 6 TDs, 1 rush, 2 yards (40-39 victory)

The big question on everybody’s mind, why the change from Green Lantern Corps to GLC?

I have no idea why from green lantern to GLC. Maybe too long as a name but I don’t know. We still have the same team 🙂

That was an extremely close game but you guys pulled it off. What contributed to the victory?

I was able to spread the ball. So it was hard for their defence to focus on one player. Extra point is so important when it comes to close games. We were losing by 5 pts with 6 plays remaining. And i saw holes in their zone defence. I was hitting the opened receiver. With 5 yards remaining and 2 plays, i knew that they would play man to man. First pass was too low but on the last play they show the same defence, so i pass to my best receiver for the final TD

Do you think this is the year that you get your first championship?

Every year we aim for the championship. We play very well on defence and thats why we were able to win close games. Even though we have a good record, this is one of lowest numbers in.offence, as long we get the W and we make the playoffs that is what matters

Longhorns – Adam Rosen – 1 catch, 25 yards, 1 TD, 7 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD, 2 Def. TDs

You’ve been around on the Longhorns for a while, what’s the best part about playing with a group of vets, being the youngest on the team?

Haha the best part has to be arriving to often find out were playing vs friends of mine, yet me and the old timers often give them a pretty good run for their money

Your loyalty seems strong in a world where Wide Receivers are made to be divas. What are the biggest differences between you and somebody like Antonio Brown? Similarities?

The longhorns are really the team ive been with since the beginning and I couldnt have it any other way really I enjoy our play style and I think they use my ability pretty well when we need it, not to mention playing on the same team as your dad is a pretty remarkable experience.

All kidding aside, it’s been a little bit of a bumpy road for you guys this season. Do you think you guys are back on track now?

This season we have been battling a couple injuries throughout the team but we have built some momentum with the past few games so I hope we can close out the season in a good way

Les Gros Coqs – Dom Lefort – 15/31, 230 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT, 2 rushes, 51 yards

I’ve been excited to ask you guys, who came up with the name and the jerseys? One of the best combo’s in FPF in my opinion.

A guy who was cut from the team named Éloi Fournier, aka Woods, came up with the name and the logo. At first, we wanted to be the Monster Cocks, but we had to switch to Les Gros Coqs instead for whatever reason. For the jerseys, it was an idea from the designer of MBK Sublimation (free ad for him!).

This was probably your best game of the season, pretty close to game. What have been your biggest challenges in FPF in your first year?

Obviously, since we are new to FPF and we used to play every Saturday at the same field, some guys have had difficulties coming to the right field at the right time. We’re working hard on that, and we’re doing everything we can to make our fans happy.

Can you share with us something about the team that the media and the league may not know about?

The biggest Coq on our team is Étienne Moisan. For Christmas, he received a Coq heater.

Finessers – Ryan Kharouf – 20/25, 294 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT, 1 tackle, 1 Def. INT, 1 PD

Finessers – Alexandre Bachaalani – 7 catches, 119 yards, 4 TDs

It’s not like you guys, but what explains the slow start to the season?

Ryan: Nirosh wasnt with us no more so I had to pull out some magic trick. Plus I was busy chasing the bag so we were always late.

Alex: We were still on that Holidays hangover, guys were showing up late to games, I personally was washed up and out of shape, and Ryan was straight garbage. No worries tho, we’ll sneak in the playoffs and lose in the first round for the culture.

Between the two of you, probably both of your best games of the season. Is this a sign that things are turning around?

Ryan: We never left, he gonna win WR of the Year…NO CAP! #securethebag

Alex: Yeah for sure. We’re back on track and nobody can stop that deadly connection now. See me in the end zone

If you had to critique each other’s game, what’s one thing that Ryan can do better and what is something Alex needs to improve on?

Ryan: Alex needs to be taller, 5’10 aint gon cut it.

Alex: He thinks he’s the best QB in FPF. I mean, he is, but he needs to chill out you know? Can’t let this get to his head or else he’s going to start playing like trash lol.

Black Knights – Dynell Pierre – 9 catches, 73 yards, 3 TDs, 2 tackles

Did reading last weeks previews give you motivation for this week? I was happy to see my prediction come true.

Not really, im always motivated when its about football but big S/O to my QB stephan who gives me the chance to make big plays for them and obviously glad to make your prediction come true.

In my opinion, you guys have no real weakness but you can often be your own worst enemies. What will it take for you guys to win it all this season?

I thinks its all about adjustments we have to make game after game and learn by our mistakes until the final. But as you say our real weakness it’s ourselves.

I gotta ask about the shoe laces man. How long have you been doing that and why?

Haha its been a while. Im a lazy man when its come for shoe laces but dont get it twisted i can still ball hard just like the little demonstration i gave you in this game