Division A/B Mid-Season Report and Women’s Soccer Gold

Welcome to Week 6 of the FlagPlus Football season.

As promised, here is the Division A\B Mid-Season Report. The object of this is to talk about where each team is, their strengths, weaknesses, and where I think they can go. As I said last week, I wanted to wait until all 12 teams played five games before writing the article. Unfortunately, due to the schedule, some teams have played six, but I figured it would make more sense to do it now versus last week when several teams had only played four games.

Here we go…

Division A

Braves (6-0)

Remaining Games: Chernobyl – 21, All-Stars, Chernobyl – 21, Khantraband.

The class of Division A, the Braves lead all teams in scoring (239) and are second in points allowed (168). They average 40 points a game and have only surrendered 28. Did I mention that they are undefeated too?

One of the signs of a great team, is the ability to win in various ways. Blowouts, one-score games, or a defensive slugfest, the Braves have pulled out a victory every time.

Another sign of team greatness is the ability to plug and play different players, and not miss a beat. The Braves appear to have mastered that, as they have made their Receivers and Defensive Backs interchangeable, but at the same time maintained their individual importance to the team’s success.

I played four years of Junior Football with the Chateauguay Raiders. My Quarterback during my first two seasons was Kevin Wyeth. Great leader, hell of an arm, and extremely smart.

All the way back in my rookie year in 2000 (I am 40 if you’re wondering), I was playing Fullback. On a third-down play, I ran a 5-yard hook over the middle. Much to my surprise, Kevin threw me the ball. It was the first pass I had ever caught in a game. (Before joining the Raiders, I played Nose Tackle at Sun Youth. I would actually go back to playing NT my last two years of Junior ball where we won a championship, and then for Concordia as well) Anyways, I caught the pass, broke a tackle, and ran for 15 yards to get first-down and extend the drive. As you could probably imagine, I was pretty proud of myself. The first thing Kevin told me when I got back to the huddle was “You ran the wrong route. You were supposed to run a swing pass. But, great catch.” That always stuck with me. It taught me about accountability on the field. That’s why I put leader as the first attribute to describe Kevin. Chad Byers, a former FPF All-Star would score a few plays later.

All of the memorable moments he has created, displays of leadership, FPF awards, championships, and his Hall of Fame plaque aside for Wyeth, I have to say that Jonathan Maheu is the best Quarterback in FPF right now.  

Are the Braves perfect? No, but they make very few mistakes, and almost always make you pay for yours. Even if they stumble along the way, I just don’t see anybody stopping them from winning yet another championship.

Khantraband (3-2)

Remaining Games: Chernobyl – 21, All-Stars, Braves, Junkyard Dogs, BYOB.

Their Division A leading defense and division record of (3-2) gives them second place in the division, despite having the same number of wins (3) and points (6) as both the All-Stars and Chernobyl – 21.

Khantraband is a team with speed and athleticism to burn. Despite that, this squad is hard to get a read on.

They are (1-2) in one score games. Their only win over a Division A team came all the way back in Week 1 versus the All-Stars. Besides that, their other victories have come against Division B teams in KGP and Here For The Beers.

The two losses Khantraband has suffered came at the hands of the Braves and Chernobyl – 21, by a combined total of 11 points.

Speaking of defense, despite only forcing three interceptions so far, they lead Div. A in points allowed with 163. A key to continuing their stinginess will be the play of Nicholas Gomes-Risso. I have seen the youngest member on that side of the ball give up touchdowns, but I also witnessed him shake it off and make a play the very next time out. That isn’t something you can always teach. While he doesn’t posses the ball hawking ability of his brother A.J, the younger Gomes has made plays on that side of the ball, as he is second on his team in pass deflections with three, and third in tackles with 13.

Offensively, this team can put up points with anybody. Although A.J Gomes, and Serge Pilon Jr, get a lot of attention and rightfully so, teams shouldn’t sleep on David Centomo and Domenico Manno, as both players have been clutch for the team when their numbers have been called by Quarterback Dan Lazzara.

With their upcoming three games against Chernobyl – 21, All-Stars, and the Braves, we will get a clear picture of exactly who Khantraband is. Are they a squad that is just capable of beating mostly Div. B teams, or as their talent suggests, are they a team that should be looked at as an absolute championship threat? I think it is the latter, but we will find out shortly.

All-Stars (3-3)

Remaining Games: Braves, Khantraband, Chernobyl – 21, KGP.

This is arguably the most disappointing team in Div. A. Losers of two straight, the numerous Hall of Fame plaques and championship experience, have not helped them get their act together.

Led by Quarterback Kevin Wyeth, this team can put up points on anybody. The receiving trio of Paul Lapierre, Patrick Jerome, and Matt Kirouac have led the way with a combined 847 yards and 18 touchdowns. The recent addition of Kishon Thompson (another former Raiders teammate of mine) and Jarryd Taylor to the offense (why wasn’t Thompson involved earlier in the year?) have given the team a jolt on that side of the ball.

Unfortunately for the All-Stars, they also give up a lot of points as well, as they lead all Div. A teams in that category with 228. In their last two games, they have given up a whooping 98 points. It goes without saying that the All-Stars, will need to figure things out quickly on that side of the ball.

Besides the defense, the All-Stars will also need to show they can beat a Division A team. Apart from a one-point (32-31) victory over Chernobyl – 21, as the team is (0-2) against the two other teams. With upcoming games against Braves (the second half of a back-to-back), Khantraband, and Chernobyl – 21, the schedule does them no favors.

Normally I would say a team with this much experience and championship pedigree would figure it out, but their recent struggles, and inability to get stops on defense, lead me to think they might not be able to navigate the waters.  

Chernobyl – 21 (3-3)

Remaining Games: Braves, Khantraband, Braves, All-Stars.

Outside of the Braves, this has been the hottest team in Division A. Despite their roster being somewhat influx the last few weeks they reach the halfway point on a three-game winning streak, with impressive wins over Urgence Médic and Khantraband.

Tomorrow is the first of two games in three weeks against the Braves. Talk about your prove it games. Will we see an upset that going back to just Week 2 looked improbable?

Earlier I mentioned having interchangeable parts when it came to the success of the Braves. Chernobyl – 21, takes a slightly different approach, as they have integrated subs like J.F Moquin (Is there a better Travis Kelce comparison in FPF than him? nice hands, good route runner, great at jump balls, and faster than he looks), Vincent Malo, Alexandre Branco, Jeremy Murphy, Nicola Centomo, and Sébastien Deschamps, on both sides of the ball and have not missed a beat.

The regulars on this squad, or at least the players who have played in half of the team’s games so far are not too shabby either, as Mathieu Thuot, Patrick Chenard, Matt Bond, Ryan Aridi, Nicolas Arsenault-Hum, Marc Rémillard, and Alexandre Poulin-Rioux, have made plays and helped lead their team to victories as well.

Speaking of the Braves, Chernobyl – 21, will face them tomorrow night in Lachine, in what could be a game of the week candidate. The outcome of this contest is obviously huge for both sides and could set the tone for their final regular season meeting in two weeks.

Whether they win or lose against the Braves, Chernobyl – 21, has the look and feel of a team that no one wants to face in the playoffs, and for good reason.

They are already guaranteed a playoff spot. If they can survive their murderer’s row of a schedule to finish the regular season, you have to like their chances of playing for a championship.

Division B

Urgence Médic (4-2)

Remaining Games: BYOB, Here For The Beers (twice), Get Off Our D

Just like when they were called the Alpha-T’s, Urgence Médic, simply finds a way to win. They showed earlier in the season against both the Junkyard Dogs and KGP, that they can blow teams out.

Versus the All-Stars, Urgence Médic proved they can get victories via a shootout, and just this past Monday when they took on BYOB, they walked out of Brossard victorious in what could best be described as an ugly mistake filled contest.  

Although they have two losses on their record, those blemishes were to the Braves (25-21) and Chernobyl – 21 (33-31) by a combined six points. Simply put, this team is the class of Division B.

Quarterback Jesse Dupuis might throw some interceptions, but his ability to turn the game around on the other side of the ball negates some of those mistakes.

With players like Mathieu Houle, Emile Beaudoin, Anthony Lapointe, Alexis Gaumont, Marc-Antoine Vallée, and Julien Bellavance, this team that has no shortage of playmakers. More importantly, they are deep with a roster full of big game experience and championship pedigree.   

The two losses suffered by Urgence Médic, shows they can be beaten. As I said earlier though, they were both by a combined touchdown. More importantly, they were against Division A teams.

BYOB, came closer than any other Div. B team to knocking off Urgence Médic this past Monday night (31-25). Thankfully, the schedule Gods give us the rematch this Monday, same time (10PM), same place (Brossard), and same field (#3).

After this week’s game, UM takes on Here For The Beers in another back-to-back, and then closes out the regular season versus Get Off Our D. Will UM sweep all four games (the schedule really gives the FPF Summer Season a real baseball feel), or will the best team in the division be hitting the playoffs with a ton of momentum? If they do, I can not see anyone stopping them.

Get Off Our D (2-3)

Remaining Games: Junkyard Dogs, BYOB, Junkyard Dogs, Urgence Médic, Here For The Beers.

They are currently tied in a deadlock for second place in Division B, with three other teams.

The key for this team so far this season has been their stifling defense. In addition to giving up the second least amount of points with 130 in Div. B, they have also only allowed two teams to score more than 30 points on them, in Urgence Médic and the All-Stars.

Defensively, this team is at its best when they are flying around defensively, and jumping in passing lanes, and getting deflections on passes, as they in their wins over KGP and BYOB.

Luckily for Get Off Our D and their defense, they get another shot at BYOB, sandwiched in between two games against the last place Junkyard Dogs.

On the offensive side of the ball, this team has talent, but they need to find some consistency if they want to have any success. Whether it is less drops by the Receivers, or more accuracy on the long ball and cutting down on throws into tight windows by Quarterback Jeff Rosenblatt, this team has the talent with players like Jonathan Lyristis, Jad Aridi, Adam Rockman, and Raoul Baroudi among others, so it is inexcusable that they have only topped the 30-point plateau once this season.

Currently sitting one game up on the last place Junkyard Dogs, Get Off Our D has a huge opportunity to give themselves a bit of breathing room as they get set to take them on tomorrow night in Laval.

I think Get Off Our D, will make the playoffs. Their defense is too good not to see that happen. If they do not get their offense to carry their end of the bargain, I can easily see them falling into the 4/5 matchup and getting knocked out in the first round.   

Here For The Beers (2-3)

Remaining Games: KGP, Urgence Médic (twice), BYOB, Get Off Our D.

Here are the good things about Here For The Beers besides just their team name. The team has a perfect combination of speed and grittiness at Receiver. Jordan Allard has established himself as a legit number one pass-catcher at this level, and their defense, which they proved last week is still formidable and can make teams pay for their mistakes. They do not have any games remaining against Div. A teams.

Here is the bad news. They are (0-3) against Division A teams. In those losses, they failed to score more than three touchdowns on two out of three occasions. Their only wins have come against the last place Junkyard Dogs in Division B. They don’t have anymore regular season games remaining against JYD.   

The keys for this team are not getting into big second half holes (they have trailed going into the 2^nd stanza in all three defeats), staying healthy, and keeping their composure, as they sometimes appear to be more worried about the yapping before, during, and after plays, than about the play itself.

Having played before with Sean Avraam for several seasons, I can say that he usually saves his best performances for the post-season. The main questions that must be answered before we worry about the playoffs, is can Here For The Beers stamp their ticket to the dance, and will they be able to beat a quality playoff squad to get there?

BYOB (2-3)

Remaining Games: Urgence Médic, Get Off Our D, KGP, Here For The Beers, Khantraband.

They have the third hardest strength of schedule remaining. As we have seen, a schedule is just a piece of paper. You actually have to go out and play the game. BYOB, did exactly that this past Monday in their (31-25) loss to Urgence Médic. Being one play away from potentially winning the game, is a lot better than the rest of the Division B teams have done versus UM.

Building off that performance will be key for BYOB, as they look to separate themselves from the three other teams tied points wise with four apiece for second place in Div. B.

To do that, the team will need to do two things. The first is to rely on their attacking defense, led by the always aggressive Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jonathan Grizzley. He along with Stephan Osman, Marc-André Lapointe, and Mathieu Lepage, really set the tone on that side of the ball.

On a personal note, I am glad to see the man known as Gizz back in the league. I’ve played against him countless times throughout the years when The Commission took on no name. Heck of a player, great family, and a good dude. Welcome back!

The second thing the team must do is avoid turnovers. Specifically, their Quarterback Mathieu René, must cutdown on the interceptions. The 5-time All-Star has thrown at least two INTs in three of five games this year. Currently, he is tied with Jason Rossie of the Junkyard Dogs for the Division B lead with 11. That is just too many.

In fairness to the pivot, in the games that I have seen him play, he has been the victim of a pass bouncing off a Receiver’s hand and turning into an INT, but his reliance on the deep ball, and trying to jam balls into tight spots instead of taking what the defense presents him, is on the QB.

Despite some of the negatives, this team has a lot of talent. If they can start their second half push tomorrow versus Urgence Médic, it would not only give them a good shot at finishing second in second, with an outside shot at first. More importantly, for a team that hasn’t won a game since July 16^th, it would give them some huge momentum.

KGP (2-3)

Remaining Games: Here For The Beers, Junkyard Dogs, BYOB, All-Stars.

It took them almost a month to get their second win of the season, but they pulled off the upset with a (24-18) win over Get Off Our D. Good job boys!

Their first win of the season came on July 4^th with a (32-26) victory over Chernobyl – 21. Although it was early in the season, it showed that KGP can beat a good team.

The keys to this team are the play of Two-Way Player of the year candidate Gabe D’Amico-Mazza, and Quarterback Phil Cutler. The squad is at their best when both players are connecting for big plays on offense and creating takeaways on the other side of the ball.

One of the things that makes this team unique, is that they can come at you with two studs at Rusher, as they have D’Amico-Mazza, and the man who many consider as the best in the game at the position, in Julien Paiement. In their win over Get off Our D, both men recorded two sacks each. Having both players at their disposal is like having Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett rushing the passer for your defense.

Besides, D’Amico-Maza, this team has playmakers at Receiver, in Jonathan Garfinkle, Dylan Garber, Quaysie Gordon-Maule. Unfortunately for KGP, their offense hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard, as they average 18 points a game, and have only topped that mark three times this year. That simply will not get it done in the regular season or playoffs.

Ignoring all that, the last time I counted this team out, they went and won the Division C championship. Let’s just say I learned my lesson when it comes to these guys. If they can fix their offense, you never know.

Junkyard Dogs (1-5)

Remaining Games: Get Off Our D, KGP, Get Off Our D, Khantrband.

Despite only having one victory to their names, a (31-26) win over BYOB back in Week 3, the Junkyard Dogs are scrappy team, that does not quit.

The biggest problem facing Jason Rossie’s team, is their inability to play a complete game. In four out of their five losses this year, they went into halftime either being tied or down just one touchdown.

Another problem facing this team is their inability to get stops when they really need one. While the defense has generated seven interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns, they have had trouble making late game adjustments to get off the field late in the game.

Offensively, Rossie has built a solid receiving corps that mixes in size and speed, with the likes of Sean Semerjian, Rory Semerjian, Hinsley Adams, Charles-Olivier Lavigne, and Paul Lapierre. As I said before when talking about Mathieu René of BYOB, Rossie, will need to cutdown on his division leading 11 interceptions if he wants to lead his team to victory.

Currently on the outside looking in, no one is saying that the Junkyard Dogs need to run the table to make the playoffs, but they will need to at least win two out of their remaining four contests to secure a spot in the post-season. That goal starts tomorrow night in Laval when they take on Get Off Our D. Good luck!

Picks (favorites in bold)

Here For The Beers vs KGP – Here For The Beers

Urgence Médic vs BYOB – Urgence Médic

Get Off Our D vs Junkyard Dogs  – Junkyard Dogs (Upset Special #1)

Braves vs Chernobyl – 21 – Chernobyl – 21 (Upset Special #2)

Braves vs All-Stars – Braves

Khantraband vs Chernobyl – 21 – Khantraband

Last Week: (4-1)

Season: (18-5)

Upset Special: (4-1)

No, the schedule is not wrong. The Braves are playing in a tournament during their Week 10 contest versus Chernobyl – 21, so both teams agreed to move their game to tomorrow. If I am wrong on any of this. Don’t blame me, I am getting the info the boss man himself Rob Campagna.

That’s it for this week. I had a lot of fun writing the article. I hope you enjoy it! If you don’t agree with what I said please prove me wrong.

Before I sign off, I just want to say congrats to the Canadians Women’s Soccer Team on winning the Gold Medal game versus Sweden yesterday. What a great game, filled with edge of your seat action. Sweden outplayed Canada in regulation, but our ladies and more specifically Jessie Fleming, Deanne Rose, Stephanie Labbe, and Julia Grosso were AMAZING!!!! I am also super happy for the G.O.A.T Christine Sinclair. Finally getting a well-deserved Gold Medal to cap off her career.

Good luck to everybody in their games tomorrow.

If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt like there is something I left out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]