Division B: 3 Undefeated teams after Week 3, 2 Double Headers, and the #1 anticipated Album!

Guess who’s back!? Back again? Not only is FPF back for another weekend of carnage, but so is Slim Shady! Releasing a new album this summer: The Death of Slim Shady, Em released a new single – Houdini – as a nice teaser for us! As Slim Shady blesses us with a summer of music, the FPF Gods bless us with beautiful weather and great competition. Now that we are playing more outside, make sure you prepare correctly! The weather won’t always be beautiful and we play rain or shine (just not lightning…).

I also made a slight error in reporting the onside kick rule last week. I said that if the Onside Kick attempt fails, the other team would gain possession on their opponents 5 yard line. THAT WAS A MISTAKE! The Onside Kick actually acts as a 4th and 25 Yard play. Unless the Onside Kick is successful, possession will be turned over where the play ended.

Now that we got that out of the way, we can go ahead and dive into what happened last week in Div B and see what our future holds!

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE:

What a matchup! In the past 2 weeks EZW and SILENT TICKLERS went head to head twice. The first time they faced each other EZW was able to get the win decisively, but, this was without Jeremy White and a good defensive showing. Last week EZW was able to get revenge on SILENT TICKLERS 35-26 in their first of 2 games that night! Now EZW is sitting at 3-1, their only loss coming from the TICKLERS, while the TICKLERS were knocked down to 1-3, the 7th seed. This isn’t to say that the SILENT TICKLERS are done for the season, or even at risk of Elimination. The other games that they’ve lost have been within 4 points, which means that a few converts could change the game! In the next 2 games SILENT TICKLERS will face both BBB and HATEFUL8. If they can get a win over both or either team, they should be able to ensure that they are not eliminated! Jordan Panetta has been doing a good job keeping turnovers quite low and finds himself in the #2 QB Spot. I’m hoping to see a turn around for these SILENT killers, because the end of their schedule looks brutal!

Both BRUINS and HEAVENLY SONS have 2 games this week, and continue the trend of double headers! I’m of the opinion that between the 2, BRUINS has the harder games, but HEAVENLY SONS have the more important games! BRUINS will have to take on the remaining undefeated teams: ONESTOP and KISS MY INLAWS, bringing about what I would call – The War of the Undefeated! BRUINS will take on ONESTOP again in their next week, so will have to prove that the 1st time wasn’t a fluke. Michael Caparelli and ONESTOP have been successful on offence – putting up 35+ points per game so far, but their defence worries me – especially going up against a team like BRUINS. On the other hand, KISS MY INLAWS boasts the lowest points allowed so far (after the BRUINS…), and have an offensive unit that can rival ONESTOP, and even the BRUINS themselves. BRUINS have their work cut out for them and shouldn’t underestimate their opponents! I know i’m looking to stay undefeated and will be doing everything in my power to stop the BRUINS in their tracks!

HEAVENLY SONS on the other hand may have slightly easier games, but risk going 1-3 if they lose both of the games. For a team that has some insane pieces like: Drysdale brothers, Ben McMahon, Joey Notaro, etc. I expected them to be blowing teams out of the water! Heck, I was on the next field over when the SONS were playing against BEER BELLIES last week, and it definitely looked like they were going to win more than 37-34! Taking on the HATEFUL EIGHT should be a good warm up for them this week and is a MUST WIN game. It’s ok to struggle in the early season, but IDK what it would mean if this experienced team were to lose against a new team like the EIGHT. That aside, the game that I’m much more interested in is THE INFANTRY vs HEAVENLY SONS! Mr. McMahon has been able to put up some consistent points thanks to Kevin Donnet and Anthony Drysdales’ stellar offence performances, but, with opponents scoring 34+ points against them, they will need to tighten up on Defence if they want to start winning more often. This is a dynamic team that has a plethora of All-Star players. I’m expecting them to come out of this week 3-1.

THE INFANTRY had looked to set a standard when facing the HATEFUL EIGHT, putting up 60 points in their game. EZW stepped up and said, “We can do better”, and proceeded to put up 66 points in their matchup! The EIGHT are struggling to put up points in this high division and their defence is not managing any stops. Etienne Normand has been able to come down with all of their TDs, but that won’t be enough to win games… This happens sometimes: a team registers in the wrong division and ends up having to fight out of the bottom spot with little chance of a playoff run. The MAD OCHOs seem to be filling that role, but that doesn’t mean this season is a waste! This should be the time when you ask for guidance: plays that work, how to manage defence at this level, and also practising against the best. Start going for 2 on each TD, start trying to score at least 1x TD per half, maybe 2x TDs per half if possible, by driving the field! Dropping down a tier in the Fall Cup would be a good decision (maybe Tier 3), and coming back to Division 4A or 3 in the Winter, should give you the experience needed to try Div B again next Spring Season! Their game against HEAVENLY SONS might be a chance for them to get an upset, depending on the SON’s roster! GOOD LUCK BOYS!

The standings are already heating up and the fighting for top spot of your respective position has already begun! The QB top 3 is ever changing, but with 19 TDs in 3 games, Jeremy White has taken a strong lead over the competition! Both Iggy and Michael will need 7 TDs in their next game to keep up with Jeremy. As for Receivers, we may want to already give it up to Jerome Hovington… With 7 TDs in 2 games, he is currently the top receiver and is looking to edge out Alexandre Barros, who has 7 TDs in 4 games! Fritzgerald Cenatus seems to be enjoying the top of the defensive ladder, while Gabriel Wiseman pulls ahead of the Division’s Rushers. Obviously, it’s too early to tell who will win the awards this year, but it is definitely gearing up to be a close race for all positions! I’ll give my official predictions in week 7ish, so until then…. YOU GOTTA PUMP THOSE NUMBERS UP!

TEAM SPOTLIGHT

HEAVENLY SONS:

I’ve been blabbering about this team for a bit now, so I may as well start off our Weekly Spotlight with them! HEAVENLY SONS is a new team of veteran players. Most, if not all of them, have played some form of Division A,B,C in their FPF history and are studs at their respective positions. The SON at the helm of the team is Benjamin McMahon. Having had his breakout season in 2018 with VULTURES, Ben ran all over division 6D and straight into our hearts in the following seasons, working his way up from Div 6 all the way to Div 2/B as QB! Although he is still as shifty as ever, Ben has been practising his throwing game over the past seasons and is now an even bigger threat on the field. A 9-Time All-Star and 7-Time Award Winner, Ben is looking to finally win the ever elusive Championship game! Over his journey, he has amassed a close group of friends who have been able to rise to the challenge each time:

When a QB finds himself a player that clicks, they try to bring them along everywhere they go, and that has to ring true for Kevin Donnet! Despite Kevin starting before Ben, once they combined forces on VULTURES in 2018, they have been almost inseparable. Not only does Kevin appear to be unassuming, but he is deceptively fast. Able to put up 300+ Yards easily each season, Kevin is one of the few members that has multiple Championship wins and the Offensive stats to show for it! He is currently the SONS’ #1 target and has a near 100% catch rate. Keep a look out for Kevin on the field, because if you can’t see him… he most likely has already scored… Which brings us to our other 2 Offensive juggernauts – The Drysdale brothers. Anthony has been playing in FPF longer than his brother James, but both of them have made names for themselves over the years. Anthony has been with the VULTURES since its inception and has raked up a solid amount of TDs and PDs! A high flyer around the field and a 2-Time Bowl winner, he is only further encouraged by having his brother beside him. James Drysdale dabble in the league in 2020 but officially got his start with the VULTURES in 2021. A great showing, James put up 15 TDs and started his ascent up the FPF ladder. In 4 years, James has accumulated 9 All-Star awards, 5 Individual Awards, and 2 Championships! James has already made a splash in the higher divisions and will be looking for another 10+ TD season.

Phillip Roberts may not always get the chance to shine on offence, but he has made his presence known on defence. Already having an INT this season, Phil is a tackle and PD machine, able to cover almost anyone on the field and has done a great job of stepping up as QB whenever needed. Rounding out this core is Joey Notaro, a young, explosive player who hovered in Division 4 and 5 for a few seasons before jumping up into B and C (Division 2 and 3). Another great addition to this squad on offence, but is actually taking up the Rushing position in hopes of tying this defence together. I cannot stress enough how important a rusher is to a team, and Joey has both the speed and agility to put massive pressure on QBs and keep them off their 3rd read! Not new to the league, but new to my radar are Owen Bujarsky and Stefano Spagnuolo. Owen has yet to establish a consistent foothold in FPF, but has spent most of his time playing with VULTURES as well. Stefano has been floating around the league since 2015 and has spent the majority of his time with TOPSZN and DREAM CHASERS. With all of this, HEAVENLY SONS truly do seem God-like, yet find themselves 1-1. Tightening up on defence will be the key to this team’s success! Good Luck!

Prediction: 6-4

DEATH BATTLE BREAKDOWN:

BRUINS vs KISS MY INLAWS:

Every week feels like a playoff game in Division B! So many strong teams facing off against each other every week really gives teams a familiarity with each other by the time we hit playoffs, especially since most teams will play two of their opponents twice this season! We start our Game Previews with 2 well established teams in the league: BRUINS and KISS MY [Fill in the Blank]. I had already mentioned that this iteration of BRUINS was slightly different from their Div 3/C lineups, but also, that they had yet to find their QB for the season. In their first 2 games they have had 2 different QBs, and I expect them to have a different one for each game they play this week as well… (only partly joking…) That being said, the BRUINS are 2-0 and are looking to be 3-0 by the time they face the INLAWS. Regardless of who will be throwing, they will be throwing to a proficient receiving core of Mike Pierrecin, Gabriel Wiseman, and Rocco Christiano (Jocelyn Calixte is also a great receiver, but for some reason he only has 3 targets). Defensively, Gabriel Wiseman has been doing a great job at putting pressure on QBs and currently leads the division in sacks, however, Mr. Magnets himself – Iggy, is a great pocket passer who has learned to stare down the best of them. Whether it be against Ethan Adrian, Julien McLaren-Thompson, or me, Iggy has shown that he can stay cool, calm, and collected under pressure from the Rusher!

BRUINS offence has a lot of talented players, but so do the INLAWS! Iggy has been able to put up 12 TDs in 2 games, most of which are thanks to current #1 Receiver – Jerome Hovington! In 2 games, Jerome has accumulated 7 TDs and 190 Receiving Yards, and that’s with FPF stud – Manu Allard-Roy, snapper extraordinaire David De Andrade, and 3-time Champion Sanders Armand on our offence. Defensively, both teams look incredibly strong. Both Gabriel Wiseman and I are talented rushers that don’t mind putting our bodies on the line for a sack! Gabe is currently outpacing me, but as long as Iggy uses those hips of his, I’m hoping Gabe scores a big ZERO for sacks next game. Although i’d feel inclined to give the INLAWS the edge for defence (seeing as we have allowed less than 30 points in our 2 games), the BRUINS have been able to do the same, if not more. With 2 Pick-6’s and an extra INT, the BRUINS are an overall solid team that will need to rely on their defence to slow the INLAWS down. The INLAWS, on the other hand, will need to hope that we have a favourable match up between QB and Rusher, while also being able to rely on our 2nd and 3rd reads in case BRUINS are able to cover Jerome! I expect this to be a high scoring game that pushes both teams to pull out all the stops!

PREDICTION: No official prediction because I’m obviously biased… But 42-37 win for the INLAWS.

ZACK’S FANTASY TEAM OF THE WEEK (WEEK 3):

QB (1): **Jeremy White (EZW) – 21 Attempts / 15 Completions (71.43%), 251 Yards, 8 TDs, 0 INTs, 0 Sacks // 3 Rushing Attempts, 31 Yards

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WR (1): Jerome Hovington (KISS MY INLAWS) – 5 Targets / 5 Receptions (100%),85 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (2): Nicolas Curotte (BEER BELLY BRIGADE) – 7 Targets / 9 Receptions (77.78%), 80 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (3): Jahnai Lewis (ONESTOP) – 5 Targets / 3 Receptions (60%), 97 Yards, 2 TDs

WR (4): Jean-Christophe Ferland (EZW) – 6 Targets / 5 Receptions (83.33%), 82 Yards, 2 TDs

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DB (1): Fritzgerald Cenatus (EZW) – 0 Tackle, 4 INT, 4 PD

DB (2): Charles-Olivier Lavigne (EZW) – 2 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD

DB (3): **Brady Ohanessian (KISS MY INLAWS) – 4 Tackles, 1 INT

DB (4): **Ryan McNally (ONESTOP) – 7 Tackles, 3 PDs

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RUSHER (1): Noah Groper (SILENT TICKLERS) – 2 Tackles, 2 Sacks

GAMES OF THE WEEK:

BRUINS vs ONESTOP

HEAVENLY SONS vs HATEFUL EIGHT

BEER BELLY BRIGADE vs EZW

THE INFANTRY vs HEAVENLY SONS

BRUINS vs KISS MY INLAWS (Won’t Vote for My Games)

Prediction Record: 1-2

BOOM! Week 3 recap in the bag and Week 4 already underway! Mid-season review is coming up soon and will be a good chance to look ahead at potential Award nominees! If there are upcoming milestones you want me to cover, don’t be a stranger, let me know! If you want to see more accurate info about your teams, your players, your rivalries/history – send them to me! Also, check out the new episode of Calling the Audible – the official FPF podcast – available on Youtube and …. Probably somewhere else too. And always keep a look out at FPF’s Official Instagram page for updates and exclusive content!