Division C: My Awards Picks and Random Thoughts
Brent Bodkin
13-07-2024 08:59 PM
With the regular season coming to an end this week, it is officially award season here at FlagPlus Football. As the writer for Division C, I haven’t been asked to vote yet. In all honesty, it has been a few seasons since my vote was taken in any of the divisions that I have written for. That makes no sense to me, but I won’t let that stop me from picking who I think should win.
In this week’s article, I will make my choices for the major awards. I only have two rules. The first is that you need to have played in at least seven games. The second is that a player can’t be nominated in more than one category. This makes it more challenging for me to pick a winner, which is the idea, and it gives respect to the performances of more players, which also is the point. I also give my pick for an award that I feel should exist.
Quarterback of the Year
Simon Duchesne – Jagerbomb
Will Power – Fins Up
Brady Ohanessian – Idaho Udapimps
Michael Caparelli – Big Fat Bats
Emile Taillefer – Air Laval
I wanted to put Alessandro Barazzoni of Backfield Penetration on the list, as he leads all players in passing yards with 2,043 yards, but I can’t ignore his 16 interceptions. Only three other Quarterbacks have more INTs than him.
As for the QBs that made the list, Ohanessian leads the way with 49 touchdown passes, while Will Power has the best completion percentage in Div. C with 76.7. Duchesne is the best pocket passer of the group, and he leads all players with a 128.1 QB Rating. Caparelli and his team the Big Fat Bats have not only surpassed expectations, but they have also beat two QBs on the list in Ohanessian and Power.
Former McGill Redbirds Receiver Emile Taillefer has shown he can do more than just catch the football, as he leads everyone on the list with an average of 13 yards per pass, to go along with 41 TD passes.
Winner: Will Power (Fins Up) – Power trails Ohanessian by one touchdown (49 to 48), but has a chance to remedy that Tuesday night, as Fins Up takes on Idaho Udapimps. When diving deeper into the numbers, Power, leads all players in completion percentage at 76.7%, is tied for first with Duchesne in sacks with three, and has a QB Rating of 127.5 which puts him in second place.
Receiver of the Year
Rhami Aboud – Never Overtime
Jean-Felix Daloze – Jagerbomb
Jeremy Laplante – Friends with Danny
Skylar Bayliff – West Island Boys
Gabriel-Charles Dabe Champagne – Air Laval
Justin Lerner – Rico Ryders
Winner: Rhami Aboud (Never Overtime) – Last week I said that Daloze would most likely win the award. He has been nothing short of phenomenal as he leads all players in touchdown receptions with 20 and is the engine that ignites the Jagerbomb offense.
I watched Aboud play for the second time in a row last week, after last seeing him just after the midway point of the season. Simply put, he dominates. I first saw him for the first time while scorekeeping in the FPF Cup, and he consistently made play after play despite being on an overmatched team that was playing in Tier 1.
Fast forward to this season, and he has continuously gotten better game after game. His ascension into the elite of the position, has been a huge part of Never Overtime turning around their season from a (1-4) start to currently sitting at (4-5). When I watch him play, he reminds me of Cooper Kupp. Teams know he is getting the ball especially on third and fourth down, but they can’t stop him. Go pattern, slant, post-corner, deep crosser, quick out, the future All-Star can run every route in the tree and will sellout to make the catch. He also has more catches, yards, targets, and only one less touchdown than Daloze despite playing two less games.
Defensive Player of the Year
Luis Begin – Trinity
Xavier Brault – Les Petites Carottes
William Castonguay – Les Renard Vifs
Amadou Diallo – Air Laval
Raffaele Morelli – Backfield Penetration
Winner: Raffaele Morelli (Backfield Penetration) – As a former Defensive Lineman, I can tell you that getting sacks isn’t easy. Your main job when you rush the passer is to get the Quarterback to get rid of the ball early and before they are ready. Recording a sack is like the cherry on top.
Pass rushing and coverage go together. In most cases, you don’t get sacks if your teammates aren’t covering Receivers tightly, and the same thing applies to interceptions and the ability to get the QB to throw passes quicker.
Eighteen sacks is 18 sacks. Morelli also picked up six of them over his last three games. The next two players on the list in Luca Leccese and Julian McLaren-Thompson, are six behind that total. That is why Morelli is my pick.
Two-Way Player of the Year
James Langshaw – Fins Up
Marvin Steinberg Idaho Udapimps
Richie Mondesir – The Commission
Julian McLaren-Thompson – West Island Boys
Luca Leccese – Big Fat Bats
Mack Dessources – Never Overtime
Each of these players is well-deserving of the honor, as they have served as key catalysts for their respective teams. Rushers get respect on my list, as both McLaren-Thompson and Leccees, have made an impact on the other side of the ball, while still showing they are among the best at the position on defense. Mondesir, has been one of the few bright spots on a disappointing season for The Commission, while Mack Dessources, has been brilliant both offensively and defensively for Never Overtime, as he leads his team in tackles with 41, and is second in TD receptions with 10.
Despite missing two games due to injury, Steinberg is tied with Langshaw for the lead in interceptions with nine and is fourth in touchdowns with 16. I picked Will Power as my QB of the Year. Playing a huge part in his success has been Langshaw, who has 13 touchdowns, and has developed into a number one Receiver over the last few seasons.
Winner: Jean-Felix Daloze (Jagerbomb) – No, this is not a makeup pick for choosing Aboud for Receiver of the Year. I was legit torn between Steinberg and Daloze. I went with the latter, as he leads the former in catches, yards, tackles, and touchdowns on both sides of the ball. Both players have one game left, making the gap that much larger for Steinberg to close.
Most Improved Player
This really should be a category. Every year multiple teams take guys and ladies from lower divisions, or an entire team makes the jump to a higher division, and they ball out showing they are up to the challenge of playing at a higher level.
Jordy Melnik – Trapstars
Nicholas Fon – The Penetrators
Maximilien Sadori – Fins Up
Raphael Bernier – Trinity
Tyler Gurberg – Killer Rays
Winner: AJ Zeppetelli (Big Fat Bats) – This is Zeppetelli’s fifth season with the Big Fat Bats. During his tenure, he has yet to produce less than 10 touchdowns. Currently sitting with 15, hehas a chance to add to that total Tuesday night against a Team Ruthless defense that has trouble defending the long ball. Will wee see the speedy Receiver hit 20 TDs?
Random Thoughts
We have a lot of big games tomorrow and this week with huge playoff implications. Fins Up takes on a pissed off Idaho Udapimps who will be looking to erase their blowout loss to Big Fat Bats from their memory banks. A win for Fins Up, could potentially leave them as the best team in Division C, while a second consecutive loss for IU, will raise even more doubts about their ability to win it all.
Never Overtime looks to have been guilty of believing their own hype as they were upset (20-19) by The Penetrators, when Quarterback Ryan Kharouf was picked off with less than a minute to five plays. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for NO. Let’s see if they can get back on track against Les Petites Carottes Wednesday night in Laval.
The race for the last two playoff spots is tighter than a Kevin Wyeth spiral, as The Commission, Team Ethnik, Bleue Dry, Trapstars, Killer Rays, and Nighthawks are separated by four points. Making things a little bit more interesting is the fact that Team Ethnik, Killer Rays, and Nighthawks have two games left, while TC, Bleue Dry and Trapstars have one game remaining.
The standings are as follows:
18. Bleue Dry — 6 Points vs West Island Boys
19. The Commission — 5 Points vs Mengoose
20. Team Ethnik — 4 Points vs Killer Rays, vs Friends with Danny
21. Trapstars — 4 Points vs Win Diesel
22. Killer Rays — 3 Points vs Team Ethnik, vs Nighthawks
23. Nighthawks — 2 Points vs Pacemakers, vs Killer Rays
If The Commission win, they are in. The same thing applies for Bleue Dry, and Team Ethnik.
If The Commission lose, they will need either Team Ethnik, Trapstars, Killer Rays, or Nighthawks to lose their remaining games, or have both Team Ethnik and the Nighthawks go (1-1).
Team Ethnik needs to either win out, or go (1-1) and have The Commission lose, and have the Nigthawks go (1-1), and the Killer Rays go (0-2).
The Trapstars need to beat Win Diesel and have either The Commission or Team Ethnik lose out.
The Killer Rays nee to win out, and have The Commission and Team Ethnik lose out.
The Nighthawks need to win out and have The Commission, Team Ethnik, and Trapstars lose out, and have the Killer Rays either lose out, or go (1-1).
Good luck to all six teams.
Picks
Pacemakers vs Nighthawks – Pacemakers
The Commission vs Mengoose – N/A
Win Diesel vs Trapstars – Win Diesel
Team Ethnik vs Killer Rays – Killer Rays (Upset Special #1)
Rico Ryders vs Jagerbomb – Jagerbomb
Air Laval vs The Penetrators – Air Laval
Friends with Danny vs Team Ethnik – Team Ethnik (Upset Special #2)
West Island Boys vs Bleue Dry – West Island Boys
Fins Up vs Idaho Udapimps – Idaho Udapimps
Big Fat Bats vs Team Ruthless – Big Fat Bats
Never Overtime vs Les Petites Carottes – Never Overtime (My pick for Game of the Week)
Nighthawks vs Killer Rays – Nighthawks
Last Week: (5-4)
Regular Season: (60-30-2)
Upset Special: (6-11)
That is it for this week. Good luck to everyone in their games tomorrow and this week.
If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page.