Division C Pre-Season Preview: The Early top 12

Division C Spring 2023 

Hi everyone! For those who do not know me, my name is Raff Morelli and I will be covering Div C this spring. For those of you who read my Div 4 articles last winter, welcome back and I hope my articles improve and keep you entertained. This is Division C where old names and new faces collide. As the new season kick’s off today, teams are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting and competitive season of flag football. With many teams having made significant changes to their roster and new teams being formed, it is anyone’s guess as to which team will come out on top and claim the championship. So, let’s get ready for some intense FPF action in the Spring 2023 season!

Playoff Breakdown 

Div C this season in quite simple in terms of playoff breakdown (for once lol). There are 25 teams in div C with no groups, conferences or sub divisions. The top 20 teams will make the playoffs and be seeded from 1-20 and the top 12 teams will receive a round 1 bye. And essentially thats it, the bottom 5 teams of div C will not be playoff eligible so make sure that isn’t you!

Top Stories

Corey Walwaski leaves the Infantry 

The infantry have put in a team in Div C despite their 2 top players still being suspended for surly another 4-6 games from last season. Without Rory and Sean Semerjian there’s only another 6 bodies on the roster so far but what surprised me the most when looking into this team is that QB, Corey Walwaski did not appear of their roster. Corey has been under center for the Infantry for the past 2 years and has had lots of success. Its my guess that not having the Semerjian brothers for the most part of the season is the main reason for his departure. Instead, Corey will throw for the Sharks, a new FPF franchise which includes big names such as Quaysie Gordon-Maule and Noah Groper. I predict the Infantry to struggle, especially early on this season without Rory and Sean. Unsure of who will be under center for them as well makes it hard for me to see this team making it into the top 12 teams of Div C. On the other hand I fully expect the Sharks to have a great season and a bye week position has to be their goal. 

TOPSZN is back 

Back for the spring season as they usually are TOPSZN are ready to compete in Div C. A team that will hopefully feature two sets of brother who really know how to play football. The first set would be Ryan and Shawn McGrath. These to both have the ability to play QB and have had successful seasons doing so. Both have been named an FPF all-star before so TOPSZN having a good season should not surprise anyone. The other set of brothers I hope to see play for TOPSZN who would easily their best players are Bradley and Brandon Parent. I say hopefully as only Bradley is included on the pre-season roster and not his brother Brandon. If both these dudes are on the field at the same time, they can really cause some damage and get their team lots of wins. 

Kiss My Inlaws climbing divisions after back to back finals Dubs 

After a tier 3 Fall cup win and an undefeated championship season in div 4, Kiss My Inlaws must now play in the higher divisions for good! Rightfully so their QB, Iggy Manzanedo, was on fire last season throwing for more then 50 Td’s and securing the honour of being the best division 4 QB. The team has changed a little as they lose Mike Pierrecin and Jerome Hovington who both had massive impacts on both sides of the ball. But nevertheless this team is loaded with talent and a QB who can protect the ball and consistently make the right throws. Im not sure if another undefeated season is in the cards for them but they will be a top team in div C. 

Div C’s Top 12 

Seeing that the top 12 teams in div C will receive a first round bye in the playoffs, I thought this would be a good opportunity to select which teams I predict will finish with the 12 best records in the division. This will also help me write mid-season report cards in the future and be a basis on whether I expect your team to be a favourite or not. 

1. Kiss My Inlaws: I do understand that div C and div 4 are two different levels of competition but with many the div 4 teams moving up to div C and their undefeated season, they still are the team to beat and the champions to dethrone. 

2. Dime and Bougie: Losing in both finals in the fall and winter to Kiss My Inlaws, they are the #2 team on my list. This young group of ballers keep proving that they can be the future of FPF. From Qb Jules Regimbald, to his all star wide receivers this team is loaded with speed and athleticism and I expect another deep playoff run from them this season. 

3. Sharks: With Cory Walwaski under center this team has the potential to be a top 5 team in Div C. In the 2 previous spring seasons, Corey has thrown 47 and 54 touchdowns making him an early contender for a QBOTY award this season. With great weapons around him like Quaysie and Noah Groper, I expect this team to have one of the more explosive offences we will see. 

4. Repeat Offenders: Like I did last year for my div 4 articles, I will avoid talking about my team as often as I can. But with this squad that AJ Gomes has put together for yet another season under center is loaded. Nick Groppini, Anthony Siggia and Alessandro Barazzoni to mention a few studs I will be playing alongside. Anything less then a Championship will be a failure in our books. 

5. Bessette et Ses Potes: After playing against them in a div 4 playoff game, I truly saw why this team finished 8-2 last winter. Their QB Frédéric Paquette-Perrault is LEGIT. He went the entire regular season without throwing an INT. His ball placement and ability to move around the pocket is phenomenal. They brought back pretty much their whole squad from their successful winter season so I expect this team to just keep getting better. 

6. 4th & Shlong: Although 4th and Shlong probably have one of the toughest schedules in the division I still expect them to have a strong season. Michael Caparelli is one of those Qb’s who can sling it downfield and make a huge play when even while losing. He’s able to keep his team in the game against any opponent regardless of who he is surrounded with. The addition on Justin Learner will definitely help their offensive situation. Something they lacked last season was extra points and with Learners crisp routes and solid hands I would look for him often in the redzone. 

7. Backyard Bullies: This team is loaded with vets and seems like one of the most well rounded squads in div C. Jordan Allard is coming off an amazing season with friends with Danny where he caught 500 yards and 12 TD’s in 9 games. I also think that if any team has hall of famer Sean Avraam throwing for them their chances of winning games probably doubles. The last time this team played together with Sean under center was back in 2020 where our season was terribly interrupted by the global pandemic. They were 4-5 with the possibility to finish with a .500 record and had secured a playoff spot. I expect at least 6 wins from this team this season. 

8. TOPSZN: Not much else to say other then the Parent brothers. If Brandon appears on the roster after week 1 TOPSZN will be a force to be reckon with. Even without Brandon this team has the pieces to have a great season but I don’t see them as a 8 seed or better without both brothers. 

9. Trapstars: Another top div 4 team to make the jump to div C. With a QB-Wr connection like Ryan Garber and Cooper Young’s, I would be astounded to see this team not be apart of the top 10 best records. Cooper Young was div 4’s receiver of the year where he averaged 2 TD’s a game over a 12 game span. His Speed and length allow him to burn DB’s and catch contest balls even when covered. This team also doesn’t play many of the bullies of div C in the regular season such as Kiss My Inlaws, Sharks and Repeat Offenders so I think they will rack up the wins this season. 

10. Bible Study: Another new team name with familiar faces is Bible Study. Jarryd Taylor, Corey Williams and Rocco Christiano headline this squad of athletes. This team needs to get off to a hot start and start building chemistry if they want to find themselves as a part of div C’s top 12 teams. 

11. Hot Sauce Sports: I simply could not leave this squad off my top 12 list. As Peeze keeps improving this team is not going to be easy to beat. Another thing to notice is that with the extra cap space in div C it feels like the whole gang is back together again as Joey Notaro who did not play with Hot Sauce last season is back for the spring. Another aspect which is tough to overlook is the receiver duo that is Justin Blanchard and Will Power. These guys are tough to cover and have different styles of playing the position that make it a nightmare for opposing defences. 

12. Killer Rays: I don’t know much about this team or any of their players but they did go 9-0-1 and win the division 5B championship. Tyler Bianchi has been the Qb for Killer Rays ever since they entered the league back in 2020. He has consistently improved throwing more touchdowns every season then the last. 5B to C is a huge jump but I think this team will make the playoffs and are on the edge of a bye week spot

Weekly predictions 

TOPSZN                      vs.           All Madden 

Kiss My Inlaws            vs.           Dirty Birds 

Killer Rays                   vs.           Backyard Bullies 

Les Blues Branleurs     vs.           Dime and Bougie 

Air Force 1.2                vs.           FlagFools

Mengoose                     vs.            Trapstars 

Bible Study                  vs.            Never Overtime

Primal                           vs.            Sharks 

Thanks for tuning in!! Have a great week 1 and ill see you all next week!