Division C: Second Half Surge, Elite 8 Changes, and Upsets.

Welcome to Week 7 of the FlagPlus Football Division C season.

We are officially in the second half of the season. The playoff races are starting to heat-up, as teams are starting to either separate themselves from the pack, or be swallowed up by it. In short, this is the time of year where teams will have to start making their surge as we get closer to the playoffs.

In a matchup of two of the three unbeaten teams remaining in Div. C, The Commission, came away with a (33-22) statement win over Jagerbomb, last Sunday at Stade de Montreal.

This game was looked at as a huge test for both teams, as despite the undefeated records of both squads, many people within the FPF media, felt that neither team had faced a solid opponent up until that point.

The Commission, wasted little time getting the game started, as they scored less than five plays into the game, on a touchdown pass from Quarterback Jean-Felix Marquis, to Wide Receiver AJ Gomes.

After forcing a Jagerbomb punt, The Commission, added to their lead, with 21-yard touchdown reception by Julian McLaren-Thompson.
Another TC touchdown, increased their lead to 20-0 just before the half. The team put their stamp on the first stanza, via an interception by Alexandre Samson, on the last play.

At the end of the first half, the Jaggerbomb offense, which came into the contest averaging 34 points a game, was shut-out for the first time, and Duchesne, was limited to four completed passes.

After a touchdown by Yannick Doston, finally got Jaggerbomb on the board, The team was able to narrow the gap even more, as back-to-back blown coverages by Cornerback Eddy Lee, allowed Quarterback Simon Duchesne, hit a wide-open Cédric Nuckle, for two touchdowns, on two straight drives.

With momentum finally on their side, Jaggerbomb, looked to increase their point total, as a long gain by Felix Fontaine-Larouche, put the ball inside their opponent’s five yard line.

The tide seemed to turn for TC right after this play. After an incomplete pass by Duchesne on first down, the TC defense, got two huge back-to-back sacks by Julian McLaren-Thompson, that set up a 4th and goal from near mid-field. Jaggerbomb, elected to punt. For all intents and purposes, the series really sealed the fate of the game.

The Commission, would go on to score on two of their next three possessions.

Despite the final score, this game was over by halftime, as The Commission dominated on both sides of the ball.

Up next for TC, is another big test, as they will lock horns with Blue Chips this Wednesday in Brossard.

For Jaggerbomb, the loss had to be a bit of a wake-up call for a squad that many thought were championship contenders. The team will have to recover 4quickly, as they face TOPSZN, Monday night in Brossard.

Speaking of TOPSZN, they made it two weeks in a row that they dropped a 50-burger on an opponent, as they beat Les Montagnards, (50-32), last Sunday in Lachine.

Leading the way for TOPSZN, was the trio of Quarterback Jarryd Taylor, and receivers Justene Edwards, and Kevin Donnet, as the trio connected for 5 touchdowns.

Donnett, and Taylor, would have an impact on the other side of the ball as well, as the former picked up a game-high 3 sacks, while the latter, recorded an interception.

For Les Montagnards, they got a solid performance out of Frédéric Viens, who caught a game-high 6 passes, and 3 touchdowns (he tied with Edwards), and an interception as well, but it wasn’t enough, as his team has now lost 4 games in a row, and is currently sitting one game out the playoff picture in Conference B.

Needless to say, their upcoming game against Keyport Lock, this Wednesday in Saint-Laurent, will be huge.

Their remaining schedule after this week doesn’t really do Les Montagnards, any favours either, as they close with Jagerbomb, Broccasion, and a Lights Out team who currently holds the 8th and final playoff spot in Conference B.

Another week, another tough loss for Lights Out, as they fell (12-8) to the Junkyard Dogs, last Wednesday in Saint-Laurent.

This was a defensive slugfest to the fullest. Ok, who am I kidding? This was a super ugly game, as both teams struggled on offense to say the least.

Part of the reason for the Lights Out performance on offense, was the fact that they went from one below average Quarterback in Drew Keiller, to an awful one in Brad Evans. Why isn’t the team letting Jamal Gittens throw? He has 25 TD passes with The Brotherhood in Div. D1, and the fact that he can hurt teams with his legs, makes him even more effective than the other options on the roster.

The other reason for the lights going out on the Lights Out offense, is because of the performance of Junkyard Dogs Rusher Jonathan Lyristis, who had a season-high 6 sacks, and forced Evans to get rid of the ball quickly, all evening.

Jonathan Williams also had a solid game for his team, as he had a receiving touchdown, to go along with 5 tackles, and 2 pass breakups, both were game-highs.

Despite the ugly victory, a win is a win, and the Junkyard Dogs earned themselves 2 points, to keep them just one game back of the Conference A leading The Alpha-T’s.

Up next for Lights Out, is a must-win game versus Lobster Dinner tomorrow in Brossard, while the Junkyard Dogs, will be in a must-watch matchup this Tuesday, also at the Bell Sports Complex, against the Backyard Bullies, in a game, that we will have a good chance of seeing in the second round of the playoffs.

 

Speaking of the Backyard Bullies, they made it four wins in a row, as they beat the Dirty Dawgs by the skin of their teeth (40-39), Sunday night in Lachine.

Besides the conversion monster striking again, a key to the Bullies win, was once again Alex Moreau.

Last week, I talked about how the veteran defender was performing like the lead horse in the team’s stable of receivers. Against the Dirty Dawgs, he did it again, as he led his team with 4 catches, for 35 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Also coming up big for the Bullies as a receiver, was another player known more for his play on defense, was Derrick Fontana. The 10-yeat vet, had 2 receptions, for a team-high 42 yards, and 2 TDs.

After blowing out teams the last three weeks, the win over the Dirty Dawgs, shows that the Bullies can also pull out the tough ones that go down to the wire. The ability to beat opponents in multiple ways will be key, as they face the Junkyard Dogs, The Alpha-T’s, Lobster Dinner, and Game Changers, to close out the regular season.

For the Dirty Dawgs, it is another, in a long line of tough losses, for a team who deserved a better fate, especially after the performances of Wide Receiver Dave Chitayat, who led all Division C receivers in yardage, with 130, and touchdowns, with 4, and Quarterback Ryan Lelinowski, who passed for a Div. C high 242 yards.

With one possesion losses to The Commission, The Alpha-T’s, and now the Backyard Bullies, it is clear, that the Dirty Dawgs, are a lot better than their (2-4) record indicates.

The Dirty Dawgs, who are currently tied with the Vikings, for the final playoff spot in Conference A, will have a chance to prove just how good they are, when they take on Game Changers, Tuesday in Brossard.

Last week I talked about how I thought that the Game Changers, were the best of the three remaining winless in Div. C. Anton Sakiz’s team, proved me right, and more importantly, they earned their first win of the season, with a (31-30) victory over Broccasion, last Tuesday night in Brossard. Congrats boys!

The team’s MVP in Jordan Panetta, was one of the key factors in the win, as he had 4 catches for 49 yards, and 2 touchdowns, and an interception on defense, that he returned to the house.

Louis-Philippe Paquette, also had a big game, as he caught a team-high 5 passes, for 55 yards, and a TD.

The win was huge for the Game Changers. Not only does it save them from the embarrassment of going winless ala Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, more importantly, the two points they earned, also propels them into the playoff conversation, as they are now one game behind the Dirty Dawgs for the 8th and final post-season spot in Conference A. As fate would have it, both teams go head-to-head Tuesday night in Brossard.

For Broccasion, this is yet another head-scratching loss, in what has been a rollercoaster season. If you look at this team, or have played them, you know they have talent.

 

With a proven Quarterback in Kristian Cerantola, playmakers at Wide Receiver, in Jeremy Anderson, and the speedy and underrated Johnathon Louis, to go along with a defense with solid members in Rick Cummins, Alec Cerantola, and Marc Provost, many around the league including yours truly, expected a lot more.

The fact that they have been the only team to beat TOPSZN so far, and came within a touchdown of beating both the Strangers, and Blue Chips, proves that they are better than their (1-5) record.

Currently on a two game slide, Broccasion, needs to get up off the mat quickly, if they want to save their season. As it stands right now, they are in 9th place in Conference B, behind Lights Out. Both teams have 2 points, but Lights Out, would get the tie-breaker, due to allowing less points (135 to 199), and having a better points differential (-40 to -59).

Broccasion, finishes the regular season with Friends in Low Places, The Commission, Les Montagnards, and Moist. The team will probably need to go (3-1) to assure themselves of a playoff spot. The question of course, is can they do it?

 

Another week, another close call for The Alpha-T’s, as they needed a second half explosion of 20 points, to get past Braves U, (26-19) Monday night in Papineau.

As a passer, Braves U Quarterback Leandre Ethier severely outplayed TAT’s QB Jesse Dupuis, as Either, went 18 of 35 for 165 yards, and 3 touchdowns, while Dupuis, completed only 10 of 20 passes, for 99 yards with 3 TDs, and 1 INT, which went to Either.

Even in the receiving game, the Braves U, pass-catchers in Mike Pierrecin, Jean Christophe Bouvrette, Gabriel Paré, David Verreault, and Samuel Juneau, had better numbers, than the TAT’s receivers, especially Pierrecin, who had a game-high 8 catches for 68 yards, and a TD.

Nevertheless, as TAT’s have done throughout the season, especially as of late, where they have won their last three games by a combined score of 16 points, they managed to pull out a victory, and find that extra gear that their opponents don’t seem to have.

The path to perfection, continues for The Alpha-T’s, as they take on Omelette You Finish this Wednesday in Brossard. Can TAT’s do it again?

It had been 5 weeks, but we got our second tie of the season, as Omelette You Finish, and Keyport Lock, played to a (30-30) draw. There were some big performances on either side in this contest.

For Keyport Lock, Jad Aridi, was the difference-maker for his team, as he caught 4 passes for 36 yards, and 2 touchdowns, to go along with a pick-six on defense.

Kevin Boustany and Ryan Aridi, also had big games, as the former had 4 receptions for a team-high 47 yards, and a touchdown, while the latter, also had 4 catches, to go along with 21 yards, and a TD, and added a game-high 6 tackles.

For Keyport Lock, their dynamic duo on the evening, was Justin Blanchard, and Justin Lerner.

Blanchard, finished with 9 catches for 93 yards, and 3 touchdowns, all of which were a game-high.

Lerner, had just as big as an impact, with a Division C, and game-high 2 interceptions, in addition to catching 5 passes for 32 yards, and a TD.
In the bigger picture, the one point that each team received in the tie, was huge.

For Omelette You Finish, who currently sit in the six spot in Conference A, it puts them a full 2 points ahead of the Vikings, and Dirty Dawgs, who hold the 7th and 8th place respectively.

For Keyport Lock, the result gives them sole possesion of 6th place, one point up on Friends in Low Places, and one point back of the 5th place Strangers.

No Jake Applebaum, no problem for the Mountain Lions, as they got past the Vikings (43-32) last Tuesday in Brossard.

Filling in for Applebaum, was Andrew Langburt, and what a job he did, as he led the offense to a season-high in points scored, while going 15 of 25 for 212 yards and 6 TDs. Langburt, would also add an interception as a defender.

After leading at the half by a score of (15-6), the Mountain Lions offense, erupted for 28 second half points. Playing a big part in that eruption, was Wide Receiver Kevin Smuda. Many people including yours truly, have been waiting all season, for the big man to have a dominant game, and the 2-time All-Star finally delivered, as he recorded 7 receptions, for 102 yards, and 4 touchdowns.

Jordan McInnis, another QB option for the team, had a strong game at receiver as well, by finishing with 3 grabs for 63 yards, and a TD.

The win for the Mountain Lions, improves their record to (5-1), and keeps them tied with the Junkyard Dogs, for second place in Conference A, and one point up on the 4th place BearSkins.

Having depth at the game’s most important position is key. Whether it be Langburt, who throws for Half-A-Stars in Division D1, McInnis, who was a finalist for QB of the Year for Obamacare in 2015, or Applebaum, who is firmly in the discussion for Div. C version of the award this season, this team clearly has options.

For the Vikings, it was another tough defeat against one of the top teams in Div. C, especially after the outing of Wide Receiver Simon Gauthier, who led all players in catches and yards with, 8 and 106 respectively, to go along with 2 TDs.

Vikes Quarterback Nicolas Gendron-Vallée, also had a really good game, as he nearly matched Langburt, by going 15 of 25, for 198 yards, with 5 TDs, and 1 INT, while leading his team to an equally impressive 26 second half points.

The only difference in this contest, was the one turnover, and the Vikings inability to create stops on defense in the second half.

The loss dropped their record to (2-4), and puts them tied points-wise, with the Dirty Dawgs, for the last playoff spot in Conference A. Not all hope is lost however, as after a tough matchup with the aforementioned BearSkins this coming Wednesday night in Brossard, they close out with Omelette You Finish, Friends in Low Places, and the Dirty Dawgs, in a huge Week 9 showdown. Let’s see what happens.

 

 

Matchups

 

 

Danny D’Amour (Friends in Low Places) versus Kristian Cerantola (Brocassion)

 

No one would ever accuse either Quarterback of a being precision passer, but what both players are, is dual-threats, who average 9 yards a rush, and can make plays, as well as extend them with their legs.

More importantly, they are the heartbeat of their teams, so when they up their game, their squads usually follow suit.

Both teams need points to keep themselves in the thick of the playoff race. Let’s see who can lead their squad to a win.

 

 

Rory Semerjian (Junkyard Dogs) versus Sean Avraam (Backyard Bullies)

 

This is kind of like the young upstart vs the old pro.

After years of dominating as a receiver in the lower divisions with the Smokin Axolotls, where he had 49 touchdowns over three seasons against mostly over-matched Defensive Backs, Rory Semerjian, finally made the jump to a higher division, with the Junkyard Dogs, last Winter Season.

Semerjian, has a more than held his own, as he posted 20 catches, for 337 yards, and 10 touchdowns last year. This season, he leads his team in TDs with 6, and is second and third in receptions, and yardage, with 18 and 160 respectively, while going up against a much better quality of Defensive Backs.

In FPF, the quality of DBs, doesn’t get much higher than Sean Avraam. What the 3-time All-Star, and 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, may lack in speed, he more than makes up for it in experience, length, smarts, and timing. Whether he is calling the defense for the Backyard Bullies or not, Avraam has a knack for knowing where to be at exactly the right time.

The winner of this matchup, will very likely lead their team to a win as well.

 

 

Jamie Ojeaha (Omelette You Finish) versus Alexis Gaumont (The Alpha-T’s)

 

This game features a ton of interesting matchups, as both teams have multiple All-Stars, and big game players. Simon Dagenais, Jesse Dupuis, Justin Blanchard, Mathieu Houle, Justin Lerner, and Anthony Lapointe, the list goes on and on.

Despite all those names, none are bigger than Jamie Ojeaha, and Alexis Gaumont. Each player has speed, length, championship experience, and is fully capable of taking over a game on either side of the ball, in a moment’s notice.

There is a great chance that Ojeaha, will be covering Gaumont throughout the game, as the former is his team’s best defender, while the latter is his squad’s number one option in the passing game. Both teams need points to solidify their playoff positioning. When the game is on the line, who will make a play?

 

 

Jordan Mitchell (Blue Chips) versus Zackary Alberts-Gill (The Commission)

 

Simply put, speed kills.

These two met up Week 5 last Spring Season. The Commission came away with a (40-32) win, and Alberts-Gill, finished the contest with 2 sacks.

Mitchell, as he has always done throughout his FPF tenure, proved to be an escape artist, as he ran 5 times for 77 yards and a touchdown.
With over 2,000 career rushing yards, (2,172 and counting) getting Mitchell to throw the ball early will be key, because he is lethal when given time to make plays with his legs.

Blessed with size and speed, Alberts-Gill, has gone from being a dominant lower division All-Star, to one of the best Rushers on FPF period, as he has 82 career sacks, despite this being only 5th season in the league.

Even if you take away the jaw-dropping 29 sacks he registered in the 2017 Winter Season, as a member of Super Troopers, which is still an FPF single-season record, Alberts-Gill, would still have 53 QB takedowns, which if you do the quick match, translates to 10 sacks a year. Mixed in with a team-first attitude, and the ability to make plays on offense, who wouldn’t want that on their squad?

 

Looking at the bigger picture, Blue Chips, sit one game behind The Commission, for first place in the Conference B standings. A win over TC, would give Blue Chips the head-to-head tiebreaker, and potentially put them ahead of Jagerbomb, and a TOPSZN squad, who beat BC in Week (36-26) in Week 3, depending on the outcome of the TOPSZN/Jagerbomb game, that goes down tomorrow evening in Brossard.

 

The plot thickens…

 

 

Elite 8

 

 

1. The Commission (Last Week: 2nd)

 

2. The Alpha-T’s (Last Week: 1st)

 

3. TOPSZN (Last Week: 4th)

 

4. Jagerbomb (Last Week: 3rd)

 

5. Mountain Lions (Last Week: 6th)

 

6. Junkyard Dogs (Last Week: 5th)

 

7. Blue Chips (Last Week: Same)

 

8. Backyard Bullies (Last Week: Same)

 

 

Picks

 

 

Mountain Lions vs Moist – Mountain Lions

 

TOPSZN vs Jagerbomb – TOPSZN

 

Lights Out vs Lobster Dinner – Lobster Dinner (Upset Special #1)

 

Junkyard Dogs vs Backyard Bullies – Backyard Bullies (My Pick for Game of the Week)

 

Dirty Dawgs vs Game Changers – Dirty Dawgs (My Pick for Game of the Week #2)

 

BearSkins vs Vikings – Vikings (Upset Special # 2)

 

The Commission vs Blue Chips – N/A

 

Braves U vs Strangers – Braves U (Upset Special #3)

 

The Alpha-T’s vs Omelette You Finish – Omelette You Finish (Upset Special #4)

 

Keyport Lock vs Les Montagnards – Keyport Lock

 

Broccasion vs Friends in Low Places

 

Last Week: 7-2-1

 

Season: 31-18-1

 

That’s it for this week, I’ll be back next time, with a recap of Week 7, and a preview of Week 8.

 

Enjoy the long weekend, and be safe! Good luck to everybody this week!

 

If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt that I left something out, feel free to reach me on Twitter@BADNEWSB51, or by e-mail at [email protected]