Divisional Round Underdogs and Quarter Finals Previews

It was the week of the underdogs as the 12,11 and 9 seed all got the W in the divisional round. Dirty Birds + were the only top seed in round 1 to advance to the next week and actually had a great game against #NR. The other 3 matchups all came within one score. What a great way to kick off the Division 2 playoffs. We have another 4 thrilling games coming up tonight and Wednesday as the top 4 seeds who had a bye week finally get to hit the field for the first time in the post-season. 

Before I get into all the recaps and previews, I would like to take a second to congratulate all the division 2 individual award winners and All-stars. QBOY Nick Schaefer who had a stellar season throwing the ball and carried his team to a 9-1 record. WROY Daniel Mancini who is one of the best division 1 & 2 wideouts. 756 yards and 16 TD’s he and Silent Ticklers are my choice to make it to this years finals. With his help I do believe they can do it. DPOY Vincent Anctil was everywhere on defence stuffing the stat sheet every week. With 22 tackles, 5 INT’s, 4 sacks and 2 pass defences his ability was shown as both a rusher and a defensive back. But the best stat of his season was the 4 ints he took back for touchdowns. Just crazy that he scored touchdowns on defence in almost half the amount of games he played this season. The leader of Mangoose’s defence needs to keep this going if they want a rematch vs Cap Friendly Braves. Lastly Rory Semerjian who takes home 2-way player of the year which is essentially MVP in my eyes. Rory simply was the best offensive and defensive force in division 2 this season 400 yards 18 Td’s and 4 INT’s. Ambush’s season came to an abrupt end last week but Rory still deserves his flowers as he played great this season. 

Round 1 Recap

Poseidon’s Kiss Holds On for Dramatic 26-24 Victory Over The Stoics

Poseidon’s Kiss (3-7) edged out The Stoics (6-4) in a nail-biting 26-24 victory that came down to the wire. Both teams displayed offensive firepower, but Poseidon’s Kiss capitalized on more crucial plays in the second half to secure the win. The Stoics struck first with a touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Rivest to Tyson Peterkin, but Poseidon’s Kiss responded quickly with a touchdown pass of their own to Jarryd Taylor. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading touchdowns. A late first half interception by Juwan Edghill for Poseidon’s Kiss set them up for another score, and allowed Poseidons kiss to head into halftime up 20-18. The second half mirrored the first, with both teams exchanging touchdowns. A 40-yard bomb from Christiano to Nick Groppini put Poseidon’s Kiss ahead, but The Stoics answered with another touchdown pass from Rivest to Peterkin. The turning point came late in the game when Dom Benevento snagged an interception in the redzone. The Stoics had a chance to steal the win in the dying seconds, but a strong defensive stand by Poseidon’s Kiss, highlighted by pass deflections from Owen, myself , and the most important by Juwan on the game’s final play to seal the victory for Poseidon’s Kiss. Tough loss for The Stoics. 

Dirty Birds+ Anchor #NR

The only favourite to win in this divisional Round was Dirty Birds+ as they had no problem handling #NR. A big win with a final score of 36-6 will give them lots of confidence heading into the next round. James Ohayon was the best player of the night as he hated in 6 passes for 47 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass on defence. Unfortunately I didn’t get to watch this game but the stat sheet clearly shows that Adam Singara was off, only completing 55% of his passes and turning the ball over 4 times. I did expect Dirty Birds+ to have such great offensive output with the ballers that this roster has but I didn’t expect such a large margin of victory. Its becoming more clear to me that #NR needs to shake things up and get more impactful players such as Jaylen Greaves if they want to compete in the higher divisions once more. 

Run It Once Dominates Through the Air with Dominant Performance by Rosenblatt (38-32)

In a high-scoring affair, Run It Once secured a thrilling 38-32 victory over 2HD. Run it Once’s quarterback Jeff Rosenblatt orchestrated the win with a near-flawless performance, throwing for 6 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Rosenblatt Lights Up the Scoreboard. Jeff wasted no time establishing himself as the player of the night as he connected with a variety of receivers throughout the first half, finding Skylar Bayliff for the opening touchdown and Jonathan Lyristis for another score later in the half. 2HD responded with a pair of touchdown drives led by quarterback Joey Taylor. A very close back and forth affair as the teams were all locked up at 20-20 at halftime. Rosenblatt continued his dominance in the second half, with touchdown passes to Noah Groper, Manu Allard-Roy, and a long 40 bomb to Matt Bond, extending Run it Once’s lead. 2HD Battles Back, But Falls Short. Despite the constant deficit, 2HD displayed resilience and kept fighting. Joey Taylor orchestrated touchdown drives to Paul Lapierre (2) showcasing their offensive capabilities and dominance in the redzone. However, interceptions and a missed onside attempt by Taylor proved costly. A late interception by Stephan Osman sealed the victory for Run it Once.

Bless Up Pulls Off Upset Victory Over Ambush in Dramatic Finish (26-24)

In a stunning upset, the #11 seed Bless Up (3-7) defeated the #6 seed Ambush (5-5) by a score of 26-24 in a heart-stopping divisional playoff game. Both teams missing crucial players like James Drysdale for Ambush and DonnDre Borden for Bless Up. Bless Up only fielded 6 men which meant QB Stephen Harripersaud was forced to play on D. Despite Bless Up playing with only six players, forcing quarterback Stephen Harripersaud to play both offense and defense, Ambush struggled to capitalize. An early interception by Ambush’s Q. Gordon-Maule set them up in good field position, but they were unable to convert on a two-point conversion attempt after their first touchdown, leaving the score at 6-0. Bless Up responded with a touchdown pass from Harripersaud to Marvin Steinberg, followed by a successful two-point conversion to take the lead 8-6. A 14-12 game as we entered halftime. Like most of the game, the second half was a back-and-forth affair. Ambush regained the lead on a touchdown pass to Lapointe, but again failed to convert the two-point conversion. Bless Up answered with another touchdown pass from Harripersaud, this time to David Gutkovski. Bless Up also then capitalized on a long pass to Steinberg, setting up the final touchdown pass from Harripersaud. However, their extra point attempt was again blocked, leaving them with a narrow 26-18 lead. Ambush refused to go down without a fight. A late drive culminated in a touchdown pass to Anthony Drysdale, but the two-point conversion attempt to tie the game fell incomplete. Unfortunate as Ambush was unable to concert on any of their 4 convert attempts which proved to be the biggest reason for their loss. 

Quarter Finals Previews

Cap friendly Braves Vs Poseidon’s kiss 

I won’t really comment on this one as once again this is my team. We have faced adversity before and this is as tough as it gets. Playing against Div 1’s QBOY and Division 2’s only undefeated team. We have our work cut out for us. Cap Friendly Braves can do it all and have already beat us this season, so I expect them to come out oozing confidence. 

Mangoose Look to Maul Bless Up in Divisional Round Mismatch

The FPF Division 2 playoffs kick off with a seemingly one-sided battle! The #2 seeded Mangoose (9-1) takes on the #11 seeded Bless Up (3-7) in a matchup where firepower collides with inconsistency. Mangoose: A Juggernaut on the Loose. Mangoose have been a force all season, boasting a near-perfect record with their only loss coming to the #1 seed. Quarterback Nick Schaefer has orchestrated their offensive dominance, racking up a whopping 1,800 yards and  51 touchdowns as he takes home QBOY honours. But the offense isn’t the only story. Defensive Player of the Year Vincent Anctil has been a takeaway machine, snagging 4 interceptions and returning them all for touchdowns. Bless Up: Can They Upset the Odds? Despite their underdog status, Bless Up shouldn’t be entirely written off. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, but consistency has been their Achilles’ heel. Their negative point differential (-38) reflects their struggles to close out games. In their week 7 meeting, the Mangoose mauled Bless Up 37-18. While Bless Up might put up a tougher fight this time around, overcoming Mangoose’s juggernaut offense and opportunistic defense will be a monumental task. Especially if Harripersaud is forced to play on the defensive side of the ball again.  

Prediction: A Dominant Display by the Mangoose

Look for the Mangoose to flex their muscles in this divisional round matchup. Schaefer’s offensive prowess combined with Anctil’s defensive leadership should propel them to a convincing victory. Bless Up might manage to score a few points and keep the game close, but expect Mangoose to dominate on both sides of the ball. This will be a statement game for Mangoose as they solidify their position as championship contenders.

Silent Tickers Poised to Crush Run It Once in Divisional Playoff Rematch

The stage is set for a rematch between the #3 seed Silent Tickers (7-2-1) and the #9 seed Run It Once (4-6) in the divisional playoffs. While their week 9 meeting saw a dominant 38-18 victory for the Silent Tickers, Run It Once enters the playoffs on a hot streak, fuelled by quarterback Jeff Rosenblatt’s near-flawless performance last week. Can lightning strike twice for Run It Once, or will the Silent Tickers silence their underdog opponents once again?

Silent Tickers have been Loud Assassins 

The Silent Tickers boast a well-rounded team with talent on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jordan Panetta has had a phenomenal season, throwing for an impressive 2,100 yards, 54 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions. The receiving corps is a dangerous group, with athletes who can exploit any defensive weakness. WROY Daniel Mancini has been levels above everyone else and has been recognized as such. Their defense is no slouch either, and will be looking to shut down Rosenblatt and the momentum Run It Once has built. Run It Once Needs Repeat Performance from Rosenblatt. Last week’s performance by Rosenblatt was a beacon of hope for Run It Once. He threw for 6 touchdowns with a perfect interception rate, proving he can lead his team to victory in tight and high pressure situations. However, this week presents a much stiffer challenge. The Silent Tickers’ defense is far more disciplined than 2HD’s. He will need to replicate his stellar performance and have his receivers make plays in crucial moments if Run It Once wants to pull off an upset. The Silent Tickers come into this game as the clear favourites. Their overall record and dominating performance against Run It Once in the regular season suggest they are the superior team. However, playoffs are all about capitalizing on opportunities, and Run It Once has shown they can be dangerous with Rosenblatt at the helm. Still, the Silent Tickers’ balanced attack and stifling defense are likely to be too much to overcome. Final Score Prediction: Silent Tickers 42, Run It Once 21. 

Blue Ballers or Dirty Birds + 

First off, I would like to apologize to Blue Ballers as I said last week, I barely spoke about their squad this season. Managing 2 divisions at once can be challenging even with the additional word count. Either was If Blue Ballers come out victorious this week, ill be sure to headline them in the Semi Finals. Nothing really stands out for me when looking at the Blue Ballers season. Except for their dynamic ball hawking Defence. 16 total interceptions and 11 total sacks are wild stats for Div 2. This team has been working together as a unit to dominate defensively. This game will be a great clash of Defence vs Offence. But lets not get it twisted, Blue Ballers have played well offensively as their QB Fred Dupuis threw 49 TD’s and 12 INTs this season with a 71 completion percentage. This is a very tough game to predict as I haven’t seen much from the Blue Ballers but I do believe they can force Quaid Johnson to make some mistakes. This might seem like a cop out but I truly believe this game will be decided on weather Quaid throws and INT or not. If Dirty Birds+ do not throw an INT they WILL walk out with he W. If Quaid finds himself in some trouble and that ball hawking secondary is able to create turnovers, that’ll be all for Dirty Birds. 

Thats all for Div 2, be sure to tune in soon for Div 1! Goodluck to all players, lets make this one electric.