Double Dipping For Some, and Playoff Scenarios For All

Welcome to Week 11 of the FlagPlus Football Winter Season. This is it. After eleven long weeks, we are finally here, the final week of the regular season. For a number of teams however it is no time to rest, as this has simply become do or die time.

Due to the bye-week, and scheduling quirk that took place earlier this season, due to a schedule conflict with Saint-Laurent Field, there are a number of teams, that will have to play two games over the course of the next 5 days.

The pros of course of that scenario, is that you basically get to control your own destiny, as it relates to not only making the playoffs, but to solidify your positioning.

The cons of course, is playing two games in such a short amount of time. Injuries happen, and it usually takes more than just a game or two, to end a bad stretch of play.

Speaking of teams who will be double-dipping, after starting off the season (1-3), Sweat & Beers, have won four straight games, and currently sit tied with The Crew, for the final playoff spot in Conference B.

To clinch a post-season spot, they must either beat a Jaguars tonight in Lachine, that is coming off of a (26-26) tie with The Commission last Saturday in Brossard, or they will have to get a win Monday night at Stade Hebert, versus The Crew, who despite their record, are a good team, but they might be a rusty one, after having not played since their Div. 3 shaking upset victory over The Alpha-T’s, back on March 4th.

Two tough games indeed. Will the second half turnaround by Sweat & Beers be for nothing, or will they be able to continue it, and ride into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in Div. 3?

Despite their disappointing season, TOPSZN, still finds themselves clinging to a playoff spot. To get there, they will need to beat both The Magicians tomorrow night at Loyola, and an equally unimpressive Junkyard Dogs squad, Monday in Saint-Laurent.

Working in TOPSZN’s favour, is the teams they will face, as The Magicians haven’t won a game since Week 4, and a Junkyard Dogs squad, that last tasted victory all the way back in Week 5.

Speaking of JYD, they sit in the ninth spot in Conference A, 2 points behind Trinity, who they lost to (37-14), in Week 1.

For JYD to get into the dance, they will have to knock off TOPSZN, in the game I mentioned above, but they will also need to beat Blue Chips, Wednesday night, at Stade Hebert.

In addition to that, JYD, will need Lightweight, to help them out, by beating Trinity tomorrow in Lachine, or need The Commission, to defeat the Cougars, Sunday at Stade Hebert.

With 8 points, Scored your GF, sit two points back of The Crew, and Sweat & Beers for the eighth and final playoff spot in Conference B.

To qualify for the playoffs, first and foremost, they will need to win their final two games at Stade Hebert, as Monday night they take on South Harmon Institute of Technology, and Wednesday, they face off with Martine et le flag.

Even if they complete the two game sweep, they will also need either The Commission, to lose to the Cougars tomorrow night, or Sweat & Beers to lose to the Jaguars (conversely the opposite can help them out too).

Although Olympia Performance, have long since been eliminated from playoff contention, they still have a chance to play spoiler.

While their Sunday night game at Loyola against the Freshmen, doesn’t impact the post-season race, their contest against the Dirty Dawgs, Wednesday evening at Stade Hebert does.

Currently in the third seed in Conference B, the Dirty Dawgs, are tied points-wise, with both the BearSkins, and South Harmon Institute of Technology, but they get the higher spot due to their (4-2) divisional record.

Olympia Performance, have recorded points in their last two games, via a (26-26) tie with The Magicians, and their first victory of the season last Sunday, with a (19-13) win over Martine et le flag. Congrats!

If they were able to pull off the upset, and beat the Dirty Dawgs, it would potentially cause their opponents to fall from third, all the way to seventh in Conference B.

Fellow FPF writer Simon Dagenais, provided all of writing staff with playoff scenarios this week. I looked it over, and everything seems correct, but I am not perfect, and neither is he, so feel to give it a long look as well.

The playoff scenarios are as follows:

 

Division 3

 

● Martine et le Flag can clinch with a win or loss from Trinity or Junkyard Dogs or Cougars

● Cougars can clinch with a win or a loss from Junkyard Dogs or Trinity

● Junkyard Dogs can clinch if they win out + Trinity loses or Cougars loses

● TOPSZN can clinch if they win out + Trinity and Junkyard Dogs loses out

● The Commission can clinch with a win or The Crew loss or Scored your GF loses 1 out of their next 2 games.

● Jaguars can clinch with a win, or The Crew loss, or Scored your GF loses 1 out of the next 2 games.

● The Crew can clinch with a win. Lose and they’re out.

● Sweat & Beers can clinch with a win over their next 2 games.

● Scored your GF can clinch if they win out last 2 games + The Commission or Jaguars lose.

 

● Top Sauce, LGM, Freshmen, The Magicians, Olympia Performance and Big Ballers are officially eliminated.

 

 

Matchups

 

AJ Gomes (Cougars) versus The Commission

A huge part of their 2017 Spring Season championship, and of The Commission as a whole, for the past several seasons, AJ Gomes, will be taking on his former team tomorrow night, in his backyard at Stade Hebert.

 

Domenico Benevento, of The Commission, will be taking on a few of his former teammates as well, in Erminio Iadeluca, Alessandro Barazzoni, and the aforementioned Gomes. 

If you look a little closer, you can even call this the St. Leonard Cougars versus Chateauguay Raiders, as some former Silver and Black alumni, in Julian McLaren-Thompson, and yours truly, will be involved as well.

Either way, the winner of the game, will clinch a playoff spot, while the loser, will need some help to get in. The stakes are pretty big, let’s see what happens.

 

 

Jean-Félix Marquis (Trinity) versus Lightweight Defense

It has now become put up or shut up time for Trinity. They haven’t won since Week 6, and they’re tilting right on the playoff line, as they sit one game up on both the Junkyard Dogs, and Cougrs, for the final playoff spot in Conference A.

One of the reasons for the Trinity slump, has been the play of their offense, most notably, Quarterback Jean-Félix Marquis.

 

Over the last five games, the 2-time All-Star, has thrown at least 1 interception, including three in a Week 8 loss to the Cougars, and a jaw-dropping five in last week’s loss to the South Harmon Institute of Technology. In the process, the team’s offense hasn’t scored more than 20 points in a game. Time to step it up.

Led by Cory Kennedy, Justin Blanchard, Justin Lerner, and Hendrick Ambroise, the fast and athletic Lightweight defense, have 12 takeaways this season. Can they force a few more out of Marquis?

For Lightweight, a win over Trinity, would do nothing for them in the standings, but it would allow them to enter the playoffs on a 5-game winning streak.

 

Junkyard Dogs versus Blue Chips

Yes, I am, cheating here a little bit, but hear me out. The last time these two teams met, was Week 8 of the Spring Season, at Saint-Laurent Field.

 

That game was filled with a little bit of drama, and a lot of emotions. Standing on the sideline watching the game, it seemed like every time somebody made a big play, their teammates would roar in approval. The contest definitely had a playoff vibe.

 

Luckily for Blue Chips, it wasn’t a playoff game, as much to my shock, and I think to that of BC as well, the Junkyard Dogs, crushed their opponents, and won the game (35-8).

Junkyard Dogs QB Jordan Rossie, threw five touchdowns, including three to Jonathan Williams.

 

The JYD defense, not only intercepted Blue Chips QB Jordan Mitchell three times, and held him to 62 yards passing, but they shut him down in the run game as well, as they limited him to 20 yards on the ground. In short, ithe All-Star passer, had his worst game of the year in all three categories.

Fast forward to this year. Currently at (7-2), the Blue Chips are locked into the second seed in Conference B. The only benefit a win gives them, would mean that they head into the playoffs winners of four straight.

For the Junkyard Dogs, as I stated earlier, they need to beat TOPSZN Monday night first, then win this showdown on Wednesday night, to get in the playoffs. Can JYD pull it off?

 

Elite 8

The Alpha-T’s

Les Studs

South Harmon Institute of Technology

Les Maloudes

Lightweight

Dirty Dawgs

Blue Chips

The BrotherHood

 

 

Picks

Jaguars vs Sweat & Beers – Jaguars

LGM vs Top Sauce – Top Sauce

The Commission vs Cougars – N/A

TOPSZN vs The Magicians – TOPSZN

Trinity vs Lightweight – Lightweight

Freshmen vs Olympia Performance – Olympia Performance

South Harmon Institute of Technology vs Scored your GF – Scored your GF (Upset Special)

TOPSZN vs Junkyard Dogs – Junkyard Dogs

Sweat & Beers vs The Crew – The Crew

Junkyard Dogs vs Blue Chips – Blue Chips (My pick for Game of the Week #1)

Scored your GF vs Martine et le flag – Martine et le flag

Dirty Dawgs vs Olympia Performance – Dirty Dawgs (My pick for Game of the Week #2)

Last Week: (6-4)

Season: (69-39-1)

 

That’s it for this week. I’ll be back next week with my first round of the playoffs/Divisional Round preview.

 

Good luck to everybody in their games.

Cheers!

If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on Twitter@BADNEWSB51