Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath.

In the words of Raptors Commentator Jack Armstrong; “Heeelllllllllooooo”, FPF! Only 2 weeks left till playoffs! I would like to remind all captains to make sure your teammates have a minimum of 5 games played so they’re eligible for playoffs. It would really suck if stud athletes such as Justin Lerner, Seb Deschamps, or Rich Humes would miss the playoffs. Each player provides a huge impact for their team. More importantly, each of them only have only 4 games played thus far. If I’m team captain of either Lightweight, Touch It Catch It, or Bearskins, I’m showing up to the house to drag them to the field if needed, to get that 5th game played. Moving forward, although there was only two games on week 9’s slate, they were some good ones (upsets)!!! Without wasting anymore time, let’s take a deep div into last week’s performances, as well as some big matchups to come.

Sheesh vs Speed Academy

Upset alert!! Call me crazy, but regardless who throws the ball for a team, if your backup QB throws for 260 yards and 6 touchdowns, you would think it would result in a dub. That was the statline for replacement QB of Sheeesh Corey Walwaski. Although it wasn’t Langburt throwing the ball as well as playing defence for this Sheeesh squad, 37 points with a backup qb should put you in position to win. The only problem with that formula is that as always, there is no answer for pure speed, which is exactly what Speed Academy had. Emile Plante started off the game by catching the Sheeesh’s defense napping out the gate with a 40 bomb to Jimmy Marneris. As the game progressed, it was Rabbi Bostitampen who went on to have the breakout performance; 149 yards and 2 touchdowns! This is the kind of performance that keeps me thinking that Speed Academy is much better than their record indicates. Mathieu Lepage, Noah Groper, and Jared Boidman held down the fort for Sheeesh, as they each contributed with 2 Tds of their own offensively. What’s troubling to me, is the lack of roster inconsistency that this Sheeesh team has had over recent weeks. It’s never going to be easy when their captain isn’t in the lineup. it’s even tougher to get the execute at a high level when your team has been injury plagued. Could we be witnessing Sheeesh going 1 & done come playoff time?? If Sheeesh isn’t at full strength, I wonder if it will play a factor in being able to perform like the team I personally identified pre season as the number 1 team in this division. They remind of the Brooklyn Nets. When I saw the roster on paper, all I could think to myself was who the heck is going to stop these guys? Turns out, the answer seems to be themselves as it’s starting to feel like all hype, yet slowly deteriorating ( The same way Brooklyn is currently down 3-0 to the Celtics) I hope I’m wrong, however in my eyes Sheeesh does not seem prepared to go on a deep playoff run at the moment.

Les Gros Coqs Vs Lightweight

An absolute heart breaker for this Lightweight squad! Coming off their first win over the Oompa Loompas, Simon Dagenais was looking to build carry some momentum into this week vs Les Gros Coqs. Instead, what they got was the complete opposite. With key star players out of the lineup such as Justin Lerner and Justin Blanchard, Lightweight seemed lost in finding their rhythm. Dagenais didn’t even throw for 100 yards on the night. I don’t know whether I should be traumatized or be giving credit to LGC’S Defense as they only allowed 13 points on the game! Dom Lefort had himself quite the night, as he finished the game with 5 touchdowns. 3 of those Tds, went to the team leader in Tds on the season, Julien Proulx. What was most impressive to me on the night, was that as much as Lefort in known for his speed and escapability in the pocket, he did not attempt 1 rush on the night! That means he stood in their made his reads and found his guys all night long. That my friends is called taking the next step in becoming a true quarterback in this league. I tip my hat to Lefort on making the right plays all within the pocket to get the job done. LGC has officially leap frogged in the standings, as they have stolen the bye from underneath the Bearskins feet! With only 2 weeks left, Lightweight will need to defeat both EZW & Mangoose in order to make the playoffs. Quite a tall order for a team that has been struggling all year when faced with adversity. I do believe it is possible, however Lightweight will definitely need their full squad to be able to have any shot down the stretch.

Game Previews

We got some pretty interesting matchups in this week’s slate. Last week I went 0-2 with my predictions so let’s see if Lady luck follows my shadow this week, as we take a look at what’s ahead.

Junkyard Dogs Vs Expendables

A matchup between both 6-2 teams. Similar records, yet far different seasons. Junkyard dogs had a rough start to the season, but managed to show their true colours as the season progressed,stomping through the competition by putting up 40 burgers all season long. On the other hand, Expendables sit with 6 wins on the season, even though they’ve lost their Hall of fame QB due to injury. I don’t know how much longer this A-la-Fitzmagic AKA Di FazioMagic will hold up for. The FPF veteran clealry is playing too rushed in most of these games, as he’s thrown at least 1 interception in the last 3 games he’s played. Gino has proven that he is capable of throwing in this division, which is why his teammates still have the upmost confidence with him throwing the rock. This Expendables squad is filled with savvy vets all over the roster. Look no further than Dylan Taylor and Andrew Carruthers, who both have 8 touchdowns on the season. It’s also important to note that each player who’s caught a reception for the Expendables also has multiple Tds on the year, which couldn’t fit more perfectly to this team’s motto; next man up. A player I think should be more involved in the offensive gameplan would be the big man; Justene Edwards. He is a huge target to find over the middle, and could definitely win those jump balls. I remember the days of Taylor launching bombs to Edwards in triple coverage as Dylan had a smile on his face. Obviously Edwards Mossed the bleep outta those defenders, making it a living hell to game plan against. He’s a competitor who can take over the game if the opportunity is given. What I love most about Edwards game is that he strives off the competition he faces. In the words of Justene himself who once told me on a Sunday night at Lachine as he broke the huddle, heading to the line “Iron Sharpens Iron”, & I couldn’t agree more. With that being said, the Expendables haven’t had too many takeaways on the season. With only 10 interceptions on the year, I would assume that JYD would continue to take their shots deep knowing they have a high chance of winning those 50/50 balls. Speaking of going up for jumpballs, I can very well see Sean Semerjian having a sorta 2 touchdown performance in this game. His mix of the triple S (speed/size/strength) really puts him above the competition in this contest. He reminds me of a young Dez Bryant. Always going up for the ball to make the big play! I don’t see anyone on the Expenables really being able to keep up with him. Another player who i believe is due for a breakout performance would be rusher Hinsley Adams. After recording back to back games with 4 and 5 sacks back in weeks 5 & 6, Hinsley hasn’t been able to sniff a QB’s flag over the last 2 weeks. I expect him to be a key factor in this matchup, as Gino has a tendency to try & extend the plays. If Hinsley is on his game, look out.. It could get ugly. Ultimately, as long as Junkyard QB Jason Rossie stays cool, calm and collective, I can very well see this game going in favour of Junkyard Dogs.

My prediction: 34-25 Junkyard Dogs

Bearskins vs Silent Ticklers

Another matchup with 2 teams on different paths. On one hand, you got the Silent Ticklers who started off the season with some inconsistency at the QB position to start things off. After beginning the season 0-2, Panetta decided it was time to put the team on his back. Since week 3, Jordan Panetta got his act together, locked in, and hasn’t thrown a single interception. THAT, is the consistency the Silent Ticklers needed in order to get things settled in the doghouse. Everyone plays better whenever you aren’t turning over the football, it’s the laws of flag! It also helps when you have the Justin Jeffereson/Adam Theilien combo going on with Daniel Mancini and Adam Rosen. The two star wideouts have accounted for 28 of Panetta’s 43 touchdowns on the season! Talk about a deadly duo! I think the pivotal point in this team’s season was when they lost to Les Maloudes, a team far more inferior to them. I spoke to defensive back Tanner Burrell that night and he layed it on me as simple as possible. He mentioned how “we got to stop turning over the ball, and start creating more turnovers! We have the team to go all the way, just got to play smart football”. This couldn’t be more true, as Silent Ticklers got a film session going with probably some snacks, a couple of brews, maybe even the scotch got pulled out as well who knows. Either way, the film never lies! They clearly realized the mistakes they’ve been making and how they can overcome these obstacles. Since then, BANG!! 8 game winning streak, as well as becoming one of the hottest teams heading into the playoffs. On the flip side, Bearskins are trending in the complete opposite direction. They started off the season hot going 2-0, making people around the league (including myself) believers in this Neil Etinson dink & dunk offence. Since then, they went went from looking like they will have the bye heading into the playoffs, to being on the brink of elimination, with Lightweight knocking on the door trying to steal that last playoff spot. I won’t sugar coat it, the road to the playoffs for the Bearskins is going to be extremely tough. Silent Ticklers, Blessed, and EZW to finish off the season. Rough stuff, to say the least. If they want any shot at making things interesting down the home stretch, Kevin Libman will need to play a huge role in providing success for the Bearskins both offensively and defensively. He currently leads the team in Touchdowns with 6, as well as tallying 8 sacks on the year for the Bearskins. Since Bearskins beat Lightweight in week 1, they hold the tie breaker over them. To break it down in simpler terms, Lightweight would need to simply win 2 of the next 3 games, and they can secure their spot in the playoffs. If not, Bearskins are most likely to hold that final playoff spot. Honestly speaking, this Bearskins unit does have the talent to get the compete & upset some of these teams moving forward. They just keep finding ways to shoot themselves in the foot, which is extremely annoying. Should they get their act together, maybe they can pull it off. However, will it be this game vs Silent Ticklers who’ve been steaming hot? I’m not so sure.

Final Score: 42 – 21 Silent Ticklers

Players of the week

With only 2 games played over the past week, let’s see who stood out the most for their teams! For this week alone, I will highlight only 1 player from each position. Lets see who had a breakout performance, shall we?

Emile Plante

Plante Finished his day completing 13 of his 20 passes for 259 yards and 6 touchdowns! His 65% completion percentage & 127 QBR couldn’t have came at a better time, as Emile played well enough to take down the a powerhouse like Sheeesh! If Emile limits his turnovers per game, I can very well see Emile entering the higher divisions in the near future as he does have the talent to compete with the big boys. Regardless, great effort, Emile!

Rabbi Bositampen

Emile’s partner in crime! Monday night saw Speed Academy’s deadly duo take the cake covering this week’s stars. Rabbi finished his day catching 4 of his 6 targets for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns! You just can’t teach speed, and this man’s got it. With the wheels Rabbi has, I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if we are talking about Bositampen being a future WR of the year candidate for years toi come. Congratulations on the performance, Rabbi!

Darryl Dorcely

It’s a Speed Academy takeover! That’s right, Dorcely held his own vs Sheeesh, as he was able to record 3 tackles along with an 1 INT on the way to helping his team secure a 2 point victory! Darryl has been locking it down all season for his squad, as leads his team in INTs on the season with 4. Dorcely also contributed on offence as well, as he found the endzone vs sheeesh last monday as well. Keep it up, Darryl!

Rusher

Thomas Lemay

Recording 2 sacks on the night, Lemay seemed to have been an X factor vs Lightweight in their showdown Monday night. Lemay started off the season with back to back games recording a sack, then went dry for the next 6 weeks. Hopefully a performance like this surely gets the gears turning and puts LGC back on the map. Good work, Thomas!

Games of the week

(My predictions in bold)

Oompa Loompas Les Gros Coqs

Blessed Killa Bees

Bearskins Silent Ticklers

Lightweight EZW

Oompa Loompas Touch It Catch It

Speed Academy Mangoose

Junkyard Dogs Expendables

Thor’s Hammer Past Our Prime

Sheeeesh Les Maloudes

Bearskins Blessed

Annnnnnnnnd that’s a wrap fellas! Thank you all for tuning into this week’s article, I truly appreciate it. If you have any feedback on what content is missing, or content that should be added, please feel free to reach out to me! I promise, I only yell at my WRs for dropped passes, not div 3 players socializing with me! I love hearing the inside scoops within teams, & would love to hear your point of views on all the madness taking place around division 3. If I would have to end of this article saying one last order of business, it would be this:

GO. RAPS. GO! We are still alive baby!!! Might not be feeling the same way once next week’s article gets released but hey, you only live once, Am-I-Right?

Hope you all enjoyed it, until next week folks!