Finals Preview: West Island Boys vs. Illegal Use of Hands

Here we go, we’re getting a great final tonight and I will be the one to commentate alongside the legendary Moe Khan. It’s been a long road to get here, and both of these teams are absolutely deserving. Illegal Use of Hands have been dominant on both sides of the ball throughout the season and West Island Boys have been unstoppable offensively. 

West Island Boys

It was a pretty straightforward road to the finals for them, as they beat Trapstars, Idaho Udapimps and The Penetrators to get here. They’ve been extremely hard to stop offensively and have had some great contributions defensively as well.

Zack Stacey

Definitely one of if not the best QB in tier 3, he’s also performed very well in Tier 2 with The Infantry. A very creative player, he reads defenses almost better than anyone in Tier3, and is also great at escaping the rusher and extending plays. Defenses usually have to hold coverages for a long time against him, but he can also dish it quick so it makes it hard to predict. His arm strength may be a bit of a concern, as he doesn’t love to throw it deep. An aggressive coverage underneath with a fast rusher is the best way to beat him. 

Nicholas Di Maulo

Doesn’t look like much, wears no gloves which is interesting. Reality is he’s very talented and has great instincts. He knows how to get open and makes it easy for his quarterback. He’s also speedy and very smooth. His great route running makes it very hard to cover him in man, and he gets open easily in zone.

Skylar Bayliff

Another very intelligent player, perhaps not as elusive as Di Maulo, he’s still got great speed with more physicality. His connection with Stacey is one of the best and they always seem to be on the same page. He’s also great at getting open, being very patient and putting himself in great position to help his QB.

Julian Mclaren-Thompson

Speed, height, decent hands. Another matchup nightmare for most teams. He’s very athletic and can make a play out of nothing. He might play some snapper and Stacey will give him the ball underneath and let him break tackles. While still a bit raw, he’s the type of player who can explode with a big play after not doing much all game. 

Ethan Adrian

Adrian is an amazing rusher, very fast and agile, he’s got great reactions and will definitely make life hard for Barazzoni. The latter won’t have as much time for his plays to develop and scrambling will be no easy feat. Adrian is also a very good receiver, and though not a focal point in the offense, he’s a guy bound for a big play and broken tackles. 

Mike Collard

With his colorful personality, combined with his veteran experience and leadership, Collard brings a lot of energy to the table. He’s a great leader for his team. He’s also very reliable and Stacey trusts him in clutch situations. He’s not as athletic as Mclaren or Adrian, but he’s more reliable than those two. He’s got the ability to make a play when necessary and that’s a very valuable skill.

Mike Badibabungi

Badibabungi is another athletic player who’s a bit more raw than the others. He needs to work on his route running, but he’s shown flashes of his talent with big plays. Watch out for his jumping ability alonsgide his height. Though he’s taken a step back with his role this season, there is no doubt that Stacey might call his number when the other team isn’t expecting it. 

Michael Raffoul

Raffoul is not a focal point of Zack Stacey’s offense. He’s usually running short routes, especially hooks on the outside. He’s got great hands and Stacey will find him when teams forget to cover his sideline.

Anthony Grotto

Similar to Raffoul, he plays as a WR and does a lot of hooks on the sideline. He’s also reliable with good hands and will be used similarly to Raffoul.

Illegal Use of Hands

It wasn’t as easy as a road for Illegal Use of Hands. After a close win versus Joes Panini, they got humiliated by The Penetrators, but came back by beating Griffnation, destroying Idaho Udapimps and avenging their loss to Penetrators.

Alessandro Barazzoni

Barazonni’s strength is his patience. He waits for his receivers’ routes to develop and scans the field efficiently. He’s really good at reading zones and has some great man beater plays if that’s the route West Island Boys decides to choose defensively. He can also extend the plays with his legs and throws a great ball while on the move. He doesn’t have the greatest arm and won’t really test the deep ball, but his efficiency underneath is almost unmatched in Tier 3. 

Matthew Simard

Simard is possibly the most athletic player in the division. He runs fast, jumps high and has great instincts on the ball. He’s made some great plays these playoffs by breaking tackles and by out jumping defenders. His height is obviously a concern but he more than makes up for it with his athleticism and intelligence. 

Bekim Borova

Borova is an elite route runner with great hands. He’s also got plenty of speed and after playing man against him, I realized how good he really is. He uses a lot of body fakes and is unpredictable. He’s got every single route down to a T and that makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses. He’s one of the focal points of Barazzoni’s offense.

Anthony Lazarra

What a player, that’s all I want to say. He’s one of the smartest players, he always gets open, and he always catches the ball. He’s an extremely frustrating player to play against and Barazzoni knows it. He’s the type of player you kind of forget about, but that’s the worst mistake you can make.

Massimo D’Ipolito

With his great height and athleticism, you’d think D’Ipolito had a bigger role than he currently does. He’s tall and fast, what more do you want? Perhaps there’s a bit of a fit question with Barazzoni throwing. D’Ipolito is great on jumpballs and his QB doesn’t throw many of those passes. Watch out for him on the sidelines at 10-15 yards.

Anthony Siggia

Illegal Use of Hands’ snapper is a very physical player. He’s a bruiser type of guy and he will be used on a lot of pick plays down the middle. He’s focal to what Alessandro Barazzoni does with his big presence down the middle. He’ll create space for others and will make the catches when called upon.

George Kalavritinos

Used almost exclusively as a rusher, Kalavritinos is a great one. He’s fast and agile and is a very good matchup against Zack Stacey. His job will be to contain him all game and prevent him from extending plays as he usually does. 

Overall, both of these teams are pretty evenly matched. Zack Stacey and Alessandro Barazzoni play a similar style, which is safe and methodical. While WIB have some bigger names, Illegal Use of Hands have some hidden gems. Both teams have great depth and great talent up top, as you’d expect from two finals teams. As for my prediction, I have but to give the final nod to West Island Boys. In fact, despite even matchups, I can’t help but trust Zack Stacey, who’s been on an absolute tear this season, and has only stepped it up in these playoffs. Illegal Use of Hands does have a very tricky defense and a different look to what Stacey is used to.

It will be a pleasure to commentate this game, and I wish all of you guys good luck. May the best team win and congratulations to all on this season.