Food for Thought (D4) – Week 2

There are 3 types of teams in Division 4 as of this week. The undefeated, boasting a clearly premature overconfidence, the winless, sulking and licking their sores, and, the most intriguing of all, the 1-1 record teams.

Of the 8 franchises who still have not suffered defeat, the Gators, les Patriotes and  the Family are exactly where we thought they would be. While the Gators might go 10-0 if they manage to ward off the Eagles this week and the Sphinx later on this season, the other two powerhouses of the division will be facing each other this weekend, tarnishing at least one of their records.

The rest of this happy bunch is comprised of an eclectic array of teams, most of which are young (at least at heart) and on the rise (with some pharmaceutical help for some…!).

 

Maximum Carnage’s defense is currently being jump-started by the great play of Jeff Moscato who, with his 3 interceptions in 2 games, is a real ball-hawk! Their relatively easy schedule this season (no games against Sphinx, the Family, Patriotes, Gorilla Juiceheads or Gators) might propel them to a top seed in the playoffs.

Primetime, who are known around the league for their on and off the field antics from seasons’ past, are led by the dynamic foursome of Dave, Derek, Devin and Dilan Daoust who, with the help of underrated QB Doug (Dooooooogie) McKernan are wreaking havoc on lower tier teams. As this Facebook thread will show you, they are still lacking some unity…

Dave Daoust: LOL… im from PRIMETIME and everyone knows we got the best chemistry LMAO.

Doogie Mckernan: we have chemistry dave ? when did that happen lol.

Dave Daoust: Lol @ Doog, I was being sarcastic… Anyone who knows us knows that.

And then there are Those Guys. Semi-finalists last Spring in Division C, they decided to enrol in Division 4 after losing arguably their top 3 performers (Ryan Perry, Dexter Tanner and Keenan Alleyne) to the fabled Empire… In a much looser division and with the addition of great new talent in Matthew Labranche and Alex Robichaud, they are my pick to run away with the Conference B West title.

Conference West is also host to the venerable Longhorns. The former Cowboys are aging but, just like old wine, they might be getting better with time. Coming off two hard fought wins against newcomers Eudistes and reformed Top Guns, Jon Moodie and his herd will most likely be boasting a 3-0 record after this week’s game against the unrecognisable Marauders.

Last but not least, the Jets were faithful to their NFL homonyms and pulled an upset in spectacular fashion. After a horrific game against the defensively-minded (Hab-like) Monstars, Carl Dugas easily dismantled the Gorilla Juiceheads. While Dugas was celebrating on the offensive side of the ball, former Vieux-Montréal Spartiates teammates Dragann Mallette and Mohamed Zerbo were shutting down the Concordia Stingers combination of Terrance Morsink (26% completion) and Scott Mironowicz (only 1 reception). A refreshing performance by a team who seems destined to shed its “close but no cigar” reputation.

 

Naturally, for every undefeated team, there is a winless team. While some have simply been unlucky, others will need to get used to the feeling of defeat…

Turf Toe Inc. is a name that can be traced back to the first season of FPF. An ever-changing flux of new and old, the franchise has endured throughout the highs and the lows of their many seasons in FPF. As underrated as ever, they have become accustomed to the role of underdog. Once again, I foresee lots of fun, some close games but very few victories for this unfortunate bunch.

The Rams are not a great team but they are not bad either. They have above average receiving talent with the likes of Gino Conforti, Justin Hétu and Marco Ardonato but their QB, Erminio Iadeluca, lacks the offensive vision that one would associate with his last name. Defensively, the Rams are not dominant but rarely get tired due to their deep roster. All in all, this team most likely won’t make it to the playoffs, although they might surprise an opponent who takes them lightly.

Straight out of the AAA Jean-Eudes high school program, les Eudistes clearly lack the flag-football experience of older alumni such as Frédéric Rousseau-Blass and Mikhaïl Davidson. Nonetheless, this team oozes optimism. Only -7 after 2 losses, they are definitely competing and a rise in their performances is not very far away. The reinsertion of their QB, Hugo Henderson, into the line-up will do wonders for them and their chances of a first FPF victory.

The Commission are inconsistent to say the least. Their defense includes some good talent such as the speedy rusher Bryan Nguyen and the versatile utility player Marc Belhomme. However, their offence struggles mightily due in part to Jonathan Williams’ failing accuracy. His receivers will need to readjust their routes and help out their QB because they will need to score more than 15 points a game to get that elusive win. The Commission have not won since July 2009…

If there is a team who might miss the playoffs due to bad luck it sure is the Sharks. Looking at probably the toughest calendar in all of Division 4, the Sharks would do well to get in playoff mode as soon as possible.

Evan Ely Nolet:  dont know how we cant win ….. we lost by 4 points in week one and 1 point last week…

QB Evan Ely Nolet’s statement shows how close the Sharks were to being 2-0 right now. They had an amazing opportunity in Week 1, against a QB-less Family, but their inability to complete their conversions left them with a sour loss…

Without the stellar Beauregard brothers, the Marauders are my pick to finish 0-10. It’s a shame to see such a successful franchise falter. Where do they go from here? Scouting talent and rebuilding their team from the QB position down would be my suggestion. Maybe, next season, in the division below, they might get back to their winning ways…

Run’n’Wild’s decision to move up to Division 4 was extremely audacious. I have the utmost respect for any team who challenges themselves by playing in a higher Division. However, the move might have been premature. Their abysmal 6 point-per-game average shows their difficulty to score points. Kenton Lowe and G.M. Kolethras were great offseason additions, but this team’s future lies in the hands (or the arm) of Jeff Lyall. If he can adjust to the faster paced Division 4 game, Run’n’Wild might make its presence felt along the way.

The last, and perhaps the least, is the brand new team Young Money. With a differential of -62 and the most points against in all of FPF, let’s just say this team has their work cut out for them… A lack experience and a short roster might explain why these neophytes have not come close to winning yet. Along with the Marauders, Young Money constitutes one of the most challenged franchises in Division 4.

 

Before analysing the rest of the Division, lets wait until they pull above or dive below the magical .500 mark.

 

As a conclusion to this article and a prelude to Week 3, here are my current Power Rankings and my prediction for each the top 10 teams’ next game:

1.  Patriotes (2-0): They will be playing for the permanent # 1 spot in the rankings. Their defense will decide if they are deserving of such an honor.

Prediction: 34-41 Loss

2.  The Family (2-0): They will be looking to make a statement against the Patriotes this weekend. If they can pull off a win, they will assert themselves as clear favourites to win it all.

Prediction: 41-34 Win

3.  Gators (2-0): Facing the tenacious Eagles this weekend, it will all be a matter of limiting the Eagles offence by not letting them complete the long plays. Pressure is the key to victory.

Prediction: 30-21 Win

4.  Sphinx (1-1): They will be playing against a desperate team and an inexperienced QB. The forecast reads interceptions…and lots of them.

Prediction: 38-18 Win

5.  Maximum Carnage (2-0): A great opportunity to pad their offensive and defensive stats this weekend. Will Jeff Moscato pull off a couple more interceptions?

Prediction: 32-12 Win

6.  Those Guys (2-0): Against an X-Men team who has trouble putting up points on the board, Those Guys will triumph in this defence-oriented matchup.

Prediction: 24-18 Win

7.  Primetime (2-0): Their offence is firing on all cylinders and the Taylor Gang, even though their anthem is Black and Yellow, are very far from being an Iron Curtain…

Prediction: 35-28 Win

8.  Jets (2-0): Against an enigmatic Mongoose squad, the Jets defence will have to come up big and contain the dangerous Jason Lachapelle.

Prediction: 28-24 Win

9.  Longhorns (2-0): The seasoned veterans should have a freebie this week against the feeble Marauders. Look for them to be 3-0 next week.

Prediction: 34-13

10. Eagles (1-1): With a very tough game ahead of them, they will need to confuse the Gators’ defence with the play-action passes they are so famous for. If they win the battle of turnovers, they might stand a chance.

Prediction: 21-30 Loss

Remember to play hard and have fun! I will be at Lachine as always, so pass by and have a chat. I am always looking to learn more about the different teams I am covering!

If you have any suggestions, comments or wish to make a more direct contribution to this article, please contact me at [email protected]