Food For Thought (Div B) – Week 13

After much smack talking and futile debating, we are finally on the verge of the long-awaited Spring 2011 finals. The Road Show crew is prepping, fans have bought their tickets and our two finalists are ecstatic with nervous excitement (yes, I assure you).

At this point I can only assume the Trojans and Snookerines are entering the last steps of their preparation.

However, before we delve into the strengths and weaknesses of each team, here’s a quick word on the second Div B semi-final.

 

What was built up to be clash of epic proportions suddenly became a game of who would show up to play for either team. While the Trojans saw the Ciampinis make a surprise appearance (against all doctor recommendations in Adam’s case), SWAT wasn’t as lucky as they saw their all-star defender Shawn Haney pull a hamstring while playing in Div C earlier in the evening. With the mysterious disappearance of Alex Blanchet in the last few weeks and an injury to Rashawn Perry, Haney’s unavailability finally exposed SWAT’s very shallow roster. Thanks to a last minute medical note produced in order to qualify receiver Dexter Tanner, Gino Di Fazio and company were able to put a team on the field. And at halftime, it seemed that would actually be enough for the win! Sadly for Gino and Carmine’s double championship chances, the Trojans came back strong in the second half, registering the second come-from-behind win in as many Div B semi-finals.

 

THE MATCHUP

Since I’ve already exposed the ins and outs of both finalists in previous articles, let’s look at this matchup in a more comparative way.

 

Playoff Experience

Trojans (10 championship rings) vs Snookers (8 championship rings)

Safe to say both teams have ample playoff experience. However, it is important to notice that all of these championships, except Don Shepherd’s and Vinny Gualano’s, were won prior to the 2009 Winter season.

Advantage: Trojans

 

QBs

Rick Nincheri vs Tony Tabet

While they can both be considered as some of the best FPFers in history, their styles cannot differ more. However, Rick Nincheri has something that Tony Tabet doesn’t: 2 championships as QB.

Advantage: Trojans

 

Snappers

Donald Shepherd vs Shane Paquette

Div A talent vs Div A talent. While Paquette is a big piece in the Snookers’ offence, Don Shepherd has asserted himself as the best snapper in the league over the last few seasons.

Advantage: Trojans

 

Receivers

Kaloussian, Kozanian, Bastadjian and A. Kavaldjian vs Gualano, Chiba, A. Ciampini and M. Ciampini

With excellent receivers across the board, deciding which team has the advantage is a tough chore. However, because they were so consistent all season long, the Snookers’ receivers deserve a large amount of credit.

Advantage: Snookers

 

Rushers

Michel-Ange Pierrecin and Raffi Kozanian vs Yves Thomas

While Michel-Ange Pierrecin is a true hustler and Raffi Kozanian has great speed, Yves Thomas’ experience and his leadership on defence are paramount. Yes, he can sometimes get the audience to chuckle with his antics but I guess that’s part of the charm.

Advantage: Trojans

 

DBs

Tabet, E. Kavaldjian, Young, Moumdjian and Magarian vs Avraam, Gualano, De Nardis, Singh and A. Ciampini

While their only regular season meeting was a lopsided affair, both teams garnered similar defensive statistics including a respectable 14 INTs each. The main difference between both defences is the Snookers’ ability to bend without breaking while the Trojans have been lit up more than once this season.

Advantage: Snookers

 

While I gave an advantage to the Trojans in many categories, I feel like the Snookers have the upper hand in the intangibles section. They have a will to win and enough grit to actually upset the favourites this weekend. Nevertheless, my final prediction does not favour them…

 

Trojans 33 – Snookers 32

 

Remember that halftime is where the game is won. The team with the best adjustments always wins!

With that, I bid you all good luck this weekend. I will be your analyst for the Div B Road Show and I will be tweeting away each drive as best I can @Score_keeper.

Give me a good show!