Fourth-and-Goal (Div 4) – Week 1

Fourth and Goal – Week 1

 

Division 4, we’re currently in a win-win situation. The division is at an unprecedented forty teams. This means that I’m never going to run out of storylines to talk about, and there will be more content in this article for you to read about. Be warned though: if it’s stats that you are looking for, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m not going to fill this article with a breakdown of stats that are already readily available on the site; you can check them out for yourselves. You’re not here to read about numbers, you are here to hear about yourselves.

This division is made great (the best of all 5, in my opinion) by the people within it. While Division 1 players are phenomenal athletes, their contribution to the league’s community is greatly overshadowed by Division 4 players. You’re passionate, you’re dramatic and you are part of the reason that this league is so successful.

I’m going to fill this article with as much as I can every week. Remember, I’m one person. I’m going to do my best to get to your games. I watch my fair share of games; you’ll often see me on the sidelines. However, I also play with two teams, so I will miss some as well. But don’t fret; you will all have your moment in the spotlight. Just be sure to make the most of it.

 

The Recap

“Back in Black” – It’s nice to see a team like the Trapstars check one off in the win column. They are a team who have been consistently having under 0.500 seasons, yet are a good group of guys in the league who quietly go about their business. Pedro Pana, usually known for his scrambling and shiftiness, showed that he is just as good at staying in the pocket and passing. Having effectively spread the ball, the offence looked decent, but the defense showed signs of rust. This game went favorably for the Trapstars, but it could have just as easily gone in the other direction, so it’s important for them not to get complacent. On the flip side, Nigel Thomas and Matt Horobec will need to lead their team of friends by example in order to keep them competitive. FTP lack experience but are an athletic bunch; with some fine –tuning, they will be able to make some noise.

 

“A New Hope” – A QB switch seems to be all that was necessary to bring the Marauders back into the hunt. Pierre Giguere has an important pickup in touch quarterback Hugo Beausoleil.  Beausoliel read the field effectively and led the Marauders to their first victory in a close battle against a strong Lobster Dinner squad on Wednesday night. Only time will tell if the Marauders can keep pace in the upcoming weeks; they play almost none of the division’s juggernauts.  It’s important to note, however, that Lobster Dinner were without receiver Matt Brethour (ankle injury) and defensive mastermind Matt Young. Lobster Dinner will need Young back as soon as possible, as they’re set to play the resilient X-Men next week which has all the odds to be just as close a game as this one was.

 

“INTeresting” – There’s always that one game in Week 1 that has more INTs than TDs for both teams. I dismissed this game early on as being in the hands of Clockwork, however this was not the case. Luckily for Beers, it was Clockwork’s hands on offence that were the difference maker in this game. While timely stops were made by the Clockwork secondary, there are only so many times that your defense can bail you out. Beers capitalized, and the game was won. Gabriel Coté has extensive higher-division experience, so there is really no reason for errors to continue. Both teams have the opportunity to become powerhouses in the division; this style of sloppy play needs to end now. Furthermore, with the divisional cap, the Lanni brothers and Matt Kirouac are ineligible to play with Clockwork, so Erminio Iadeluca and Emilio Pampena need to step up big this season. 

 

“Stampede” – Looks like a QB switch was all that was necessary to give Le Zoo confidence coming out of the gate. In a matchup of two Division D teams who never played each other last season, perennial halfback/runningback/all around nice guy Frank Kaye took the reins and led his team to victory over Crème de la Crème FFC. Judging by their play throughout the game, it looked as if CdlC still had a lot of rust to shake off. Loic Savoiz-Séguin and company had a decent outing, but were making more mistakes than usual. P-A Beausejour was not a game-changer, and was held out of the end-zone by the stellar defensive play of Le Zoo. With Kaye making the right decisions, I expect Le Zoo to have already tied their 3 win Spring season by week 4.

 

“New Inductees” – In their first ever FPF game, the Hall of Famers certainly made a statement, pummeling a flustered-looking Outlaws team. Jean-Michel Beaudin had an uncharacteristic game. Receiving separate penalties for wearing a chain and shorts with pockets, he also threw an interception to four different HoF receivers. Adam Crystal and Ryan Lelinowski were standout receivers for the HoFers, each taking home two TDs from QB Justin Smolar. Conspicuously absent from the game was playoff MVP Gabriel Cournoyer for the Outlaws, but the Famers had enough of a hold on the game already.

 

“It Was Brought” – Another newcomer/veteran game was played between X-Men and Team Bring It, which went pretty much as expected. TBI are baseball players (you’ll figure it out on your own, I’m sure) who are looking to just keep in shape and have fun over the winter, but yet they had a more than decent outing for their first time. The team is filled with athletes who can make a play out of very little. All they need to do now is focus, learn the game, and pick a QB. Costa Tsitouras had fantastic numbers, and can create trouble for defenders. On the other side, the X-Men were up to their old tricks with Gautama Swaminadhan making sure everyone gets in on the action.

 

“Embarrassment Indeed” – The newly-revamped Misfits took charge and surprised a veteran Embarrassment of Riches squad. Nick Bawn exposed the gaping holes in the undermanned EoR defence, and was able to capitalize when necessary. Kevin Boustany has let go of the misfortune that is last year’s Misfits, and has assembled a team that looks to make a deep run this year in Division 4. Even with an undermanned squad, Embarrassment of Riches had no excuse. With the amount of talent and experience on this team, they could not step up and make those clutch plays or even tackle when it counted. Their act needs to be together before they even think of becoming a contender in the division.

 

Hébert

Hotter than an off-season big name acquisition, our new playing field was the subject of much talk and speculation on the Facebook walls, prior to the season. Since only a quarter of our division has played on this field, I figured I’d fill the rest of you in on it.

Firstly, it’s easily one of the most accessible arenas that we play in. Being a West-Islander, Catalogna is the closest for me. However, Hébert is literally right off the 40, and is very easy to get to. (Important note though: park in the arena parking lot instead of near the dome and save yourself a headache, and possibly a ticket.)

For a dome, it’s actually fairly warm. (Warmth scale: Brossard > Hébert > Loyola > Lachine) The lighting is actually fantastic for a dome, not blinding (Loyola) and not dark either. The turf is fantastic, but the field takes some getting used to. The field is super-wide, and there are almost no sidelines whatsoever. Mobile QBs will love Hébert, teams who have trouble defending against the run will despise it.

 

Stray Observations

–        You heard it here first. Despite having 40 teams, Division 4 is the division with the most parity in the league.

–        The problem with having such a balanced division is that I’m going to sound like a broken record because SO many teams are going to do well.

–        Upsets, upsets, upsets this week.

–        Crap. I just realized that in Week 5 I’m going to have to do a mid-season breakdown for ALL FORTY TEAMS.

–        Is there a rigorous certification process to become a flyguy?

–        If he’s not already, by the end of the season Marco Masciotra will become the most feared QB in all of Division 4, with the experience of throwing in two divisions. The rest of his team just needs to pick up the slack.

–        As shocked as I was when I first saw it this week, Tony Testa playing Division 5 isn’t as big a deal as it seems.

–        For all those of you who have complained about teams without matching jerseys looking bad (*cough* Sarwar *cough) your prayers have been answered. The matching baseball jerseys of Team Bring It.

–        For those of you who don’t know, team and individual photos are next week. There is no end-of-year award for ‘Team Most Resembling the Homeless,’ so look halfway decent.

–        The Family were my preseason pick to win, but they seem to be not only without Forget, but without interception machine Samuel Bibeault as well. More to follow.

 

The Successful GM

I thought I’d incorporate something new into this season’s articles. Not only am I a correspondent and a player in the league, I’m also a team captain. I’ve won a championship, lost a game 50-0, and been everywhere in between. Since there are a few teams just starting out in Division 4, I figured that I’d bestow some of my knowledge and experiences. Furthermore, teams split up and spin off all the time, so there’s always the possibility that you might try your hand at putting a team together yourself. Now, a successful team isn’t just about winning a championship. Being organized, keeping everyone happy, having enough players from game to game, and making sure you all don’t kill each other is an accomplishment in and of itself. However, with that in mind, here are a few pointers that I’ve picked up as a general manager over the seasons; I’ll be listing one or two a week.

 

Fees. Get your fees early. All of them. The league facilitated this recently by having a $1000 pre-season deposit, but this is still a problem. You’ll never feel like a bigger bad guy than when you’re shaking down your friends or teammates for money, but I promise you that collecting in advance is the best decision that you can make. You are guaranteeing that a) everyone who commits, stays commited, and b) someone won’t claim they’ll give it to you later, play some games, and balk when you ask for payment. Take it from someone who has learned this lesson; you make the mistake once, and you won’t want to make it again.

 

What are you playing for? Are you playing to have fun with your buddies? Are you playing to win? Both of these are acceptable answers, and they sometimes go hand in hand. Often, however, they don’t. So establish this with your teammates early. You don’t want to ruin friendships because one player is seeing less field time than everyone else.

 

Power Rankings

Yes, we have 40 teams. Yes, 20 teams won. However, since we’re still in the first week, I’ll only be listing the 10 strongest teams (in my opinion, of course). It takes wins to get into the rankings, not how good you look on paper. I may up it to 15 in the next coming weeks, but for now, here are the elite 10:

 1. Brocassion – Combine the upper division experience this team has with the additions of Norman Weekes and Nicky McGuire, and you have a STRONG Division 4 team. Although the loss of Kristian Cerantola hurts the chemistry that this team is so famous for, the pickup of Weekes will give Brocassion’s players a new dimension to the game.

2.  No Punt Intended – With the return of Mike Mendell from injury, this team goes to elite status. Having Mendell back in the lineup is huge for this team. With Jason Lachapelle no longer having to focus on throwing, he’s free to concentrate on dominating both sides of the ball. Definitely a team to fear this year.

 3. Sphinx – Often a strong team, inconsistency tends to rear its ugly head around playoff time. However, they look confident. VERY confident. Also noteworthy is the return of all-star rusher Andrew Levasseur. They have their big chance in this week’s GOTW to prove that they are ‘all that.’

4. Hard Knocks – I was very high on this team during this week’s shooting of the WEPL. I have a feeling that this team is even stronger than they appear, and they might just give Clockwork a surprise come Sunday. Kris Bastien is an incredibly difficult man to cover, and he will put those points up when they matter most.

5. Golden Eagles – Last year’s Division 5 powerhouse who fell apart in the semifinals. They come to Division 4 with their deepest roster yet, having huge pickups in Kerdley Micourt and Hugo Lalonde, but especially in Tam Villaydeth. Tam is an extremely clutch player who can keep this team together when it counts.

6.  Misfits – Not the same team as last year AT ALL. The height and pocket-passing of John Abbott QB Nick Bawn will pose a lot of problems to the defenses they face. Their tackle knowledge has actually transitioned seamlessly to flag; a skill that not many possess.

7. Les Caves – Take the heart and soul of Winter 2011 D3 finalist GPK. Mix in eager and talented youth. You’ve got yourself a successful combination.

8. X-Men – On one hand, they let a totally new team score 18 points on them. On the other, they still won. X-Men are a team that is friends first, yet they consistently find themselves in the win column. Kudos, as always.

9. The Commission – Division C finalists. Former Division B quarterback. Let’s see if they can keep the rhythm and the defensive play that they were so famous for last spring.

10. Hall of Famers – The hot topic. This brand-new team manhandled last year’s Division 5 champions. They certainly hit the ground running. Hopefully they can keep it up and make a big name for themselves. Maybe the name wasn’t so misleading after all.

Well, that’s it for me. You can chat with me on the sidelines, or you can shoot me an email at [email protected]

 

Quote of the Week

“We’ve got a new rule. Robbie gets sacked, he gets slapped. You miss a tackle, you get slapped. You drop a pass, you get punched.” – Dan Dick, VPC