Fourth-and-Goal (Div C) – Week 12

One Step at a Time

 

It’s important at this stage of the game to not get ahead of yourself. While the numbers have dwindled, nothing is guaranteed. Going into the semifinals with the mentality that you have a 1 in 2 chance of taking a trip to the finals is precisely the wrong approach. More than not wanting to be overconfident, you want to avoid being complacent. Because, in reality, there are no odds of whether or not you will go to the finals. Going to the finals is decided by how you perform in that crucial hour come Sunday. So play hard. Because it may be the last time you see flags and turf for months.

 

 

With that, let’s look at the past before we look ahead. Recap ahoy!

 

 

FOTC Forfeit 

The Eagles won.

 

 

MMM Make a G.O.A.T. Sacrifice

 

G.O.A.T., who had previously tied MMM in their last meeting, simply had no answers for the men of magic and mystery. Matthew Bishara indeed looked like a wizard having only missed four passing completions (one of which was a PD). Watching the game from the sidelines, it was apparent that the often-clutch Jason Edwards was totally off his game. Having issues finding his receivers and having difficulty on defense, this was a tough outing for the man brought in to turn G.O.A.T. around. With five different receivers scoring TDs for MMM, each player on the line was an equally viable threat. Even with Rick Cummins jumping back at the helm, it was not enough for the Greatest of All Time to keep up with their namesake.

 

 

Rude Awakening

 

The Commission either had something to prove or had a serious helping of Wheaties before their meeting with the Rude Bwoys. On the flip side, the Rude Bwoys underwent a sort of implosion during this meeting. With only three passes caught (all of which to Bryan Joseph), this was not playoff football. With a frustrated Eugene McLaren, and dropped balls aplenty, the opportunistic Commission took charge. Former Rude Bwoy Marc Belhomme showed his old team his current allegiance by putting two TDs on the board with style. Leading by example, Jonathan Williams put up significant numbers on O, 2 INTs on D, and had a rushing TD as the cherry on top. Seeing a team as talented as the Rude Bwoys implode may be testament of the ability that The Commission have to simply shut down their opponents.

 

 

Flatline

 

The Kardiac Kids fell just short in an attempt to oust the higher seeded Spring Cleaning. After a hard-hitting and very vocal first half, both teams tried to one-up each other by increasing the pace. This resulted in a sharp defense from Spring Cleaning and a no-huddle offence from Kardiac Kids which found Justin Lavallée throwing again and again to snapper Tony Khoury. Just as it looked like Spring Cleaning were going to put the final nail in the coffin and add to their lead of 8 points, Jordan McLaren gave his team hope and a sign of life by picking off J-M Beaudin and taking it back for six. Unfortunately, the ‘kids were unable to capitalize and convert, leaving their team down two, and allowing Spring Cleaning to score late in the game and convert, bringing their lead to 10 with two plays to go. While a valiant effort was made by both teams, one would wonder if the end result would have been different had Jason Prince been present for his team in these past quarterfinals.

 

 

Stray Observations:

 

–       It’s still possible to see a one-seed vs. one-seed final…

–       Out of everyone else, both three seeds remain as the opposition. Hmmn.

–       Yes, I have a UR. First one in five seasons. Ugh.

 

 

And Then There Were Four

 

Brossard. The (FPF) promised land. Bright lights, new facility, beautiful arena. However, to get there, you need to endure the dark, humid, leaky-roofed Lachine. Let’s see the two soap-operas ready to unfold on Sunday:

 

The Commission (1) vs. Eagles (3)

 

A few things to note about the last time these two teams met:

 

1: It was week one

2: Gianni Settino was throwing for The Commission

3: The Eagles were without Danny Bellemare

4: Francis Imbeault was the main rusher for the Eagles, not Gabriel Dupont

5: The Commission had the gigantic Leyland Abel playing with them

 

– Eagles

 

The 31-6 defeat that the Eagles suffered can almost be discounted completely. The Eagles have rebuilt yet familiarized; bringing Danny Bellemare back in and returning to the play action game that they are most famous for, and brought them to the undefeated Spring 2010 season that they had.

 

Offence: The halfback in the backfield and the running back option is an efficient way to neutralize all-star rusher Bryan Nguyen. Danny Bellemare has the possibility to pass to the large-in-stature Yan Charbonneau or Steven Leblanc, the ever-clutch Jonathan Goyette and Tommy Ippersiel, or execute a running play with Francis Leblanc. However, after the bye-week that the Eagles received due to the forfeit by FOTC, they may not… “Hit the ground running” and be at prime efficiency at the get-go.

 

Defense: The Eagles have very defensive-minded and efficient players. With the pair that is Gabriel Dupont and Francis Imbeault, speed is not a problem. Pair that with a tackling machine in Marc-Olivier Bourgeois. Sprinkle in some aggressive safeties in Jonathan Goyette and Francis Leblanc. Very stifling.

 

– The Commission

 

The Commission have some serious voodoo magic going on for them. Without having to resort to any gimmicky plays or aggressive smack talk and physicality, The Commission are able to completely shut down their opposition. Having surrendered only twelve points in the entirety of the playoffs is certainly a confidence booster, yet they play with a chip on their shoulder. Dangerous indeed.

 

Offence: With the able secondary that The Commission have, Jonathan Williams can make the deep-pass gambles more often than usual because he can rely on his defense getting him a turnover if the risk doesn’t pay off. Looking at Williams’ numbers, he has the ability to constantly keep his opposition guessing by favoring different receivers from week to week. Kasbi, Belhomme, Bodkin, Rose and Russell… The one that you leave uncovered is the one who will put up the touchdown.

 

Defense: While it seems like the same thing over and over again, one cannot emphasize Bryan Nguyen’s importance enough. Giving the opposing QB very limited reads, the opposing QB has to often go with his first read. This is where the aggressive DBs and safeties make their money.

 

– What to expect:

 

A very slow-paced and methodical game. The ball will be marched up or ran forward, not put in the air with finesse. Defense will be the key to this game…one will persevere and one will crack under the pressure. Expect a low scoring game that will end up being a battle of wits.

 

Prediction: The Commission 18, Eagles 8

 

 

Mysterious and Magical Men (1) vs. Spring Cleaning (3)

 

Something to note about the last time these two teams met: It was at MMM’s hands that Spring Cleaning suffered their first defeat that sent them spiraling on a four-game losing streak.

 

– Mysterious and Magical Men

 

MMM know what works. They stick to it, and only adapt when necessary. They’re successful, smart and talented. The early favorites to win it all; they’re still right on track. In the words of Joe Birds: “We win.”

 

Offence: Having both the incredibly efficient Matthew Bishara and the experienced Daniele Gentile able to throw passes, the MMM offence can keep defenses guessing by constantly rotating their pivot. With the staple shovel-pass to Eric Bishara that gets an incredible amount of yards after completion, moving upfield proves easy. Paired with the redzone-destroying Victor Kozlowski and jump ball king Gordon Hogan, the MMM offence lives up to its hype.

 

Defense: Built around interceptions rather than coverage (heck, why give your opponents another attempt when you can just turn over the ball) the ‘Men use their heavy football knowledge to disguise their coverage and switch it up completely at a moment’s notice. With Gordon Hogan, the reigning defensive player of the year gaining more and more notoriety, the opposition often look elsewhere. However, this is indeed not a problem as MMM’s defense currently lead the playoffs in interceptions (5) and finished the regular season with a combined 22.

 

– Spring Cleaning

 

A melting pot of players from different successful teams, their chemistry is sometimes their cause for success and sometimes their undoing. A midseason addition of Shawn Haney augmented the amount of finesse on both sides of the ball, and added the critical position of defensive play caller. 

 

Offence: J-M Beaudin is quite possibly the youngest player in Division C. Already having one championship to his name, his go-big or go-home style of passing blends very well with the receivers at his disposal. Able to throw the ball deep with relative ease, the athletic receivers on Spring Cleaning need only get there and come down with it. Spring’s receivers, from Lubin and Cournoyer to Lowe and Tamvakologos and David, are all playing hungry playoff football.

 

Defense: Having the same six stick to their positions and know their responsibilities is critical. Thankfully, Spring Cleaning rarely implode amongst themselves and are always thinking. Constantly adapting, their late-game performances in the playoffs have been overshadowing the inconsistencies in the regular season. The secondary on Spring Cleaning consider themselves the primary.

 

– What to expect:

 

A shootout. Both teams are going to want to strike early and strike often, due to the fact that they know that their opposition can change the game at a moment’s notice. This is definitely not a game to miss.

 

Prediction: N/A.

 

 

Well, that’s that. I await someone to send me something that isn’t spam. We can talk football, or you can recruit me to your competitive underwater basket-weaving league. As usual, [email protected] until then.