Fourth-and-Goal (Div C) – Week 5

The 50 (25) yard line

 

We’re finally at the halfway point in the season already dubbed “The year of Facebook smack talk.” This is something that seems to be league-wide; it’s not something that’s specifically limited to Division C. Rather than showing results on the field, players and even entire teams seem to be willing to enlighten others in regards to how their team is superior.

 

Ties seemed to be the main gift exchanged between teams this week; not at all unfitting for Father’s Day weekend. As such, rather than recapping games in this week’s article, I’m going to take an in-depth look at each team this week. Look for lots of questions without answers, and speculation based on opinion.

 

 

The Rundown

 

Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies {0-5-0}

 

With a name change that will make me uneasy during bath-time forever, the former Kludgies are currently the caboose of the Division C train. I find this surprising because, in all honesty, the Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies are not a bad team. Looking at the stats, Mike Bagnato is actually putting up stronger and more consistent numbers than a lot of the other quarterbacks in the division. They have smart and competent two-way players. Their plus/minus ratio is more befitting of a 2-3 team rather than a 0-5 team. What plagues me is simply: ‘What’s the missing link?’ Are they too few? Would they benefit from padding their roster with a higher division player? Are they simply missing the drive to perform those necessary clutch plays? Maybe Jeff Brown would benefit from asking former Alkoholiks/Alkaholiks (yes it was spelled differently from spring to spring) teammates Mike Smith or Keeshon Mayers to lend a hand. Alternately, the addition of Jamal Pierre could change the team dynamic completely…

(Final season prediction: 1-8-1)

 

No Names {1-4-0}

 

Reminiscent of last season’s Division 3 NTMC team. The No Names really hit the ground running in week 1 with a victory over Les Franciscains, but have since been unable to replicate what made week 1 so noteworthy. Mathieu Ouimet is putting up solid receiving numbers, but it’s only a matter of time before he finds himself in double-coverage. Missing this season from last year’s NTMC are utility players Vincent Lauzon and P-O Lantin. Also noteworthy: All-star rusher Maurice Kaddis has joined this roster, but has yet to record a single sack (21 sacks in Winter 2011). An issue of quarterback consistency seems to be plaguing this team; my advice would be to make a choice of one quarterback, and to stick with it. A suggestion would be to also possibly spend a season in the proving grounds of Division 5 so that the No Names can fully realize their potential and grow as a team. (Notable Division 5 teams with the exact same rosters as when they played in D5: Division B’s Patriotes and Division C’s Sphinx)

(Final season prediction: 1-9)

 

G.O.A.T. {0-4-1}

 

A team that was plagued with last-minute roster issues. Originally the Cobras-Jets Connection, the merger was cut short when Jets player and prospective QB Patrice Blouin sustained an ankle injury that effectively ended this union. Enter Rick Cummins, Ben McHenry and Shane Blackwood who join the Cobras roster. As evidenced by this week’s tie with MMM, G.O.A.T. are not a weak team. I feel that with the current roster, it would be important to maximize their strengths. Point in case: On the G.O.A.T. roster is J-F Trudeau, who is a fantastic center. I feel that moving J-F to center would be instrumental, as strong consistent snaps would buy Rick Cummins more time to find his receivers and to make the more appropriate defensive reads. I see them rising to the occasion and making a few upsets.

(Final season prediction: 2-6-2)

 

 

Les Franciscains {1-4-0}

 

The only team in Division C that has a majority of players who have not played in the league before. On the flip side, they have 4 players on the roster (3 consistent, 1 sub) who are coming fresh off of championship victories (Vincent Jacques in Division 5, Alexandre and Sebastien Pereda as well as Cedric Charpentier in Division 4.) In essence, this is a team of athletes with football experience; anyone who watches their games can see this. All that’s necessary is for them to find their footing through team chemistry (which is already on it’s way, evidenced by the fact that they were able to score 36 points on a vicious Park-X Streets defense). Look for them to find their rhythm at the end of the season.

(Final season prediction: 3-7-0)

 

Falcons {2-3-0}

 

A team that has fallen from grace. Once an elite Division 3 team, the Falcons have been on a steady decline in the past few seasons. This is the team with perhaps the most unanswered questions in the entire division. Are they a strong team playing under their potential? Are they a weak team who are rising to the occasion? They have an under-0.500 record, but one of their two victories was against arguably the strongest team in conference A. While former Falcons teammate Adi Sharma is ineligible to play, perhaps getting the professor’s input and/or coaching would be getting them a step closer to those victories.  

(Final season prediction: 3-6-1)

 

Rip and Run {2-3-0}

 

Matt Young’s attempt at showing the league that if he can read and pick off opposing quarterbacks, he can certainly play as one. As far as teams with an experimenting QBs go, you could certainly do worse than Rip and Run. The choice to play in Division C rather than D means that while the victories won’t roll in quite as quickly, the progress certainly will. A team less about flash and more about substance, they can be deadly when they’re not fighting amongst each other. A deadly halfback in Doug McKernan, and former Two-Way Player of the Year Derek Daoust may be standouts on the team, they certainly aren’t all there is to this roster. Matthew Brethour will find himself constantly overlooked despite putting up numbers that are instrumental to the team’s success. Combine that with a secondary led by Matthew Smith and Ryan Phillips and this is a first-time team that shouldn’t be overlooked come playoff time.

(Final season prediction: 4-6-0)

 

FAs {2-2-1}

 

A team that wrote the book on roster inconsistencies. This is, of course, has less to do with them and more to do with the fact that they were a team brought in to fill in space and balance the number of teams in the division. However, you play the hand that you’re dealt, and the FAs have certainly done that. All that this team needs is to mesh. With spring season being problematic to all teams due to vacation and whatnot, this may prove even more difficult for a team that was just thrown together in the first place. Perhaps a pickup game or a practice during the week would do the trick?

(Final season prediction: 3-6-1)

 

Spicy Meatballs {1-3-1}

 

Of all the teams in Division C, there is no team currently playing under their potential more than Spicy Meatballs. The upside, however, is that they know this. Edward Shoshan fields a relatively similar team from season to season. So then, what is keeping them from performing like they have been in the past? It’s my opinion that, at this stage of the game, the team is lacking heart. So maybe a group outing for ice cream or a vacation to Boca would be the key for this team to get their balls back to their spiciest. Jeff “Vocal Tyrannosaurus” Moscato has meshed seamlessly with this team; if he can pass on some of his passion to the other players and get them motivated, we may be in for an interesting end of season for the Meatballs.

(Final season prediction: 4-5-1)

 

X-Men {2-3-0}

 

A team of family and friends. You see how they’ve grown together over time; a jump from Division D to Division 4 to Division C has not affected them in the slightest. They’ve evolved and turned into a legitimate threat, rather than just a one-trick pony. It’s evident that the loss of Gautama Swaminadhan to injury has taken its toll on the team; not just due to the fact that he’s the quarterback, but also taking into account that this is a “win-by-committee” team. Since they’re so closely-knit, this is a heartbreaker. As such, Gautama needs to lead from the sidelines on both sides of the ball. With three upcoming games against agile, mobile quarterbacks, it is important for the X-Men to adapt, and even consider putting the lightning-quick Robin Bigras as rusher. I have no doubt that this team will be back to their usual selves immediately upon Gautama’s return.

(Final season prediction: 5-5-0)

 

Kardiac Kids {2-3-0}

 

Quite possibly the team who has dressed the most players in the league this season. (Current count: 17) While there’s a lot of contact football experience on this team, it didn’t equal FPF experience. Enter Tony Khoury and Jason Prince; Justin Lavalée’s former Maniax teammates. Suddenly this 0-3 team is now 2-3, and averaging 38 points a game, rather than 25. Combine athletic skill with potent (and animated!) leadership, and you have a winning combination. Under-the-radar players to watch out for include Jordan McLaren and Shawn Steen. Tony Khoury assures me that since his addition to the team, they will go 7-0. Only time will tell.

(Final season prediction: 5-5-0)

 

Longhorns {3-2-0}

 

This is the part where I don’t make light of the age of the Longhorns. Because, essentially, their age is just a novelty that we like to dwell on. If this was a younger, but equally athletic-ish team, we would consider them a force to be reckoned with due to their vast array of football smarts. The injuries of Domenic Tosi and Chris Rosen will certainly hurt the depth of the roster in the upcoming weeks. However, for a team that cuts it close every game, you know that they will work their way around it. (Note: Another team that went from Division D to Division 4 to Division C)

(Final season prediction: 5-5-0)

 

Sphinx {2-2-1}

 

As previously mentioned, this is a team that went from Division 5 to Division 4, and now to Division C seamlessly. Team Lub Express have elevated their company of competition, and are looking like a strong, organized football team. The tie against the Eagles proved that Mathieu Fafard isn’t the only link to this potent offence. Sphinx’s problems lie in the fact that they consistently find themselves slowing down in the second half of the game. If they can figure out what makes them so successful in the first half, and never let up pressure, they make themselves a force to be reckoned with. My current dark horse team.

(Final season prediction: 6-3-1)

 

Flight of the Conchords {3-2-0}

 

A familiar, consistent team. They’ve shown in the past two weeks that despite not being at full strength, they can keep it competitive and even win. This is fine for now, but will not be acceptable come playoff time. I have a lot of faith in this team and see them making a lot of noise come playoff time. A team that usually has a strong season and fizzles out in the playoffs, they did not even make playoffs last winter in Division 3. I feel that missing playoffs will be the motivator that will give them the drive and the will to be a serious threat in the postseason.

(Final season prediction: 7-3-0)

 

Rude Bwoys {3-2-0}

 

The Rude Bwoys have not lost a game since my remark about the fact that when they have a strong winter season, they tend to have a weak spring season. I’d like to personally take credit for this. All kidding aside, the ‘Bwoys are back in town. A solid core of players and a key addition in Brian Eudoxie could be what was necessary for this team’s success. They’ve grown together, and are on the fast-track to a very favorable playoff spot.

(Final season prediction: 6-3-1)

 

Eagles {3-1-1}

 

It’s hard to discuss a team like the Eagles. Every player on the squad is underrated, yet instrumental to the team’s success. One player on the Eagles’ roster who I have failed to mention in previous articles is Marc-Olivier Bourgeois. Anyone who has watched an Eagles game can tell you that this man is everywhere on the field, and a tackling machine. The Eagles are in my opinion going to be a very strong team to oppose; they seem to be regaining that magic that made them so special last spring.

(Final season prediction: 6-3-1)

 

The Commission {4-1-0}

 

I’ve mentioned in past and present WEPLs that the “Fighting Brent Bodkins” have had an issue with hitting the ground running. Seeing as they’re 4-1 currently, they may be more than a little difficult to stop. Without a doubt the strongest team in Conference A at the moment, they don’t have a deep roster but they do have an effective one. This team is humble and quiet; they let their on-field actions do the talking. A constantly adjusting defense, and a smart quarterback in Jonathan “J-Dub” Williams means that they have all the pieces to the success puzzle. Beware.

(Final season prediction: 8-2-0)

 

Predators {3-2-0}

 

The biggest turnaround of the season. As evidenced by this week’s win against No Names, the addition of Sean Kennedy to this roster is not as groundbreaking as perceived. Indeed, it may actually be getting that first win and confidence boost that allowed the Predators to go on the streak that they’re currently on. After a decent but not fantastic Division 4 run, James Floreani has proven that he can keep up with steeper competition with this jump to Division C, despite not making the playoffs last winter. Five of Floreani’s receivers have scored two touchdowns over the course of this half-season, and three other receivers each have a touchdown to their name. When their defense catches up to their hard-hitting offence, they will definitely be an elite team. It’s just up to them to prevent other teams from putting up points.

(Final season prediction: 7-3-0)

 

Spring Cleaning {5-0-0}

 

Arguably the deepest and most stacked roster in Division C. Following the momentum and winning formula that worked so well for the Darkhorses, everyone has their place and role. J-M Beaudin has been able to keep pace with the defenses he faces, despite never having played at a level like this before. A G.M. Kolethras team just wouldn’t be one without longtime friend Kenton Lowe taking care of business on offence, alongside key Division 5 acquisitions. On the defensive side, aggressive DBs and safeties paired with a rusher in Ryan Aridi who has 10 sacks in 4 games proves to be a problem to all those who oppose. Hopefully, all cylinders can be firing at once.

(Final season prediction: 8-2)

 

Mysterious and Magical Men {3-1-1}

 

Last year’s finalists. Matthew Bishara behind center. Joe Birds behind the scenes. They seem to have everything going in their favor yet have faltered in the past two weeks. The championship is perceived as within grasp for all those on the outside looking in. So long as they’re all on the same page, they should be able to steamroll through their next few opponents. At this stage of the game, Gordon Hogan looks like he’s going to be a shoe-in for defensive player of the year. They’re not done making noise in the division.

(Final season prediction: 8-1-1)

 

Park-X Streets {5-0-0}

 

Sitting on top, looking down. While they’ve been the poster children for postseason inconsistencies, a quarterback change and an addition in Jonathan Makris seems to be the missing link to this already effective team. An incredible defense paired with an unorthodox (that’s UNorthodox, not Greek Orthodox) offence makes them unpredictable as difficult to prepare against. It may appear that their track record of poor playoff performances may just have been broken. Opa!

(Final season prediction: 9-1-0)

 

For those of you not paying attention, these also count as this week’s power rankings, in ascending order.

 

Stray observations:

 

–       Remember children, you need to have played 5 games to be eligible for playoffs. Captains: if you add someone this week, they need to play all of the remaining games to be eligible. Don’t say that you weren’t warned.

–       My dear smack-talkers: If it’s an audience that you’re looking for, why not just show up to Catalogna on Sundays and shout at each other across the field so that everyone can hear you and how awesome you are? Isn’t that the equivalent of what you’re doing?

–       This article’s already too long, so I won’t be doing picks this week. That, and I’m also afraid of looking stupid like every other week.