Hello to all and welcome to FPF Junior after this 6^th week of action. I’m sorry that I ran out on you for the past two weeks but now I’m back. I would like to thank my fellow writer Simon Dagenais for all his work over the past five weeks and for showing me how things are done. I have now been handed over the reigns for the entire article (gulp).

This week of football saw its fair share of action. After missing two week’s worth of games (and snow storms) the level of play I saw this week at Loyola was frankly impressive. The Musketeers showed once again why they’re title contenders and the Cowboys put on one of the best defensive performances of the year with two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Without any further delay, let’s jump right back into things with this week’s recaps.

 

Week 6 recaps

• AP Hurricanes (20) vs Musketeers (26)

My first game back came with some devastating news: Brennen “Speedy” Dias-Juliao had injured his foot and was out until the playoffs. The Musketeers now had to find a way to win without their #1 rushing threat. With one of their main offensive weapons missing, teammates Kaydon Shaw, Massimo Moufrage and Zachary Nelson stepped up in a big way to assure the win for their team. On a team filled with big name receivers, a player like Zachary Nelson doesn’t generate as much hype as he deserves but on Saturday, he showed the league why he is a threat. The young man went off for his biggest game of the season with three catches for a season high 41 yards and his first touchdown of the season. When I was talking about the Musketeer’s big name receivers, I was especially thinking of the talented Massimo Moufrage. While he doesn’t have the big frame of some of his teammates, he finds a way to always get open. That ability to shake off coverage helped him catch five balls for a season high 86 yards and two majors. However, Massimo Moufrage was not just limited to his offensive production on the night. He once again led his teams in tackle with an impressive six. Helping to round out that impressive defensive unit was the play of Alex Paliotti. The Musketeers’ #3 picked of the Hurricanes and returned that interception to the house for the six points that would ultimately seal the win for his team. On her quest for defensive player of the year, coach’s daughter Maya Di Fazio racked up three tackles.

For the Hurricanes, their second half comeback attempt fell six points short. They also lost a key contributor to their offence: their all-star quarterback Marco Gentile. However, have no fear, Nicholas Masella was there! While it’s always a massive disappointment to lose such a key player mid-season, the Hurricanes are lucky to have such an able replacement. Last year, I learnt first hand how hard it is to replace a QB but Nicholas Masella has been doing a great job. In Saturday’s comeback effort, he aired it out for 172 yards and had a 3-1 TD to INT ratio. On the receiving end of five of those passes was Kevin Beaumier who finished the match with 71 yards and a TD. The Hurricanes had success moving forwards because they distributed the ball well which kept the Musketeer’s defence honest. Five different receivers all touched the ball for the Hurricanes. Notably, Jushane Davis had a big night totalling up a personal best 54 yards and his first TD of the season. To round out a match of firsts and personal bests, Justin Tasse tied his season high of 46 yards and also notched his first TD grab. On the defensive end of things, the Hurricanes came so close to that elusive INT on quite a few occasions. With just a bit more execution, they would have been able to pick off their opponents and who knows, maybe win? I saw Thomas Coude, Ashtin Philistin, Justin Tasse and Dylan Koszycki all jump routes and smell the interception and come away with a batted down pass. Batting down a pass is still an accomplishment, but turnovers change games. What also changes games is great rushing and with two sacks and even more pressures, that is exactly what Brenden Urquhart did.

• Ducks (22) vs Cowboys (46)

On Saturday, everything seemed to work for the Cowboys. Their offence just clicked, their rushing attack was unstoppable and their defence formidable. That three headed combination lead to them putting up 46 points and limiting their dangerous opponents to only 22. That offensive charge was a family affair headed by Noah and Justin Swaminadhan. Noah Swaminadham took care of the QB responsibilities and completed eight of his twelve passes for an impressive total of 90 yards and 3 touchdowns. His brother, Justin Swaminad put up just as strong numbers as his brother but he racked up the yards as a receiver. His big night of receiving consisted of 62 yards and a staggering three touchdowns. Mathis Gingras made his one catch as a receiver count as his one reception was an electrifying 40 yard TD. The Cowboys offence was not just pass-centric. They also put an emphasis on their rushing game. That rushing game ran through the nimble Thomas Hemens who, despite only two touches, rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive end of things, Diego Llaguno introduced himself to the FPF community in a big way. The young man picked off the Ducks twice and even ran one back for six to solidify his team’s lead. As I said before, FPF is all about turnovers and with his two INTs, Diego Llaguno helped win that battle as well as the game for his team.

The Ducks had a harder time moving the ball downfield. Despite fighting valiantly on defence, they just weren’t able to keep pace with their rival’s offensive output. What the Ducks did do well offensively was to make the most of their chances. Despite only passing for a total of 63 yards, they still managed to score three touchdowns. When they did start stringing together a few passes, they made the most of those chances and turned them into points. If they can maintain that same efficiency in future games and just complete a few more passes, the Ducks will definitely be playoff contenders. On the night, Michael Paliotti led the receiving charge for the Ducks. With only two receptions, he managed to rack up 51 yards and a touchdown. One of those receptions was a superb forty yarder for six points. What did work for the Ducks, was the running game. In this respect, Markus D’Alessandro literally led the charge with two rushes for 38 yards. The ever versatile Kevyn De Serres-Payne added to his passing and receiving totals with 17 yards on the ground and Michael Paliotti rounded out the rushing effort with a rush for 31 yards. It was once again defensive stand-out Maya Di Fazio that led her team defensively with three tackles and a crucial interception. No matter the division, she always finds a way to get her hands on the ball and make big plays for her team. Kevyn De Serres-Payne added to his all-around offensive performance with 5 tackles and his teammate, Simmion Hype also accumulated 5 tackles on the night.

 

Week 6 Team of the Week

Offence

QB Kaelan Trepanier: 232 yards passsing, 5TDs

RB Adam Malinoff: 113 yards rushing, 1 TD

WR Justin Swaminadham: 7 receptions, 62 yards, 3 TDs

WR Aryan Jamat: 5 receptions, 120 yards, 3 TDs

WR Massimo Moufrage: 5 receptions, 86 yards, 2 TDs

WR Kevin Beaumier: 5 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD

Defence

Rusher Louis Vincent: 5 sacks

DB Massimo Moufrage: 8 tackles, 1 PD

DB Diego Llaguno: 1 tackle, 2 INT, 1 defensive TD

DB Kaelen Trepanier: 6 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PD

DB Nicholas Manalopoulos:

DB Ryan Whitehouse: 2 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PDs

 

Crystal Ball and Shenanigans

• Western Patriots vs Dusters:

Both teams are fresh off uncharacteristic loses. I know that Adam Malinoff of the Dusters will be looking to rebound in a big way, but the Western Patriots won’t make that easy on him. If they can manage to limit his production, they have a chance of winning this one.

• Sunnybrooke Elites vs Cowboys:

The Cowboys are coming off the heels of a statement victory versus the Ducks and the Sunnybrooke Elites had a bit of a tougher time against the Tigers. However, in this top vs bottom match, the Sunnybrooke Elites still have a chance. We saw the Cowboys capitalize off of turnovers this week. Well, if the Sunnybrooke Elites can keep the ball in Dave Lileka Bolombe hands, they have a fighting chance in this one.

• Red Cougars vs Ducks:

Both these teams suffered the same fate last weekend at the hands of the Cowboys. They will both be eager for the win this weekend but if the Red Cougars are to have any hope of winning, they need to solve the Kevyn De Serres-Payne dilemma. The man can do it all. He tackles, he throws, he runs, he rushes and he catches. He even has an interception to his name in the Sophomore division. If they can find a way to limit the impact of Kevyn De Serres-Payne, then the Red Cougars have a chance.

• Buckeyes vs Bulldogs:

P.S Please read with your choice of over dramatic music playing in the background.

Back in week 2, the Bulldogs saw their first win of the season snatched from under their noses by last minute dramatics on the part of Jahmaal Roach. Well, now the Bulldogs finally have their chance at revenge! The first matchup between these two teams was one of the most thrilling of the season so, Kirkland Dome, 4:30, February 3^rd the stage is set. Come see these two teams duel it out for three points and revenge!

-Cheesy/dramatic music out

• Silver Cougars vs Tigers:

This game could very well decide which of these two teams finishes ahead of the other. With the playoffs just two weeks away and both teams tied on points, its make or break for both these squads. I’m looking forward to seeing all-star receiver Eliot Patterson take on the Tigers equally talented DB Amani Ho Sang. I have a feeling that whoever wins that match up will also claim the three points for their respective team.

• Gators vs Bulldogs:

After the Bulldogs’ shot at redemption versus the Buckeyes, they will have a second chance to clinch their first win of the season in their game versus the Gators. However, the Gators have no intention of letting the Bulldogs take this win from them. The matchup I’m looking forward to in this game is QB Edward Leclerc squaring off versus the ball hawking Nicholas Manolopoulos. If the Gators QB can manage to stay clear of the stand-out DB, his team should claim their third win of the season.

• Thunder vs Wildcats:

This duel atop the highly skilled Varsity division is my nominee for game of the week. The Thunder are flying high as the only remaining undefeated team in FPF Junior but if there’s a team that can put an end to that, it’s the Wildcats. With weapons like Olivier Gauthier and Franky Denis, they can go toe to toe with the Thunder’s Jaden Frenette and Max Sabourin.

• Wildcats vs Fighting Irish:

The question is, right after their high intensity match versus the Thunder, will the Wildcats have enough left in the tank to deal with the Irish. FPF’s very own men in green are fresh off their biggest win of the season and things look to be clicking offensively between Kaelan Trepanier and Aryan Jamati so the Wildcats better keep some juice in the tank because the Irish are gunning for their second place.

• Huskers vs Longhorns:

If all you did was look at the numbers, this would appear to be an unfair matchup: one team is looking for their first win while the other is looking for their 6^th . However, Longhorns QB Isak Parenteau is, in my opinion, one of the leagues most underrated players. From the first time I saw him throw in practice, I knew he had something special. The question now remains, can he translate that ‘je ne sais quoi’ into his team’s first win?

• AP Hurricanes vs Golden Eagles:

Both these teams are tied with 6 points atop the Sophomore standings. However, the Eagles have two games in hand. If the Hurricanes want to keep their opponents within their sights, they need this win. This game is going to feature a showdown between the ultra talented Trey Bentley who has already passed for 630 yards and the equally skilled Ashtin Philistin who has so far been feasting on other quarterbacks. It’s always a great opportunity when two of the leagues best face each other and more often than not, the winner of that dual dictates the outcome of the match.

 

Week six is now on the books and week seven is already previewed. Now time for the kids to take to the field and for the real action to begin. This past week featured some high scoring matchups and these upcoming games will shape the playoff picture. FPF Junior is now in its final sprint towards the postseason and personally, I cannot wait to see how things play out.

On a nearly as important note, its Super Bowl weekend! Fill up on chicken wings and spinach dips but be sure to be back in game shape by the time week 8 roles around. Until next week, see you all on the pitch and have fun booing on the Pats and Eagles!