FPF Junior Returns for a Third Week of Action

After a two week break to gorge ourselves on turkey and celebrate the New Year, FPF Junior kicked off last weekend with a full slate of games across all five divisions. In the Atom division, it was Harley Minzberg who continued to impress. He led his team offensively with 106 rushing yards and on defense his five tackles were a huge help. In Mosquito, it was another quarterback that caught my eye. The experienced Markus D’Alessandro led his division with 154 passing yards and an extremely impressive total of five scores. From Bantam, it was Malakai Roach and his outstanding 11 tackles that I found most spectacular. Finally, from Midget, it was a Raiders’ player that stood out. Riley Element had a tremendous outing recording 7 touchdowns and an outstanding 268 passing yards. However, I did not get to watch any of these performances this past week. The games I did see were the three played at Loyola and here are their summaries.

Week Three Recaps:

Pee-Wee

Musketeers (6) vs White Cougars (19)

White Cougars: This game was very much the Jackson Lovig show. While the scoresheet may not reflect it, the young man put in a truly dominant performance. If you look at his offensive stats, you might be tempted to think: oh, only 43 yards but those 43 yards spread out over four catches all came at clutch times. He was the go-to man when his team needed to convert a big fourth down. The fact that two of his four catches were for touchdowns shows just how much of a big-time receiver he is. However, the Cougars offence was not only one man. They would not have been able to put up 19 points without the likes of Patrick McNab, Owen Rouke or Ryan Whitehouse. Patrick McNab was playing quarterback for the Cougars and his 67% completion rate along with his two touchdowns gave his team the chance to win. He had a nearly perfect showing except for the one interception he threw. Rounding out the Cougars receiving corps was Owen Rouke with an impressive two catches for 33 yards as well as Ryan Whitehouse with three catches for 31 yards. Surprise surprise, on defence it was once again Jackson Lovig that stood out. To go along with his three tackles, he made a massive play when he picked off the opposing QB and ran back that pick for a score. Matthew Rafla left his mark defensively with three tackles to go along with his defended pass.

Musketeers: The Muskteteers had plenty of time on offence, they attempted 18 passes and ran three times, but they were not able to put up the yardage they would have liked. Personally, I think their struggles with moving the ball stem from them not spreading the ball on offence. The Musketeers only completed passes to two different receivers. Maya Di Fazio led the charge with four receptions for 34 yards and a score. Matthew Ouellet also had an impressive outing with three catches for 31 yards. However, those two were the only two receivers who caught a pass. If the Musketeers were to spread the ball a bit more, it would force the opposing defence to defend each receiver instead of focusing their coverage on two receivers. Part of the problem may be that Musketeer quarterback Kaydon Shaw is still getting used to his receivers. For many seasons, the Musketeers were an established FPF Junior franchise who had the same players come back year after year. This season however, very few of the players were able to return. Some are busy with other sports and some are too old. The only two familiar faces for QB Kaydon Shaw are Maya Di Fazio and Matthew Ouellet. I’m sure as the season progresses, Kaydon Shaw will come to know all of his receivers and spread the ball a bit more. When that happens, the Musketeers will be a fearsome team.

Bantam

Wildcats (6) vs Rebels (34)

Rebels: When I saw the Rebels take to the field missing five of their regular starters, I was wondering whether or not they would be able to compete with the Wildcats. Any doubts I may have had were quickly put to rest. As a matter of fact, I was looking forward to watching the Rebels play because I was worried before the season started, that Zachary Nelson would not be able to make it as an FPF quarterback. After watching just one of his games, there is no doubt left in my mind. The young man most definitely has the wherewithal to be one of FPF Junior’s most dominant passers. On Saturday, Zachary Nelson was outstanding with nearly 140 passing yards and a stellar 4-1 touchdown to interception ratio. With the Rebels missing so many of their regulars, they needed their subs to step up big. That is exactly what Ryan Wiwcharyk did. The young man had an extremely impressive showing with 5 catches for a total of 67 yards and a score. While it was Ryan Wiwcharyk that led in term of yards, it was Tyler Van Frank that was the leading red zone target. He caught two passes, both for touchdowns and a total of 24 yards. While the Rebels clearly have dominant receivers, they did not make the mistake of forcing the ball to them. The Rebels completed passes to all six of their receivers. Spreading the ball like that does more than just keep all your players happy, it keeps your offence rolling and the opposition on their toes. On defence, it was once again the usual suspects who got their names on the scorecard. Ryan Wiwcharyk had a great game with three tackles and most importantly, an interception which he returned for a score. Not to be outdone, Tyler Van Frank also recorded three tackles but bested his teammate with two picks.

Wildcats: When you think Wildcats, you immediately think Jaeden Edghill. He’s the first name that comes to mind because week after week, he puts up numbers like he did versus the Rebels. In this Saturday’s game, Jaeden Edghill led his team in receptions with 5, in receiving yards with 56 and in touchdowns with his team’s only score. On defence, the young man made just as much of an impact with his five tackles, his defended pass and his interception. However, if the only person you think of when you think of the Wildcats is Jaeden Edghill, you are definitely being negligent. You cannot talk about the Wildcats without mentioning players like Nicholas Koussaie. Week in, week out, Nicholas Koussaie is a silent force to be reckoned with. Once again this week, he put up 24 yards. While he may not be an electrifying deep threat, he is a safe pair of hands and a clean route runner which is something all quarterbacks love to see in a receiver. Defensively, the Wildcats also rely on the likes of Kevin Zebrowski. The young man finished the first game of Saturday’s double header with four tackles.

Bantam

Dusters (14) vs Wildcats (6)

Dusters: The Dusters’ roster was considerably afflicted by the vacation bug. Most of their team was down south basking in the sun instead of on the field. Luckily, the Dusters were able to count on two young, quick and very talented call ups in Nathan Twick and Noah Lieblin. While their roster was depleted, some things never change. One of those constants is Adam Malinoff scrambling. Saturday, the Dusters’ passer tallied nearly 90 yards through the air as well as one passing touchdown. While 90 yards isn’t an overwhelming passing total, Adam Malinoff impressed by running around in the pocket. No rusher was a match for him. He extended plays for many seconds and waited for his receivers to get open. To add to his scrambling in the pocket, Adam Malinoff also rushed for 38 yards and a score. On the receiving end of five of the Dusters’ nine completions was Adam Lieblein. The talented young man had an impressive outing and tallied nearly 40 receiving yards to go along           with a touchdown. Rounding out the Dusters’ receiving corps was Adam Fellen who managed two catches for 22 yards. On defence, the Dusters were once again lead by Adam Malinoff who managed two tackles and a defended pass to go along with an interception. The Dusters’ two super subs, Nathan Twick and Noah Lieblin each managed a sack and helped limit Justin Charles and the Wildcats to six yards.

Wildcats: While the first match of the Wildcat’s double header may have been a bit lopsided, the second game was a much closer affair. Once again, it was the usual suspects who were getting the job done for the Wildcats on offence. Jaeden Edghill led the team in receiving yards for yet another game with 37 and managed the team’s only score. Leading the team in receptions was Nicholas Kousaie who caught three balls for a total of 34 yards. While those two are among the best receivers in the league, if the Wildcats want to find success, I firmly believe the key will be short passes and spreading the ball. Every team knows that Jaeden Edghill can take the lid of their defence. However, if those long passes are the only thing the Wildcats rely on, it’s too easy for opposing defences to take that long bomb away. While their opponents concentrate on taking away the deep ball, that’s when the Wildcats should exploit the 5-15 yard range. They are exploiting these short and intermediate passes but only with Nicholas Koussaie. If they involve a few more players in that short passing game, I’m confident that the Wildcats will soon find success.

Next week, I’ll be at the Stinger Dome like usual and I’m definitely looking forward to taking in the game between the Dusters and Flight School 1. The Dusters currently sit proudly atop the Bantam division with only 18 points conceded all season. However, Flight School 1 are also undefeated, and they have one of the highest-flying offences in the division. Both teams are jam packed with talent and if the Dusters have their full roster back from vacation, this is sure to be a heavyweight clash. Another exciting game will feature the Musketeers versus the Fighting Irish. While the Irish have gotten off to a rough start this season, the Musketeers also had a difficult time in week three. If there is a time for the Irish to capitalize and secure their first win of the season, it could very well be next week.

With that, week three has drawn to a close and week four is already on our doorstep. See you all at the Stinger Dome and like usual, if you have any feedback or suggestions for the article, please let me know!