Game of the Year?, Numbers lie, Super Subs, the NBA Draft, and Kyle Lowry.

Welcome to Week 6 of the FlagPlus Football Summer Season.

 Football can be a weird game sometimes.

When you see a team put up 42 points, one would be right to assume that the team dialed up mostly deep passes or orchestrated a lot of quick strike drives. That train of thought could not have been further from the truth, as the Chernobyl – 21 offense led by Quarterback Patrick Chénard, feasted on the middle of the field against the Junkyard Dogs.

The Chernobyl – 21 passing game looked like the reincarnation of the famed West Coast offense, as they dissected their opponents with timing and precision routes, that took advantage of the holes in the Junkyard defense. At times, it seemed like JYD knew where the ball was going but were unable to do anything about it.

For all the veteran and All-Star experience on the JYD defense, one thing that stood out was their inability to make adjustments on that side of the ball and take away the short and intermediate passing game. Chénard struggled mightily with the accuracy of his deep ball, as he missed numerous wide-open targets all game long.

Missing several members from their usual roster, Chernobyl – 21, had to rely on a few subs, in J-F Moquin, Alexandre Branco, and Trystan Forgues. The reinforcements were huge for the team. Not only did it allow them to field six players (the minimum requirement) for the game credit to the team for playing both sides of the ball without a break, but the trio made countless big plays throughout the contest on both sides of the ball to ensure they got the victory. Moquin, even threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Forques just before halftime on a QB-option play.    

For Chernobyl – 21, the win was their second in a row. The big question facing them now, is whether they will be able to make it three straight, as they get set for the first half of back-to-back games against a very dangerous Khantraband team tonight in Brossard?

Another important question that needs to be answered is, will they have the services of the aforementioned trio? Having them available to go along with Chénard, Thuot, Ryan Aridi (who had a good game defensively), as well as Matt Bond, Alexandre Poulin-Rioux, and Nicolas Arsenault-Hum, among others, would put them on par talent wise with not just their opponents, but also the other two teams in Division A.

If you have played in FPF long enough, you know that converts are an important part of the game. Although they only count for either 1 or 2 points, they can be the difference between winning and losing a contest.

If you have played football long enough, you will also know that numbers can be deceiving. Usually when a Quarterback throws for only four incompletions, nearly 300 yards, and seven touchdowns, it is hard for them not to come out on top, especially when the QB is the greatest the league has ever seen, in Kevin Wyeth.

The same can be said for two Receivers on the same team that combine for 18 catches over 200 yards and five TDs. Unfortunately for Wyeth, and his Receivers Paul Lapierre and Matt Kirouac, and their team the All-Stars, that was the case as they fell (45-44) to Urgence Médic, in what can only be described as the front-runner for game of the year.

Both teams came out firing, as Urgence Médic jumped out to an early (7-0) lead on a 21-yard TD pass from Quarterback Jesse Dupuis to Mathieu Houle five plays into the contest.

The All-Stars would answer right back four plays later, as Kevin Wyeth would find Paul Lapierre, for a 20-yard touchdown pass. After successfully converting on the 1-point conversion, the game was tied (7-7).

The Dupuis and Houle connection would strike once again, as the two would connect on their next drive for a gain of 30 yards, setting up the Urgence Médic offense deep in the All-Stars end of the field. One play later they would make their opponents pay, as Dupuis would hit Receiver Mike Pierrecin, for his first TD (with this squad) of the season. Unfortunately for the team, their 1-point convo attempt was unsuccessful.

Not to be outdone, the Wyeth and Lapierre combo would reconnect once more, as the duo would meet in the endzone for a 13-yard score. The All-Stars would have more luck in redzone as their 1-point convo was successful, giving them a (14-13) lead.

Both teams would trade scores two more times before the half, as Kishon Thompson and Matt Kirouac would reach the endzone for the All-Stars, while Alexis Gaumont and Mathieu Houle would do it for Urgence Médic. The one big thing that stuck out on all four touchdowns, was that Jesse Dupuis’ team went 2 for 2 on two-point conversions, while Kevin Wyeth’s went 0 for 2.

The score heading into the break was (29-26) Urgence Médic.

In the second half, the scoring only eased up a little, as it took the All-Stars six plays to score on their first drive, as Wyeth would find Lapierre for his third TD of the evening.

Urgence Médic, must not have received the memo, as three plays after another failed All-Stars conversion attempt, Dupuis would hit Alexis Gaumont for his second TD. After successfully converting their two-point convo, the lead was (37-32).

The momentum would be short-lived, as the All-Stars would re-take the lead three plays later, via a 25-yard touchdown pass from Wyeth to Kirouac. Unfortunately, the team would once again miss their convo attempt.

Urgence Médic would put themselves back on top with the third TD of the game by Gaumont. They once again were successful going for two, which extended their lead to (45-38).

As you can imagine, the All-Stars would respond with a score of their own, via a 12-yard TD from Wyeth to his former Chateauguay Raiders teammate Tony Lalla. Another missed one-point convo attempt, left the squad trailing by one, (45-44).

With less than five plays remaining and down by one, the All-Stars needed to force a turnover. After a Dupuis pass to Julien Bellavance fell incomplete on first down, the dual-threat QB took off for a 9-yard scramble. Now facing a third and one, a stop by the defense would continue the game, while a first down for the offense would end the affair.

In crunch time, most players rely on what they do best, and Jesse Dupuis was no exception, as he would take off for a 10-yard run icing the game and giving his team the hard-fought victory.

Final score (45-44) Urgence Médic.

As I said earlier, conversions are important. Since this is not tackle football, convos essentially take the place of Special Teams in terms of how crucial they are to determining wins and losses here in FPF. If you don’t believe me, look no further than this game. The All-Stars went 2 for 7 including 0 for 3 in the second half. Urgence Médic, would go 5 for 6, and an impressive 4 for 4 on two-point tries. That was the difference in the game right there.

Random Thoughts

Speaking of super subs, it was nice to see a friend and former teammate Sean Kennedy make an appearance back in FPF this past week. The 3-time All-Star, who was playing in his first game since before Covid-19 made its debut, suited up for the All-Stars. Always a playmaker on defense, and someone who profiles as the prototypical Tight End on offense due to his his physicality and softy hands, Kennedy is a difference-maker on both sides of the ball. Hopefully this was not just a one-time thing.  

As I said during my first article, I usually play in Division 3/C. I never played in Div 1/A before, but I have subbed on occasion in Div. 2/B. To me, the difference in divisions has always been QB play, and overall execution on both sides of the ball.

Having a great Rusher is important no mater what division you play in, but as I realized a few years back, most high division QBs get the ball out of their hand so quickly, that they limit the impact of the most important position on defense.

One of the other things that separates the Division A teams from the rest offensively, is the route running and catching ability of the Receivers. Speed is one thing. You can find that in numerous players from Div. E, FPF Jr, Co-Ed, and at the top of the proverbial food chain, but the ability to run routes with precision and make contested catchers routinely look easy, is something you see routinely out of most Div. A pass-catchers.

My reason for bringing all this up, is because of the four games that I watched this past week. I saw several Hall-of-Fame Quarterbacks struggle with the deep ball. Some passers missed receivers who were open by at least a step or two, while others gave the wall or sideline curtain a better chance of making the catch.

More than a few Quarterbacks were also guilty of outsmarting themselves as well. As a QB, sometimes it is just better to take what the defense gives you. Some passers did that consistently this week, but there were also a few that did not.

Was this just a bad week for Quarterbacks?

It was not a one-handed grab, and it did not involve anyone getting Moss’ed, but the catch I saw Chris Milard make in the left corner of the endzone for a TD Monday night in Brossard was a thing of beauty. On a Sean Avraam pass going low and out of bounds in the endzone, the 5-time All-Star, who was going to his left, would stop on a dime, contort his body, stretch all the way to his right, and reach down just above the turf and snatch up the signature Avraam dirt ball for the score.

The Braves Alex Pilon might not have had a beautiful catch to brag about, but his 40-yard catch and run touchdown that saw him take a 7-yard hook route, and then shred the entire Here For The Beers defense, was a sight to behold.

Speaking of that contest, the trash-talking that was going on between Milard, and Pilon, was entertaining to say the least. The two were going at it virtually all game long. One would make a catch, or a tackle, and they would follow it up with an exchange of stares and words. I even counted several occasions where Pilon would leave the guy he was supposed to cover before the snap, and lineup in front of Milard. It was a treat to watch.

At the end of the day, Pilon and his team would get the last laugh, as the Braves would defeat Here For The Beers (38-25) on the shoulders of Pilon, Pierrecin, (what do you think of our Bruins free agency moves so far?), Guillaume Beland, Jean-Daniel Chevalier, an aggressive defense, and the play of Quarterback Jonathan Maheu, who threw some of prettiest passes you will ever see.    

The NBA Draft is tonight. (I had a softball game tonight, and I taped the draft, so that I can finish this article before watching it) I am a die-hard New York Knicks fan. With the 19^th and 21^st overall picks, I have no idea who my Knicks will take. We need depth all over the roster, either a starting or backup Point Guard depending on if we re-sign Derrick Rose (I hope we do), more shooting, and interior defense. After a fantastic season that exceeded all expectations including my own, the future and for the first time in what seems like forever, the present, is exciting for my team. Let’s see what happens.

Like almost every other Canadian basketball fan, I have a soft spot for the Raptors. I hope this isn’t the end of the Kyle Lowry era, but if it is, let me be one of the millions of other fans to say thank-you! You not only delivered a championship to this country, but you made the sport popular, and you made cheering for the Raptors (in my case when the Knicks were eliminated from the playoff contention usually by March) cool. Your heart, hustle, dedication, determination, attitude, style, and passion made watching you and the team a lot of fun, even through the tough years. In the words of Masai Ujiri, (I really hope he stays too), FUCK Brooklyn, and thank-you Kyle!

Picks (favorites in bold)

BYOB vs Urgence Médic – Urgence Médic

Khantraband vs Chernobyl – 21   – Chernobyl – 21 (Upset Special)

Here For The Beers vs Junkyard Dogs – Here For The Beers

Get Off Our D vs KGP – Get Off Our D

All-Stars vs Braves – Braves

Last Week: (4-1)

Upset Special: (3-1)

Regular Season: (14-4)

That is it for this week. Next time out, I will reveal my Mid-Season Report. I know the midway point of the regular season is technically this week, but some of the writers for the other divisions as well as myself, thought it made more sense to wait until all of the teams played five games first.

Good luck to everybody in their games and have a good final weekend for the month of July. Sigh. Where is the summer going?

If you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt like there is something I left out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]