Inside the Red Zone (D1) – Week 7

 

I have to say I am a little disappointed with the progress of Conference A after seven weeks, because only Montreal’s Finest have a winning record at 6-1. Then there are three teams who have a combined record of 6-13-2. Therefore the level of disparity is quite evident. Who is to blame, FlagPlus Football who compiled the divisions or the teams who didn’t perform? I guess an argument can be made for both sides, however I believe Old Skool and the Expess have had disappointing seasons. Furthermore, it is always tough and tricky to pre-rank and place a new team such as the Redhawks. Therefore it’s hard to blame the pre-season rankings.

 

It is no secret that we expected more from Old Skool and felt they had a chip on their shoulder, especially after the Hurricanes didn’t make the playoffs in Winter 2010 and their team folded. I felt Old Skool would come out with a vengeance and make a statement, but so far the only statement they’ve made is in my segment “Behind The Flag” which will be unveiled a little later. Perhaps I shouldn’t count them out just yet because, if they qualify for playoffs, they can still go all the way which is all that counts, in the end. However I am still surprised with their performance so far.

 

Similarly, it has been frustrating to see the defending champions struggle in Winter 2011. Even though they had SCC in Winter 2010 and barely made the playoffs, they raised the expectations for themselves entering Winter 2011. I am not saying that they should be 6-1 or even 5-2 at this point however a record of 4-3 is not farfetched. If the Express can clinch a playoff spot, like Old Skool, they’ll have a chance to keep their crown. That said, making the playoffs, alone, will be extremely tough.

 

So does this mean that Montreal’s Finest have an easy road to the finals? Well, they have already clinched a first round bye, so they’re guaranteed to be in the semi-finals. I can assure you that after what happened in Winter 2010, the Finest aren’t taking anything for granted. However, wouldn’t it be exciting to see another upset in semi-finals?

 

Next week, I’ll take a look at conference B. More specifically, I’ll analyze the top three teams and their chances to go to the finals.

 

Behind The Flag

 

This week I am showcasing Old Skool. They are no strangers to FlagPlus Football. If we take a look at their roster, we will see many familiar names such as Shane Williams, Robby Robinson, Jay Ulley, and Kevin Wilson among many others. I wanted to get some answers to the popular questions. So I went after their captain (TMZ style) Mr. Kevin Wilson; he was more than happy to share his thoughts on Old Skool.

 

 

1) What made you put the team in Division 1 and why the name Old Skool?

 

A couple of us wanted to play in FPF but didn’t just want to jump on board with an established team. Old Skool was just a name to reflect that the majority of us, at the time, have been playing this game for years since our tackle days were finished.

 

2) Is your current roster the same as you had imagined when you put in the team (in other words, are there certain players you wanted but they couldn’t play with Old Skool)?

 

There were a few more players that we play together with during the outdoor season but they will take more convincing to come out and play on Saturday and Sunday nights during the “offseason”.  We went with a smaller roster but have had some challenges in the first half of the year getting everyone out consistently.

 

3) How come Rick Nincheri wasn’t picked to QB given the fact he has chemistry with quite a few of the guys?

 

It’s not that Rick wasn’t picked; it was that I wanted to play again with Andy Peterkin.  Andy and I have played together for 10+ years on the outdoor touch and flag circuit.  I’m currently playing now with a team based in Ontario so I thought it would be cool to play again with Andy in some manner if I could.

 

4) What were the expectations before the season started?

 

I expected us to start slow.  Any new team that hasn’t practiced together will struggle a little when playing against the caliber of teams in Divison 1.  We just need to find our rhythm on offense and defense.

 

5) Do you feel your team has under or over achieved?

 

I feel we’ve underachieved.  I didn’t expect us to go 10-0 but I didn’t think we’d be under .500.  We’ve had a few bounces that didn’t go our way but we need to finish strong for playoffs.

 

6) Do you believe that you have enough talent to defeat teams such as Montreal’s Finest, Demons or Rainmakers?

 

No doubt.  Apart from our loss against the Expos, we’ve had the chance to win or preserve a victory on the last drive of every game so far.  The amount of major Canadian and International touch and flag tournament wins that we have collectively on this team gives us a unique perspective.

 

7) What are your expectations with three weeks left in the season?

 

Expectations are to keep building.  The season is a mini-marathon and not a sprint.  Our objective is to make playoffs.  We will continue to refine our game plans during the season and hopefully we can peak at the right time.

 

8) Will this team return in Winter 2012?

 

We’ll have to see in 2012.  The grind of the outdoor season does make it a little tough to start back playing so soon.  Us older guys need to take a few months off 😉

 

9) Any additional comments or advice for the rest of Division 1?

 

Awesome job in building the league through the years.  I’d love to see more of these teams and players playing in the outdoor season.  The talent that I’ve seen throughout all divisions would make for some strong teams that could potentially give some of the established outdoor teams and clubs on the Touch and Flag circuit a run for their money.

 

The next installment of Behind The Flag will cover the CLR Forces.

 

The Amazing Race

 

Known to be an entertaining TV show, this segment will monitor leading candidates for FlagPlus Football’s seasonal awards and a new award (entirely fictional but holds high value) known as the Heisman Trophy, which is given to league MVP for the Winter 2011 season. This list of candidates will be updated weekly.

 

Quarterback

 

Kevin Wyeth: 140-198 for 1490 yards with 38 TDs, 2 INTs, 1 sack and 127.7 QB rating.

Ryan Kastner: 134-191 for 1285 yards with 39 TDs, 2 INT, 17 sacks and 123.8 QB rating.

 

Wide Receiver

 

Marc Champagnie: 34 receptions, 470 yards, 13 TDs.

Akked Moore: 33 receptions, 394 yards, 12 TDs.

Paul Lapierre: 27 receptions, 340 yards, 12 TDs.

 

Defensive Player

Karim Binette: 8 tackles, 5 INTs, 3 PD.

Kishon Thompson: 14 tackles, 4 INTs (1 for TD), 3 PDs.

Nathan Taylor: 16 tackles, 3 INTs (1 for TD), 6 PDs.

 

Two-Way Player

 

Michael Chitayat: 33 receptions, 332 yards, 9 TDs; 18 tackles, 3 INTs

Tim Kraemer: 39 receptions, 384 yards, 11 TDs; 10 tackles, 4 INTs, 3 PDs.

Chad Byers: 99-135 for 1166 with 32 TDs, 4 INTs, 5 sacks and 126.5 QB rating; 7 tackles, 3 INTs and 1 sack.

 

The Heisman (in that order)

 

1. Kevin Wyeth

2. Ryan Kastner

3. Carmine Pollice

 

 

That’s it for this week’s column. As always please email me for feedback/suggestions at [email protected]. Good luck to all teams this weekend and see you all next week Inside The Redzone.