Inside the Red Zone (Div E) – Week 11

And then there were four! To achieve greatness requires greatness and that was the case last weekend during the quarter finals. Four teams pushed themselves to the next level for the right to continue playing and fighting for Division E’s most elusive prize (besides The STAR-AWARDS, of course). All the top seeds have advanced to the semi finals and that means two things: one, there were no upsets in the quarters and two I was 100% correct in my predictions.

 

Instead of recapping the quarter finals which will be a little repetitive (already covered on the podcast), I decided to take a look at the season that was for the six teams who are no longer in the playoffs. For some it was a great season but fell short and for others it was a great learning experience. I contacted a representative from every team and asked them a few questions.

 

As mentioned in my previous article about not having posted seasonal interviews from NWO and Maccabi, I’ll post them now along with some additional questions regarding future plans.

 

NWO (0-10)

Team MVP: Pietro Mignacca (Played well on offense and defense)

 

It was a tough season for them but it was expected since they’re new to FlagPlus Football. I have to admit there were times when I felt they could have pulled out a win or two however inexperience had gotten the best of them. Here is what GM Michael Sanchez had to say regarding NWO first season in FPF.

 

As a GM, what are your roles and responsibilities?

Running practices and making sure everyone knows their role come game day.

 

What were your expectations coming into this league for the first time?

We expected heavy competition given the strong reputation FPF has acquired.

 

After having played a full season, what are some areas of improvement?

Limit mistakes, win the turnover battle, come to play on game day. 

 

Give a player on offense and defense that were your best players all season.

The best players were the guys who came to practice. They are the ones who improved progressively throughout the season and it showed on Sundays.

 

How did you come up with the team name NWO?

All credit to naming our team n.W.o. goes to Pietro Mignacca, snapper and co-captain of the team.

 

How was the team assembled?

We are a big group of friends.

 

What are the some of the challenges your team faced during the course of the season?

The biggest challenges we faced were learning what it is other teams do in order to be successful in this league. Adapting to the rulebook remains a challenge.

 

What are your expectations and plans for Winter 2014 season?

Worst to first.

 

Who will take the championship?

I say golden girls because they have the best QB in the league. He seems to be the only other guy in the league who has a good arm and doesn’t rely solely on his mobility.

 

Mr. Sanchez might not be a man of many words but he chooses his words wisely. They learned a lot, worked hard and are ready to make some noise next season in 2014.

 

Maccabi (1-9)

Team MVP: Ofir Levy (played all positions [QB, receiver and defense]and put good numbers)

 

This Maccabi’s second season in FPF and all things considered, they were close to making the playoffs. They were alive till the last couple of weeks but just came up short. I truly believe that Maccabi needed a consistent pivot on a weekly basis and that would have been enough for them to clinch. By putting Ofir Levy at the QB position, you take away a great receiver. I’ll now hand it over to Ofir Levy.

 

Being the GM, what is your role and what do you contribute to the team?

My role on the team is first of all make sure all the logistics, weekly roster and payments are taken care of, as for during game time I try to give as much knowledge of football that I have to my teammates in order for all of us to be on the same wave link, as well a role of leadership on offense and defense calling plays as well as making adjustments if needed. 

 

Your most improved player on offense and defense?

My improved player on defense is definitely Alexandre Bohbot. Has had a big influence as a rusher in order to allow the other defenders to make big plays. As for offensively I feel Jonathan Assouline And Julien Nolin share that title because they leaned the game from scratch and throughout the season have both tremendously learned a lot and shown their improvement significantly. 

It’s been a tough season so far but that’s all part of the growing pains, what are some of the obstacles your team has faced?

The main obstacle our team has faced is the lack of having organized plays on defense and offense. Due to this season being in the summer, lots of  players couldn’t make some games so we had to bring in some substitutions and eventually led to us not having enough time and experience to get to know each other and gel correctly. Having a steady quarterback would have probably made a big difference since we had to alternate between 3 of us and our defense needs practice on an individual basis in order to cover players or zones properly.

 

Maccabi is one game out of the playoffs with three games left, including the team you’re trying to catch. What is the game plan and strategy?

I think that when we try not to focus so much on making the playoffs or winning the game we have more fun. When we don’t have the stress of winning, we perform better. So from now on we will try and have more fun together and keep a good attitude in order to finish off the season on a good note. 

 

Who originally came up with the name Maccabi and why?

I came up with the team name because the team was consisting mostly of or group of Jewish friends and in many Jewish sporting tournaments and events the name Maccabi is often used. The reason for naming the team this way is because the Maccabi’s were ounce a group of Jewish soldiers that were very few and stood and fought vs many and won. (Kind of like the movie 300. Lol ) in other words ” The Underdogs “. So we’re hoping to be the underdogs of FPF lol. 

 

Which QB will finish out the season and how do you make that decision from the three choices you have?

To finish off the season we will continue to alternate between Brad Evans and Patrick Leroux. I leave the division of how to separate the game time up to them. As for me I am only a back up quarterback, should neither of them be present for the game, that is where I step up. I originally would have loved to be the QB but I’ve learned that if I stuck to receiving and allowed somebody better to throw the ball, the results were better. Their no “I” in team ! 

 

What will it take for Maccabi to clinch a playoff spot in three weeks time?

Our performance vs other lower ranked teams. We hope to win our next 2 games in order to be comfortable with our end of season results but if other teams also come up with wins and push us off of the playoffs then there is nothing else we could do. Organization, knowing each players role on the team as well as practice should help us tremendously. We expect the worse and hope for the best! That’s it. 

 

Here are the questions that were asked after the regular season was over and before the playoffs began.

 

After a season and almost qualifying for a playoff spot, what are some areas of improvement?

After the season we need to improve our defense and make sure to get a core of guys that we can learn to gel together well.

 

Who was the team’s MVP on offense and defense?

I feel weird selecting myself as MVP for Offence and Defense. I feel like somebody else should answer this question but according to stats I have the most receiving TD’s as well as most tackles. If I was to chose someone else, I would go with Brad Evans for offense and Emmanuel Cohen for Defense. [Writer’s note:  I also selected Ofir Levy as team MVP. He’s the utility player and plugged yourself wherever you were needed)

 

What are your plans for Winter 2014 season?

The plan for winter 2014 is to restructure the team and Have a Quarterback that will be there every game as well as strengthening the defense as well as elaborate our playbook and practice it together. Organization is key in Flag Football it’s not always the most athletic team that wins games.

 

Who will win the championship?

If The Golden Girls have a full roster they should win it. They have been the most consistent at scoring lots of points in both first and 2nd halfs of the games except for the FOTC Game so if these 2 teams meet in the final then it’s anybody game from there on.

 

I believe in this team and if they can work out a few little kinks, they’ll definitely compete in 2014. Mr. Levy and I both agree that with a committed QB, they’ll be more consistent on offense which will put less pressure on defense. All in all, it was a pleasure covering these guys and I wish them the best in future seasons.

 

Los Banditos (4-6)

Team MVP: Gobi Nadesh (offense: 500+ yards; defense: 3 INTs)

 

Don’t be fooled by their record because even they finished eighth and had a below .500 record, they were the closest to an upset win in their first round match up against the heavily favored Golden Girls. The key to their success was role allocation and good team assembly. Their roster was put together perfectly and anybody who had doubts (definitely not me) about Alex Guertin’s ability to raise his game to the next level was proven wrong after last weekend’s performance. Though I named Gobi Nadesh as MVP, the team was full of great talents such as Justin Ibo, David Della Rocca, Josh Levine, Shawn Taylor and it goes on. Here is what Alex Guertin had to say.

 

You had a close finish in the quarter finals, what was the team missing that could have made the difference against the Golden Girls?

Converts man… In this league converts are so crucial and we had another great example here. I only was able to connect on 1 convert instead of 3 for J-Flo and the Golden Girls. Definitely something I’ll have to work on during the off-season!

 

Who is your team’s MVP for the whole season?

We have such a crazy roster that its very hard to pick only one. But I have to go with Gobi! The dude is incredible! I will always remember this: 1st pass ever as a QB in FPF, 5 yards hook to Gobi and he turned the play into a 40yds TD. He’s a beast!

 

But honorable mention to Justin I-bo. His first season ever in FPF and the guy is the best rusher I’ve seen. I can easily see him become the best rusher this league ever had. We will be able to compare him to Matt Kirouac soon enough 😉 Also, he sacked J-Flo 3 times in our quarter-final matchup. The dude is insane!

 

What are your plans for next season?

Personally, I want to continue as a QB. At first, I only wanted to play this Spring then go back as a WR. But after the season I had, which wasn’t really bad, I feel that I can contribute more as a QB. We might see me in 2 divisions, but I really want to work my way with my Banditos. I can feel that this team will be a serious contender very soon!

 

Who will win the Div E championship?

Hard to predict.. All 4 remaining teams are very good. But after all the hate I gave this team, I have to go with them now (kindda like a love/hate relationship), Golden Girls. They are just too strong. If they can adjust on defense, they will have a great playoff run. I also believe that Justin is the only rusher in this league who can contain J-Flo in his pocket. Having Banditos out of the way now, I don’t see any rusher who can contain J-Flo long enough. So Golden Girls for the WIN!

 

They finished strong at the end of the season and that’s something the whole team should use as motivation for 2014. I really don’t feel they need to change much but rather continue to play together and build chemistry. The rest will fall into place for them.

 

BBQ Time Travellers (4-6)

Team MVP: Simon Lahaie (also won the individual award for best receiver but his defensive are equally impressive)

 

It was an up and down season for BBQ Time Travellers. They finished the season strong especially with Simon Lahaie and Yavar Ashrafi winning individual awards however they came out a little flat in the playoffs. It’s nothing to hang their heads over because they progressed so much as a team over the course of the season and the loss was an example of things they need to work on for future seasons. What do you think Peeze?

 

After a great season, what went wrong against Eskimo Brothers considering they didn’t even have their starting pivot?

The Eskimo brothers have a great team. They played a better game than we did and deserve to be moving forward. We turned the ball over twice in our own territory and you can’t afford to give their offense a short field.

 

Who is your team’s MVP for the whole season?

This may seem like a cop out but I’m going to have to give it to Simon Lahaie. Simon is a great player and an even better teammate. He is the heartbeat of our team. He got shut down in last week’s game and our season came to an end. However, everyone on the team had a role to play. Once everyone understood that we became a much better team.

 

What are your plans for next season?

A beach, a cocktail and beautiful beach babes. Who am I kidding, I won’t be able to tear myself away from FPF!

I’m not sure what I’ll be doing. Checkmate (Div.D) is a stable franchise and will certainly be back. However, as we are in the midst of a championship run, I haven’t begun to think of what my team(s) will look like. I know that, unless I get fired by Daron, I will be a part of the media team once again next season.

Who will win the Div E championship?

I’ve said all season that I think that FOTC is the best team in the division. Hopefully, great performances trump great talent because I’d like to see Golden Girls win it. They are nice guys and they are the last remaining branch of the Checkmate family tree that are still alive. If not, I hope that the 9 other teams in the division are exposed for steroid use and that BBQ Time Travellers are awarded the prize.

 

Peeze is never short on words, sentences or paragraphs and that’s why we love him in FPF. Though the future of a well-named franchise rests in the balance, they accomplished a lot this season and for that the whole team should pat themselves on the back. I know Peeze already patted himself!

 

Dat’s Big (5-5)

Team MVP: Alex Russell (receiver: 466 yards and 10 TDs; defense: 8 INTs)

 

Dat’s Big had a disappointing season but that was to be expected due to inexperience at the pivot position. Forgetting for a second that they had veterans on the roster, as a group they played well as a unit. Defensively when Steven Hodhod was there, Dat’s Big played lights out including their first round loss against FOTC. Offensively they were too inconsistent however it’s valuable learning experience and part of the growing pains. FPF’s favorite son Daron Basmadjian (or as I call him D-Bas) broke it all down.

 

 

Dat’s Big had a disappointing season, what was the team missing that could have helped them win against FOTC in the quarter finals?

Balance, above all other things. We had games this season where our offence played well and our defence was weak, and we had games where the opposite happened too. Against FOTC, our defence played one of the best game I have ever been a part of, and that includes two championship-winning teams and several solid contenders. Unfortunately, our offence played probably their worst game of the season, and that’s why we lost. We had the talent, we had the smarts, we had the chemistry, what we were missing was balance.

 

Who is your team’s MVP for the whole season?

I would have to give team MVP to Alex Russell. He has been our most consistent performer, on both sides of the ball. It’s no coincidence that our best defensive performance coincided with him taking a more active role in leadership among the players. His talent has always been obvious, but beyond that, he’s also an excellent teammate.

 

What are your plans for next season?

I assume your question refers to Dat’s Big! as a team and not myself. I honestly have no idea what the future holds for this team. There are certain areas that obviously need improvement, but the core is quite strong. The key will obviously be quarterback. Moe improved throughout the season, but still has a long way to go to be considered a good quarterback. Without him improving or another QB coming into the picture, Dat’s Big! will never be a serious contender.

 

Who will win the Div E championship?

I think it will come down to whoever wins between FOTC and the Eskimo Brothers. The Golden Girls have barely won their last two games, and while some people think that demonstrates a certain clutch factor, I think it demonstrates that there is a way to beat them. Tomahawk Nightmare need a whole lot of things to go right for them, and I just don’t see it happening yet. It’s tough for a first-time QB to win a championship, no matter what division. Maybe in another season or two.  So Eskimo Bros or FOTC. Eskimo Bros have a few standout players, whereas FOTC has the better team from top to bottom. Take your pick at that point, but I’m going with Fools of the Country. I think our game against them was just the warm-up they needed, and I think they’ll cruise the rest of the way.

 

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Well I could have but I choose not to because Daron pretty might summed Dat’s Big entire season in a nutshell. They definitely have some ways to go in terms of the QB position because given all the talent around Moe Khan, he needs to put up better numbers a la Alex Guertin. Will we see Dat’s Big return with the same roster or maybe with a few tweaks? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see in 2014!

 

Show Me Your TDs (5-4-1)

Team MVP: Anthony Addona (receiver: 459 yards and 10 TDs, defense: 3 INTs and 1 sack)

 

Would SMYT have won if Mike Addona been healthy last weekend? It’s tough to say but their chances would have increased two fold. Mike was forced to make some throws that he might not have made had he been able to use his mobility. Regardless SMYT had a good season (finished above .500). They definitely had a few studs on their team (not only looks wise) but they’ll need to add depth for future seasons if they intend to contend. GM, captain and face of the franchise Mike Addona was gracious enough to discuss his team’s season after last weekend’s loss.

 

You had a good season so why couldn’t SMYT beat Tomahawk Nightmare?

I think Tomahawk played a very good game and did enough to win. The turning point of this game happened with 1 minute until 5 plays in the second half, our defense had them on 4th down with us down 34-31, the outcome of the play was the play discussed on the podcast by Peeze and Terry Tam.

 

But not making the stop we didn’t give ourselves the chance to win. Additionally, throwing 2 INTs at the end of the first half hurt our chances.

 

Who is your team’s MVP for the whole season?

I would have to say the MVP is the only player on our roster to make the All-Star game; Anthony Addona, I say this based on his consistency throughout the season and stepping in at snapper and doing a great job there as well as playing some defense at the end of the season and doing a great job on that side of the ball as well.

 

What are your plans for next season?

We haven’t looked at it yet, I won’t have time to GM the team anymore so I guess it all depends if anyone steps up and decides to continue it. I’m hoping someone steps up.

 

Who will win the Div E championship?

I think the Golden Girls will face FOTC in the finals and J-Flo and the Golden Girls will lift the trophy at the end (I may be one of the few that wants to see them win).

 

A class act and a great leader. I personally would love to see SMYT in Winter 2014 because I feel they took some positive steps this season (especially Mike at the pivot position) and if they can work on a few things while also adding a veteran or two, they can take their division by surprise. From now till opening day of the 2014 season remains five months so it would be ample time for Mike Addona to heal up and be ready to tear it up. The future looks bright for this squad.

 

So that wraps it up for the six teams who are no longer in contention for the Division E championship. We hope to see all of you on the field in Winter 2014.

 

2013 Spring Division E Playoffs: Semi Finals           

 

(1) Golden Girls vs. (4) Tomahawk Nightmare

Season series: 2-0 for Golden Girls (week 2: 44-18, week 8: 45-37)

 

QB: For a second straight week, the advantage goes to James Floreani however last time these two teams met, Jean-Francois Marquis had a statement game.

 

Receivers: I will evaluate receivers in terms of chemistry with their pivot. Having said that, it’s a toss up because both QBs have a great rapport with their receivers and if a slight edge had to be given, it might in the favor of the Golden Girls because they’re a little more aggressive with the ball.

 

Defense: Golden Girls clearly win this category especially since the Tomahawk defense gave up 31 points to an injured QB.

Analysis: As I mentioned the last time these two teams met, J-F Marquis went toe-to-toe with James Floreani but Tomahawk’s defense couldn’t hold the fort. In the semi finals, it will come down to Tomahawk trying to limit the potent and deadly Golden Girls’ offense. If they need help, they can use Los Banditos game plan from last weekend because they did a great job on defense. J-F Marquis will need to score every drive and hope his defense can get a stop but that’s easier said than done. The Golden Girls are too good all around and well balanced to lose especially after a close call last weekend. Prediction: Golden Girls

 

(2) Eskimo Brothers vs. (3) Fools Of The Country

Season series: Eskimo Brothers won 30-28 in week 6

 

QB: It all depends on Mitchell Muir (Eskimo Brothers) showing up and assuming it’s Muir vs. Guilmain, I will have to give the slight edge to Etienne Guilmain because of his advantage in his mobility. Both QBs know how to deliver in game situation but Guilmain manages the clock a little better. Also If you read Daron Basmadjian’s comment before, he said he never saw a better defensive performance from any of his teams in FPF and Guilmain still managed to score 26 points. He’s a dual threat and that’s tough for a lot of defenses to stop.

 

Receivers: As a group, FOTC have the advantage in this category because they have a great deal of chemistry and have at least 3-4 receivers who can come up big in clutch situations.

 

Defense: It’s a tie. Eskimo’s defense came up with 3 INTs against BBQ Time Travellers last weekend and not one of them was by Shawn Steen so it shows depth on their part. For FOTC, they’re a smart defensive group who game plans and uses strategy while putting all their players in the right areas to succeed defensively.

 

Analysis: This game will come down to FOTC’s defense and their ability to contain Eskimo’s offense. In their only match up of the season, they created zero turnovers against the back up pivot. They’ll need to play better in the semis. Also, Etienne Guilman threw 3 INTs (only twice in the entire season he threw 3 picks) which is uncharacteristic for him. If FOTC can manage the clock and show difference defensive looks, Eskimo will have a tough time getting it going. Furthermore it is not certain if Mitchell Muir will be there. Prediction: Fools Of The Country

 

So I am calling a Golden Girls vs. Fools Of The Country final. I went 4 for 4 in my predictions last week so lets’ see if I can keep the streak alive. Thanks to all who read my article and to those who took time to participate in my Q&A session. As usual If you have any suggestions or criticism just contact me at [email protected], inbox me on Facebook or send me a tweet (@RehanFPF). You can also listen to the Division E Calling the Audible podcast at http://podomatic.fpf.com

  

This is Ron Starwars reminding you to stay classy Division E!