Inside the Redzone (D4) – Finals Preview

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO! Team Ditka? Really? The Cinderella story continues for this underdog team as they pulled out yet another thrilling victory. On the other side, the dominant Dirty Birds are still perfect and looking to join some exclusive company (Wolverines in Winter 06, Young Guns in Winter 05 and Spring 06). The finals of the Division 4 Winter 2009 season will take place this Sunday at Catalogna Soccerplexe 7:00 pm EST. It will be a classic battle of David vs. Goliath, Team Ditka being the former, the Dirty Birds being the latter. I am inclined to say that Dirty Birds should walk away with the win because they are as deep as an abyss however we cannot discount what Team Ditka has done thus far in playoffs, they have played excellent football and will give Dirty Birds a run for their money. Before I can break down this exciting match up, I will quickly look at how these teams arrived here.

 

 

Playoff Recap (Conference Finals)

 

Conference A

 

Team Ditka knew they were in tough against the potent offense of Trojan Knights but they went toe-to-toe against this team in what was another exciting finish. Team Ditka won the game in overtime by a final score of 40-39. Billy Seretis (QB of Team Ditka) had another great game, he was 13 of 18 for 190 yards with 5 TDs and 2 INTs. He also had 48 rushing yards and a rushing TD. The Trojan Knights had the ball with 1 play left in the second half in the red zone and Norman Weekes (QB of Trojan Knights) threw a ball which was popped up, intercepted by Billy Seretis who almost took it back to the house however Mr. Weekes de-flagged him. In overtime Norman Weekes could only convert 1 out 3 opportunities and the rest is history. Jonathan Makris (Team Ditka) had his second multiple TD game in the playoffs and Alan Abou-Atme had his second interception in the playoffs. Team Ditka is now in the finals and have definitely earned it.

 

Conference B

 

Dirty Birds stayed focused in this game because they knew a perfect season holds no value without a championship. They defeated the Marauders quite easily by a score of 37-21. Jon Young (QB of Dirty Birds) was 17 of 23 for 201 yards and 6 TDs, he also rushed for 49 yards. Offensively the Bisharas combined for 15 catches, 180 yards and 5 TDs; they are a force to be reckoned with as they are tearing up defenses with their spectacular play. Even on the defensive side, Kevin Bishara had an INT. Denis Beauregard (QB of Marauders) couldn’t really get anything going all night and Jeremie Roussin was a non factor as he had a mere 3 catches for 21 yards with no TD and 1 sack on defense. The only bright side for Marauders was the play of Stephane Lavoie who had 7 tackles of defense and 1 TD on offense so he is getting healthy however they will have to wait till another season for it to fully play out. As for the Dirty Birds, they remain perfect and have one more obstacle from a perfect season.

 

 

Playoff Preview (Finals)

 

It is finally here, the main event, the show stopper, the final game of division 4 Winter 2009 season and it the football Gods couldn’t have picked a better one. As I mentioned before, this is a classic battle of David (Team Ditka) versus Goliath (Dirty Birds who have someone named David on their team so that is a little interesting). Some other people have compared it to Super Bowl 42 in which the New England Patriots (perfect season) took on the New York Giants. The Giants pulled off an upset and won the game. In both of my examples, the underdog prevailed so does this mean I pick the Dirty Birds to lose? Before I can answer this question, I want to break this game down.

 

 

(1) Dirty Birds vs. (7) Team Ditka – They didn’t play in the regular season so the scouting of Joe Birds will be very important.

 

 

Key Match up: Billy Seretis (QB) vs. Jon Young (rusher)

 

 

Dirty Birds

 

Jon Young has to play a smart and controlled game, the way he has been all season long. He will see a lot of holes in Team Ditka’s secondary however they have playmakers that can close them fast. Therefore staying with the short game all day will be beneficial as it will also keep Team Ditka’s offense on the bench and Billy Seretis out of rhythm. The Bisharas will again have to use their speed to get open underneath and even if it is a 4 yard hook, they can get a lot of YAC (yards after catch). I don’t think the other receivers need to play a bigger role because in my opinion, Team Ditka can’t shut down the Bisharas. Therefore, if Dirty Birds can score on every drive, which is a strong possibility, they are looking at a championship because their defense will surely stop Billy Seretis a few times.

 

X-Factor – Eric Bishara

Clutchness – 10

 

 

Team Ditka

 

Offensively, they will have to score every drive because I don’t see them stopping the Dirty Birds enough times to gain an advantage. Furthermore Billy Seretis must get rid of the ball quickly because Jon Young is very fast and will not give him a lot of time. So the supporting cast of Adam Lancione, Jonathan Makris and Gaspare Borsellino must be ready for quick passes, which will not be easy because they’re going up against a stifling Dirty Birds defense. So far against a good defense (Gators) Team Ditka only managed to score 14 points in regulation therefore they need to use their creativity to make things happen because a low scoring effort will not be enough against the Dirty Birds. Defensively if they can contain the Bisharas, they might have a chance but their rush will have to do an even better job on Jon Young, something most teams haven’t been able to do. The bottom line is that Team Ditka needs another Team Ditka type game. Simply put, there is no game plan and no preparation, go out there and make the plays when they have to be made. In the past, they always lost on paper and will once again if compared to Dirty Birds.

 

X-Factor – Adam Lancione

Clutchness – 10 (especially after the two overtime wins)

 

 

The two finalists definitely possess clutchness, which is the main reason they are here. Looking at my break down, I believe the clock will strike midnight on Team Ditka and their magical journey will end. They haven’t played against a well-balanced team such as the Dirty Birds and although they will not go down without a fight, they will still go down. That being said, this is music to Team Ditka’s ears because they thrive on being the underdogs and thus, they will once again have to shock the FlagPlus Football world. I hope everyone reading this article will make it to the finals this Sunday and show their support because I promise you, this will be a great game.

 

Last week I promised to reveal the categories that are present in STAR-AWARDS© so everyone can vote on the winners. I’ll publish the results next week. The categories are: Best Scorekeeper, Best Zebra (best referee), Best Entertainer, Fastest Man, Class Act award, Best Hands, Best Route Runner, The Moe Khan award, Best GM, Best Dresser (football gear), Best Trash Talker, STARWAR of the year and league MVP. If I missed any categories, feel free to contact me and I will include them. Furthermore, I’ll name a MVP for every team and also write the top ten stories (headlines) of Winter 2009 division 1 season.

 

There is only more article remaining and in it, I’ll recap the final game and announce the winners of STAR-AWARDS©. And that is it for this week’s edition of Inside The Redzone. If you have comments/suggestions don’t hesitate to contact me on Facebook or via email at [email protected]. This is Rehan “J.J” Sarwar signing off and wishing the Dirty Birds and Team Ditka lots of luck this Sunday. I’ll catch you all next week for the lat time this season but until then, Stay Classy Division Four!