Inside the Redzone (D4) – Week 1

 

Welcome, everyone, to the first Division 4 season of the new decade. I don’t need any introduction to most of you because I am your biggest fan, however for the rest, I’m Rehan Sarwar and I only have one goal, to make sure you enjoy reading my weekly columns. Just a quick flashback into the 2009 Winter Division 4 season, in which the Dirty Birds had a perfect season and are off to a great start in Division 3. However can any team follow suit in the 2010 Winter season? As my esteemed colleague Moe Khan would say “Time will tell”. With the exception of a couple of teams, Division 4 will produce new heroes, new rivalries and most of all, new champions. The grind to the Holy Grail has begun!

 

Headlines

 

Ten Times The Fun!

 

FlagPlus Football is celebrating its’ 10th season and has come a long way. The league started with 1 division and 1 facility and five years later, there are 5 divisions and 5 total facilities that were and are used along the way. The league’s success is attributed to you who have participated season in and season out. Therefore everyone should give themselves a pat on the back. I will be doing a one on one interview with the commissioner and it will be posted in my Division 1 article next week so those are interested, make sure you check it out.

 

Movin on… DOWN!

 

To some, it has become a tiresome topic, and to others they can’t get enough. On the WEPL, the Triple Sixers and Warriors were called out for being “cowards” because they chose to play in a lower division when in fact their roster can more than compete in Division 3. There were many “excuses” being handed out however it just seems none of them were valid. Triple Sixers clearly flat out belong in the Division 3 and if they will have absentees on their roster, they still have enough firepower to do well. As for the Warriors, their roster is packed with talent and although the team is “new”, names such as the Perry brothers, Danny Roy, Norman Weeks, Nicky McGuire and the cherry on top, Craig O’Brien who is a Division 2 defending champion and playoff MVP. However the team is “new” and these guys will have a tough time with each other right? This is a situation in which these teams take advantage of the situation and the league, ruining it for everyone else; what a sad state of affairs. One thing is for sure, they won’t get any love from me because I am all about the people!

 

New faces in new places

 

It is good to see that not only new teams but also different players have joined different teams. Matthew Young and Chris Rivest (previously of FTL and Mongoose) now play for the Time Bombs, a team that shouldn’t be taken lightly. With QB Frank Grenier at the helm, they have enough experience and firepower to be a solid team all season long. They won their first week’s match up against the solid Marauders with strong performances by Matthew Young and Marc-Andre Daigneault, so expect more of the same. Also Falcons, Sharks and Briscoe High Hawks (Hawks’ core is from Walk Ons in Winter 2009 Division 3) have moved down to Division 4 because of roster issues. This is the best place for many teams to rebuild their roster, gain confidence and make the jump back to higher division. The presence of aforementioned teams will add a different dimension to Division 4 that will bring new rivalries, better weekly match ups and parity.

 

The road to perfection

 

After the Dirty Birds went perfect last season, can anyone else follow in their footsteps? At this point in time, 12 teams are undefeated. So every week, I’ll keep track of teams who remain perfect (which means a team cannot tie). Triple Sixers and Warriors play each other so that means either one or both teams (tie) will be out of contention. There is a 7.55% chance a team will remain perfect but it is a chance nonetheless.

 

 

Three STARwars of the week

 

3. Pedro Pana (Trapstars): 10 of 21 for 130 yards with 5 TDs and 6 rushes for 60 yards. He also had an INT on defense.

 

2. B. Havik (Jets): 4 grabs for 102 yards and 3 TDs.

 

1. Kevin Marlowe (Gators): 18 of 19 for 260 yards with 7 TDs.

 

 

In the up coming weeks, my articles will have a lot more stuff that everyone can expect. There will be Rehan’s Role Players, Power Rankings, and Contenders/Pretenders among other things. Furthermore if you have to something to say, whether it is about my columns, your team, the league or whatever, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. You can also see me walking around the fields and I will always have my camera on me, so stop me and we can do a small interview. This column is about, and for, you guys, so let’s make it as much fun as possible. Since it is the first week, I’ll finish early but rest assured I’ll be back next week with a vengeance.