Inside the Redzone (D4) – Week 2

 

Welcome to Inside The Redzone, your weekly Divison 4 scoop. A lot happened in week two however before I can get into it, I have to bring something else to everyone’s attention, something more important than football. The tragic events in Haiti have devastated us all and as each day goes by, we have to do our best to help those in need. There are many ways we can donate and I strongly urge you to do so as soon as possible. All of us are truly blessed to play in many ways so let’s share it with those who are less fortunate. Our own Rostyn Castleton has decided to do his part and I’ll talk more about that a bit later. My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.

 

I will definitely revisit this topic a bit later on but now it is time to give the Division 4 football fans their dose of last week’s happenings.

 

Headlines

 

Real Warriors

 

As Rostyn Castleton would say, “Word on the street is…” Warriors are moving up to Division 3 just as soon as we can find a team to move down to Division 4. If they’re looking for pats on the back, they better not hold their collective breath. This is something they should have done before the season started. OK maybe I am being a bit too harsh, but that just shows how strong I feel about division dodging. I wish you guys all the best in Division 3 and now there is only one more team that should follow suit!

 

In Mancini We Trust

 

By ‘WE’ I don’t mean only FlagPlus Football but also Briscoe High Hawks. He did a great job against Served With Ice (a player from this team guaranteed a win but haven’t heard from him since) by throwing for 215 yards with 6 TDs, also rushed for a TD. Of course it always helps having Garrett Taylor on your roster but he caught only 2 TD passes while three other players grabbed at least one TD pass. I see Mr. Mancini having a successful campaign in Division 4 and making his team a contender.

 

G-G-G-G-UNIT

 

Guerillaz are 2-0 and have scored 66 points in just two games which if you can do the math equates to 33 average points per game. Are they just as gangster as the real G-UNIT? Who knows. but one thing is for sure, they know how to play football, especially with veterans like Gino Di Fazio, John Lyristis, Afdaal Martin, Anthony Siggia and Eric Paliotti. Keep it real homeys!

 

One Is Bad, Two is…

 

There were two ties in division 4 in week 2, TWO! Unbelievable! Spartiates tied PLC Gunners and Jets tied the Sharks. It has been a bit of a concern to some players that ties shouldn’t exist in the league however here is a better suggestion: CONVERT your extra points or GO for the win! More than 90% of the ties are a result of missed conversions or teams settling for the tie, rather than going for the win. However with parity in Division 4, I foresee a few more ties in the future but how many? My prediction is 10 ties in the entire season so only 8 more to go.

 

Marlowe vs. Goliath

 

Kevin Marlowe knew he was going up against a powerful force known as Triple Sixers and was he ever determined to slay the giant. Unfortunately for him, he came up a little short, but there is no shame in losing to a team who’s defense is of Division 3 caliber. Gators also overcame a 18-6 deficit to make it close but were unable to complete the comeback. I do see an improvement in Marlowe’s game and believe he will be a top three QB in Division 4 this season and will have many great games to come.

 

Three STARwars of the week

 

3. Jon Brown (Venom): 15-25 for 161 yards with 5 TDs.

 

2. Hisham Abdel-Rahmon (Balls Deep): 3 catches for 46 yards and 3 TDs, 2 INTs on defense.

 

1. JP Mancini (Briscoe High Hawks): 14-19 for 215 yards with 6 TDs, 35 rushing yards and a TD.

 

What’s On Tap

 

There has been chirping going on back and forth between Time Bombs and Balls Deep because of their week 3 match up. Ryan Phillips has made it clear that Matthew Young of Time Bombs will not be a factor in the game which is the storyline within the storyline. Both teams are 2-0 and are in the same division. This has all the necessary makings of an excellent game to watch and therefore it will be my Game Of The Week.

 

This is Frank Grenier’s first time playing QB since 2008 when he threw for the Cobras (at the end of that season, Alex Lever took over) and it seems like he has found his rhythm very quickly. Throw in players like Matthew Young, Chris Rivest, Marc Drolet and Marc-Andre Daigneault, this team should have a strong outing. I take Time Bombs to win this game in a close and exciting ending.

 

There is more! The winning team (who I think will be Time Bombs) can make a small video (a minute or less) about their victory and any message they may have for the opponents or the league and I’ll include it in my next week’s article. Of course, this is a family league so the content has to be PG-13 with no exceptions. Therefore both teams should not only bring their A game but their cameras too and let’s get it on!

 

 

Rehan’s Role Players (RRP)

 

It’s baaaackk! A lot of people have come up to me in the last couple of seasons and asked why Rehan’s Role Players no longer exists and because I couldn’t come up with a good reason, I have decided to revive it. For those of you who aren’t aware, a Rehan’s Role Player is someone who does a great job for his team week in and week out but doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for whatever reason.

 

This week’s RRP is Omer Nayek of the Briscoe High Hawks. He will never stand out as the X-Factor or might not even be the go-to guy however he finds way to contribute to the team any way he possibly can. This season he already had 1 receiving TD, 2 INTs and 2 sacks. He is there for the team and will quietly do his job every game. There is a good chance he won’t make the All-Star game but he is definitely a winner in my book. Omer Nayek, you are a RRP!

 

 

It is still quite early to get into power rankings and contenders/pretenders but starting week 4, I’ll reveal my list. Last but definitely not least, as discussed above, Rostyn Castleton would like your help and is how you can get involved:

 

The Castleton Challenge: I’m challenging the teams of FPF to raise the most money they can for the Haitian cause (which will be donated to UNICEF), and I’ll personally pay for the game of their choice to be recorded and aired on the site as well as invite four members of the team on my show. The money will be collected by myself or Matt Young of Timebombs. If you would prefer to arrange a time to meet me to give the donation, please private message me on FB or email me at [email protected]

 

Thumbs up to Rostyn Castleton and Matthew Young for taking initiative and I hope everyone will follow suit. That’s it for this week’s column. If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, please contact me at [email protected]. I wish you all luck in this weekend’s match ups and leave you with the following:

 

“To succeed…You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.” – Tony Dorsett