Inside the Redzone (D4) – Week 3

Welcome to “Inside The Redzone”, Week 3 Edition. Just a quick reminder, all donations for the Castleton Challenge must be given to Rostyn Castleton or Matthew Young by this weekend. Please contact them and they’ll have happy to meet and accommodate you to the best of their ability. This is our duty to help those in need and I would like to thank everyone in advance for participating.

 

In terms of Division 4 football, week 3 saw a couple of more teams winning their first game for the season but there was still a little inconsistency. Briscoe High Hawks, who in the first two weeks showed they were a force to be reckoned with, lost badly to the then winless Marauders. On the other hand, Time Bombs continued their dominance and won against Balls Deep to stay undefeated. This trend will continue throughout the season and we’ll see a lot of ups and downs which makes it hard to predict weekly winners (unless you’re facing Triple Sixers or Warriors). The most interesting thing in Division 4 right now is that there are two divisions (Conference A South and Conference B North) that can be labeled as the Division of Death, while the other two are still filled with teams who can cause damage. I am very anxious to see how it all unfolds but until then, let’s look at the week that was:

 

Headlines

 

Bitter-Sweet Victory

 

The Trapstars defeated the Spartiates convincingly however the victory came at a cost. Their QB and star defensive player Pedro Pana might have serious a season ending injury. In the game, Pedro Pana threw for 160 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INT. He also added a “pick six” special which only goes to show that this will be a devastating loss for the Trapstars.

 

And Then There’s the Marauders

 

Three times is a charm because it took them that many tries to earn their first victory. Furthermore they did so by defeating the skilled Briscoe High Hawks by a score of 41-18. It was pretty close in the first half but the Marauders pulled away in the second with great performances from the Beauregards (combined for 6 passing TDs with 5 different receivers catching one TD) and Luc Julien. Is this the start of something good? Only time will tell however welcome to the win column boys.

 

Time and Time Again!

 

Time Bombs won, as I had predicted, against the Balls Deep in a close and intense game. Frank Grenier showed his QB skills by throwing for 2 TDs and even rushing for one. My X-Factor Matthew Young came up big with 47 receiving yards with a TD and an INT on defense. Therefore Balls Deep weren’t able to contain this young man as they had predicted on the FB message boards. Time Bombs are for real and will continue their winning ways.

 

You got SERVED… with ice

 

Who is this team? I am learning more about them each week and I want to congratulate them on their first win which came against a reputable opponent in Guerillaz. Served with Ice seem like a creative bunch of guys with decent looking John Abbot football jerseys. They have chosen the right home in Division 4 for their first season and their learning curve seems to be disappearing quickly. Karl Lavalee, Matt Broadfoot and Gabriel Marcoux are the players to look out for in the upcoming weeks; I’ll keep a close eye on these guys.

 

 

Three STARwars of the week

 

3. Matthew Young (Time Bombs) 5 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT on defense.

 

2. G. Manseau Marcille (Gieuth) 3 catches, 40 yards, 2 TD ; 5 tackles, 2 PD and 2 INTs.

 

1. The Beauregard brothers (Marauders) 17 of 24 for 219 yards, 6 TDs; Denis Beauregard with an INT on defense.

 

 

Sarwar Standings (power rankings)

 

These take into effect overall record, x-factors, skills, clutchness and the STAR-warness. They are all contenders in my opinion. I’ll update this list on a weekly basis.

 

T-1. Triple Sixers (3-0): 132 points scored in 3 games.

 

T-1. Warriors (3-0): 19 points allowed in 3 games.

 

3. Snookers (3-0): A legitimate contender with a couple of X-Factors (Andre John, Michael Young) on the squad; they are allowing 15 points per game.

 

4. Time Bombs (3-0): The Grenier Show continues to dazzle us all with a side order of Matthew Young.

 

5. Gators (2-1): One of the strongest Gators squad since the inception of the team with a key acquisition of Shawn Hainey. I am looking for Marlowe to explode this season.

 

6. Jets (2-0-1): Formerly known as the Green Machine, they have improved more with each passing season. Stephane Thibault is doing an incredible job at the QB position and the team is reacting well to him.

 

7. Guerillaz (2-1): Any team led by Gino Di Fazio (GDF) will do fairly well. He has put together another strong roster led by John Lyristis, Chris Smith and Afdaal Martin; a veteran squad looking to show the rest of D4 what they’re made of!

 

8. Balls Deep (2-1): They had a close loss to the Time Bombs which drops them in the standings, however, they’re still a legitimate threat with Erik Legarde, Matthew Brethour and Hisham Abdel-Rahmon.

 

9. Falcons (2-1): After the loss of Simon Richard (who is in BC) and Vincent Roy, they made the right move to drop down a division and have been doing a decent job thus far. Their chemistry is present however they will need to find new X-Factors that can carry them deep in to the season and playoffs. Former defensive captain, Nick Agostino is doing just fine at the pivot position.

 

10. Marauders (1-2): After finally winning their first game last week, the Marauders are now looking to get back to their successful ways. They are definitely not striking fear in anyone’s hearts right now, however, more wins will see them move up the power rankings.

 

 

Rehan’s Role Players (RRP)

 

This week’s RRP is Eric Kavaldjian from the Snookers. This young man has worked hard and developed his game over the seasons. When we talk about the Snookers, Andre John’s name comes up a lot or even the Snookers bar on Boul Laurentien in Ville Saint Laurent! However, there is another man who has given his heart and soul to the Snookers, thus making them a successful team.

 

In Spring 2009, the Snookers were having QB problems, he stepped in and did a great job considering being a QB is one of the hardest positions in the sport of flag football. His leadership on and off the field kept the team together. Now in Winter 2010, he is contributing as a receiver (18 receptions, 120 yards, 4 TD) and defensive player (5 tackes, 1 INT, 3 sacks). It is tough to find players with such character therefore Eric Kavaldjian, you ARE a RRP!

 

What’s On Tap

 

I was looking at some interesting match ups for week 4 and Cowboys vs. Snookers stuck out in my mind. The Cowboys just won their first game and are now 1-2. Their rushing game looks to be strong led by Kory De Nie. John Moodie is also getting his game back to the way it was last Winter season. As for the Snookers, they are 3-0 and are looking better than ever with players firing on all cylinders and different players stepping up each week. I see a veteran match up between both teams and firmly believe the game will be a close and intense. I will give the edge to Snookers because everything just seems to be clicking for them right now however it will not be an easy win.

 

 

That’s it for this week’s column. Please don’t forget to submit your donations for Haiti to Rostyn Castleton or Matthew Young by this weekend. 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:

 

“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” – Vince Lombardi