inside the Redzone (Div C) – Week 12 – FlagPlus Football League

You want to know what perfection is? Is it the championship? Is it an undefeated season? No! Perfection is going 4-0 in last weekend’s picks. I picked Terror Squad, Mysterious & Magical Men Of Terror, Vicious Canucks and Briscoe High Hawks to be in the final four and they didn’t disappoint at all. At the beginning of the season, can anyone have predicted these four in the final four? Well, besides myself, I don’t think so (editor: proof, please!). But here they are, two wins away from the ultimate prize. I have to give the most credit to Vicious Canucks because they won without Tom Cesari (their regular QB) and had a good enough game plan which was executed to perfection. Now that the remaining four teams are only one win away from the finals; Who will elevate themselves to the next level?

Before I can break down the final four match ups, it is time to reveal the categories for STAR-AWARDS©. For those who might be new to the league, STAR-AWARDS© are supplemental awards (on top of the ones given by FPF) that are handed out to players most deserving by yours truly. There are many categories and a winner is chosen based on votes and logic/common sense. The 2010 Spring Division C categories are:

Most ridiculous player picture – This award is handed out to the player who has the most strange and/or repulsive picture posted up on the FlagPlus Football website.

Strongest Arm – This award is handed out to a player who has the biggest canon for an arm.

Best Scorekeeper – This award is handed out to the scorekeeper who best does his job. He is not influenced by players yelling in his ear or asking for extra added yards to their nightly total. He is calm, composed and accurate.

Best Zebra (best referee) – This award is handed out to the referee who best does his job. He is not influenced by players like Rostyn Castleton yelling in his ear. He also makes sure that the right call is made on every down. He is firm, authoritative and fair. He also remembers to bring a coin, which is used before the game for the coin-toss.

Most Improved Player – This award is handed out to the player who has shown tremendous improvement throughout the season and ha a big impact on his team’s success.

Most Improved Team – This award is handed out to the team who has improved steadily over the season and has made it very tough for their opponents to defeat them.

Best Leader – This award is handed out to a player who leads his team on and off the field. When things are tough, he takes it upon himself to carry the team on his back via action and words. His teammates look to him for inspiration and he never fails to deliver.

Best Entertainer – This award is handed out to the player who will make you jump out of your seats or cleats. He puts on a show on the field and very much so off the field. He is considered the “class clown” of FlagPlus Football. Either way, he keeps us entertained with his antics. Something any league needs.

Best General Manager/Coach – This award is handed out to a player who has put together the best team. He uses his persuasive skills to find the best players and motivates his team to make them play at their best. He makes sure everything runs smoothly on and off the field.

Fastest Man – This award is handed out to a player who is just simply a rocket. He will use his jets whether he is in running with or without the ball. They say, “Speed Kills” and this player can do exactly that to his opponents.

Class Act award (Adi Sharma award) – This award is handed out to the player who best represents this league with regards to class. He respects everyone and makes sure that his demeanor is an example for the league to follow.

Best Hands – This award is handed out to a player who has hands like glue. In other words, whether the ball being thrown at is great one or a “duck”, he will catch it and make a play.

Best Route Runner – This award is handed out to a player who runs his routes to perfection. Whether it is 5 yard hook or a post-corner, he knows how to run his pattern and find an opening. Other times, his route running will get others open as well.

Cinderella team – This award is given to the underdog team that excelled far beyond expectations.

Best Dresser (football gear) – This award is handed out to a player who puts on a show, with regards to his apparel. He will wear the best to show that he likes to look good while playing.

Best Trash Talker – This award is handed out to a player who can use his words to get inside of his opponent’s head which in effect puts his team at an advantage.

STARWAR of the year – This award is handed out to a player who is the ultimate football player with athleticism, football smarts and great leadership.

League MVP – This award is handed out to an all around best player who not only pushes himself to play better but also his teammates, possesses leadership and plays at a level that is extremely exciting to watch.

N.B Please give your opinion on who you think should win. The winners will be announced in two weeks. Also additional categories might be added based on your suggestions.

FINAL FOUR

Conference A

6. Briscoe High Hawks (7-5) vs. 8. Vicious Canucks (4-8)

Season Series: Briscoe High Hawks won 25-0

BHH are firing on all cylinders right now and more importantly, I think they are starting to believe they can win it all. I said it over and over again, Scott Kelly is destroying defenses and he doesn’t intend on slowing down. BHH is averaging 35.5 points for per game. Their last game against BOOM! Goes The Dynamite, they gave up 32 points, which could be a cause for concern given the fact they only allowed 7 points the week before against Chaos. The key for this team is to stay composed and on the same page. Everything is working well right now and they all should knock on wood to keep it that way.

Vicious Canucks are THE Cinderella team of the Spring 2010 season across all divisions. However, that is debatable because their record which was never indicative of their talent. Nonetheless, it is good to finally see these guys play at the level at which we all know they are capable of. The depth at the quarterback position helped them reach the semi-finals as Frank Kaye was 20 of 27 for 199 yards, 5 TDs with no INTs. So will he be starting next week or will Tom Cesari re-assume his role at the helm?

The X-Factors

GT had an explosive game against BOOM last week, and will need a similar performance against VC. We all know he is offensively gifted but he is a star on defense as well. I know he is not happy that he wasn’t in the top defender’s list published by Rostyn Castleton, however this is his chance to display his defensive skills.

For VC, Angelo Garofalo is quick on both sides of the ball. He had an incredible short hook for a long TD against Those Guys last week and will need to perform similar magic on Sunday. On the defensive side, he might be called upon to cover GT so he will need to showcase his talents as well and prove he can play defense with the best of them.

Key Match Ups

Mike Bird vs. Scott Kelly – Mike Bird will have to find a way to get to Scott Kelly early because that will be a HUGE victory for the VC defense. If Scott gets into a rhythm, this game will be over early.

Angelo Garofalo vs. Garrett Taylor – I like this match up a lot because you have speed versus speed. I know most people give the edge to GT but trust me when I tell you, do not underestimate Angelo Garofalo, he can make a play when you least expect it.

Analysis: It will come down to Scott Kelly and his ability to control the game. Vicious Canucks will have to play smart football and keep Scott Kelly on the bench as much as possible. Furthermore VC has to carefully examine BHH’s defense and decide which QB, Frank Kaye or Tom Cesari, will match up better. Now is not the time for egos, start the QB which will get you the best results. Having said all of this, I do believe VC can keep up offensively, however, I don’t know if they have enough on defense to stop Scott Kelly. Players like Mike Bird, Marvin Renaud, Ryan Phillips will all need to play exceptional football if VC has a chance at this game.

Prediction: Briscoe High Hawks

Conference B

3. Mysterious & Magical Men Of Terror (10-2) vs. 4. Terror Squad (8-4)

Season series: MMMT won 26-14

MMMT have made it this far because they’re good, and I don’t think anybody can argue otherwise. I know they’ve looked to get some love from me all season long and I feel that by making it to the final four, they now deserved it. As I said on WEPL, they have a lot depth in their circle of friends. Matthew Bishara, along with Joe Birds, is the face of the franchise but one would ask, shouldn’t their coach be Joe Terror? Regardless, their team defense has EIGHT interceptions in two games with half of them coming from Gordon Hogan. Matthew Bishara has thrown for 8 TDs and only 1 INT thus far in the playoffs. They’re looking as strong as ever and similar to the Briscoe High Hawks, they just have to follow the same game plan because it is working quite well.

Terror Squad snuck under the radar all season and has taken out two top dogs in two weeks, KGP Champs and FOTC respectively. What is the key to their success? Although there aren’t very many familiar names on board like MMMT or VC or even BHH, they play a solid team game and everyone is contributing. It starts and stops with Tam Vilaydeth, who is stepping up his game more each week. So far he has 6 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. FOTC’s defense did the best they could and he still rushed for 40 yards and a TD. Defensively, he has the wheels to cover short or deep. Has anyone noticed that he really came alive after he was named Rehan’s Role Player? He is also a great GM because not only did he assemble this team but he also signed a key part of their defense in Anthony Bozzo, who has 9 sacks in two playoff games. Throw in Maxime Paterson, Alexandre Giroux and Sadrak Gervais (part of the Triple Sixers championship in Spring 2009 and finals run in Winter 2010) and you have a team with great chemistry, strong defense and a lot of winning experience.

The X-Factors

Gordon Hogan who has 2 INTs per game in playoffs is the X-Factor and he will need to play really well because once Tam starts scrambling, players will get open. So he will need to stay disciplined and cover the backfield well.

Anthony Bozzo is irreplaceable and is proving to be a great signing by Tam Vilaydeth. Already with 9 sacks in two games, he will have to be in Matthew Bishara’s face all game and cause some havoc. So far he has taken on Phil Cutler, Jonathan Lemieux and Martin Tougas; therefore he knows he is capable of rushing anyone.

Key Match Ups

Anthony Bozzo vs. Matthew Bishara – As I just stated, this is an important match up to look out for in this game. So far, Matthew Bishara has been sacked five times in two games.

Tam Vilaydeth vs. Eric Bishara – What will he do? Can he limit his scrambling ability? MMMT’s defensive coverage will depend on their pass rush. As fast as Eric Bishara is, he hasn’t faced a QB like Tam Vilaydeth yet in the playoffs. This will be THE match up to look out for in this game.

Analysis: The Terror Squad defense is playing just as well as MMMT’s with both teams having excellent pass rushers and good DBs. Offensively, Matthew Bishara has done a great job but will be in tough against Anthony Bozzo. Furthermore, the opposite isn’t true as Tam Vilaydeth will still be able to get around Eric Bishara to make a few plays. Both teams are evenly matched in every category and as a result this will be an intense battle till the end. I give the slight edge to Terror Squad because of Tam’s ability to scramble. Prediction: Terror Squad

Good luck to the final four teams on Sunday. Do not forget to vote for STAR-AWARDS©. That’s it for this week’s column. As usual if you have any comments/suggestions, email me at [email protected].