It’s Finally time for Finals time, the Final time we come together for the season…..Finally.

It is the end of the line, all roads lead here, the final countdown, 2 enter and only 1 leaves victorious! IT’S FINALS!!!! Whether you make it down to Brossard, watch the live stream, or on Youtube after it’s uploaded, I recommend everyone check out the Championship games of ALL divisions! It’s a good way to see what higher level players can do and see if you can integrate that into your gameplay. The Co-Ed divisions are playing this Saturday, so before then, let’s check up on who made it through the semi-finals and are looking at a trophy! Together at last!

CO-ED 1

It has been a few since we have last seen the Division: POWER RANGERS took a hard loss to FREE SMOKE, while FUNNY CLUB kicked out KISS MY OUTLAWS. What I would consider 2 upsets of the postseasons, both of these went on to face FAST NOT FURIOUS and NORTHERN BRAVES.

THE FUNNY CLUB bombed last week against the NORTHERN BRAVES, losing 48-30 to the #1 team in the division. A valiant effort from our comedians Guillaume Beland was able to put up 5 TDs and Alex Nadeau-Piuze was able to leave with 114 Yards receiving! Unfortunately, the NORTHERN BRAVES laugh in the face of danger and were able to overcome this stand up routine.

After beating LES PETITS PHOQUES by 12pts, FAST NOT FURIOUS faced a tough challenge against FREE SMOKE by 8pts. Ryan Dobbs-Garnett took the helm of this team for the night and was able to lead FNF to victory with the help of a Pick-6 by Quaysie Gordon-Maule. They now go against an undefeated NORTHERN BRAVES.

These 2 stacked rosters go head to head, making it one of the more exciting Co-Ed Finals. For every playmaker on NORTHERN BRAVES, I can find a playmaker on FAST NOT FURIOUS. I expect a Mid-High scoring, low Turnover game.

ZACK’S TOP WEEKLY PICKS:

QB (1): Jonathan Maheu (NORTHERN BRAVES) – 20 Attempts / 17 Completions (80%), 209 Yards, 7 TDs, 0 INT, 1 Sacks // 1 Rushing Attempts, 4 Yards

WR (1): Alex Nadeau-Piuze (THE FUNNY CLUB) – 7 Targets / 7 Receptions (100%), 144 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (2): Quayside Gordon-Maule (FAST NOT FURIOUS) – 10 Targets / 10 Receptions (100%), 60 Yards, 2 TDs

DB (1): Quayside Gordon-Maule (FAST NOT FURIOUS) – 10 Tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD

DB (2): Kristopher Verreault (Northern Brave) – 4 Tackles, 2 PD

RUSHER (1): Jessica Bositampen (FAST NOT FURIOUS) – 2 Sacks

FINALS PREVIEW:

Northern Braves (10-0) VS Fast Not Furious (7-3):

With the NORTHERN BRAVES average score per game being in the 40’s, it will take A LOT of firepower to be able to outscore this team, however, FAST NOT FURIOUS might be that team. With only a slightly lower amount of points per game, FAST NOT FURIOUS have the speed, talent, and experience to be able to counter their opponents. We know that Jonathan Maheu is throwing for the BRAVES for this game, but with a re-aggravated injury to Myles Gibbon, will it be Ryan Dobbs at the helm again? And if so, will he be able to go toe to toe with Mr. Maheu?

The BRAVES are currently posting an incredibly diverse receiving core. Between Lauriane Beauchamp, Kristopher Verreault, Mike Pierrecin, and Tamara Journeau, Jonathan has all the targets he could want. However, it’s clear that his favorite is Lauriane. With 24 regular season TDs, no team has shown that they can stop her, or this offense! The NORTHERN BRAVES just need to continue playing the game they have been all season and they should win; this is their game to lose.

It will be FAST NOT FURIOUS who will need to adapt and work tirelessly to counter the NORTHERN BRAVES offense. With Quaysie Gordon-Maule, James Drysdale, Marvin Steinberg, Jessica Bositampen, and Ryan Dobbs-Garnett on the case, they have the offense to keep up in a 38+pt game, but it will need to be their defense that steps up this game. Jessica Bositampen will have the game of her life. Jonathan Maheu can be sacked at least 1x per game, and with her season performance, she may be able to put enough pressure that Jonathan makes some mistakes. Quayside is a Pick-6 fiend and should be avoided on defense, all while Marvin Steinberg is a ball hawk on both sides of the ball.

FAST AND FURIOUS definitely come into this game as the underdogs, but by no means does this mean they have no chance. NORTHERN BRAVES will need to play almost a perfect game because FNF will be waiting in the wings for any opportunity to beat the unbeatable. A true David vs Goliath story.

Key Players for this Game:

NORTHERN BRAVES: Lauriane Beauchamp / Kristopher Verreault / Jonathan Robillard

FAST NOT FURIOUS: Myles Gibbon / Jessica Bositampen / Quayside Gordon-Maule

CO-ED 2

BENCHWARMERS were able to push back the rabid BADGERS and beat them 41-27. Despite missing Nicholas Gomes-Risso in the postseason, BENCHWARMERS have barrelled through all the opposition. With Gabriel Wiseman at the helm they will face an IG TEAM that has proven they can go score for score.

What a game! I knew Jeanslee Alexis was a slippery QB and highly mobile, but he reminded me what a top tier QB can do. THE IG TEAM were able to go toe to toe with KISS MY END ZONE, and when it mattered, they got the conversion they needed to win the game by 1pt. 2 new Co-Ed teams face off in the finals!

ZACK’S TOP WEEKLY PICKS:

QB (1): Jeanslee Alexis (THE IG TEAM) – 20 Attempts / 14 Completions (70%), 204 Yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT, 2 Sacks // 3 Rushing Attempts, 70 Yards, 1 TD

WR (1): Luis Begin (KISS MY END ZONE) – 11 Targets / 9 Receptions (81.8%), 83 Yards, 4 TDs

WR (2): Lucas Quenneville (BENCHWARMERS) – 6 Targets / 6 Receptions (100%), 88 Yards, 2 TDs

DB (1): Jordanson Alexis (THE IG TEAM) – 7 Tackles, 2 PDs

DB (2): Gabriel Wiseman (BENCHWARMERS) – 6 Tackles, 1 PD

RUSHER (1): Zackary Alberts-Gill (KISS MY END ZONE) – 2 Sacks,

FINALS PREVIEW:

Benchwarmers (7-3) VS The IG Team (5-5):

I called out BENCHWARMERS earlier on in the season for the amount of speed and talent on this team, and here they are, one of the final bosses of this season. On the other side of things, THE IG TEAM have continually shown that they can match most offenses in going score for score. Looking at this matchup as a comparison: IG TEAM have scored a whopping 90pts in 2 games, while BENCHWARMERS have only scored 73pts. IG TEAM has allowed 83pts compared to the BENCHWARMERS who have only allowed 40pts. THE IG TEAM will go strong with any offense and basically make other teams step up to try and shut them down, because they will score on every possession. BENCHWARMERS have a slightly different approach. They won’t take as many shots deep, and will drive the field in true Gabe Wiseman fashion, however, it has been their defense’s ability to put enough pressure on opposing teams and create turnovers, that has been their true weapon.

THE IG TEAM has the ability to create holes in the defense due to Jeanslee’s ability to buy so much time with his legs. His agility and cuts create enough time that his athletic receivers can spread the field and ensure that someone is free. If all else fails, Jeanslee can also run. He has scored a rushing TD in 5 of 12 games that he has played this season and shows no sign of slowing down, while Jordanson Alexis has stepped up in the spotlight during the postseason as the go-to receiver. THE IG TEAM will need to continue playing their game and using every tool at their disposal if they want to keep the pressure on BENCHWARMERS. Their goal should be to score early and keep the lead and hope that they can make a stop or 2.

BENCHWARMERS have different goals. Most of their game should be devoted to stopping Jeanslee Alexis from buying too much time or being able to avoid the rush. Both Gabriel Wiseman and Lucas Quenneville are great rushers, but bring 2 different styles. Wiseman may be able to keep some containment on Jeanslee, but I don’t think will be able to keep up with his speed. While Quenneville might actually be able to keep the pace with Jeanslee, if he relies on his speed too much, Jeanslee might be able to use his agility and cuts to his advantage and create some space. Either way, the defense will need to ensure that they do all they can to cover their receivers as much as possible and rely on their rushers to shut down THE IG TEAM. Getting 2 turnovers should be enough to stop this high scoring team, as long as BENCHWARMERS can also score 3 TDs per half.

Key Players for this Game:

THE IG TEAM: Jeanslee Alexis / Jeanne Gravel / Jordanson Alexis

BENCHWARMERS: Gabriel Wiseman / Constance Millaire / Lucas Quenneville

CO-ED 3

Holy Cowabunga!! History was able to repeat itself and SNEAKY SNAKES lost to KANIKULE for the 3rd time, 33-13, propelling KANIKULE into the finals!

MICHAEL SCOTT’S TOTS pushed their way to the semi-finals, but hit a giant road block: HALF N HALF. For the 3rd time this season, the TOTS were outpaced by the family team. HNH make it to the finals as predicted, but might have a harder time against KANIKULE than initially thought.

The only time KANIKULE and HNH played against each other, they tied 34-34. Now, they meet again in the finals. HNH had an easier postseason, which, combined with their bye week, may be a hindrance against a KANIKULE team that have had to play for the past 2 weeks.

ZACK’S TOP WEEKLY PICKS:

QB (1): Kristopher Verreault (HALF N HALF) – 22 Attempts / 19 Completions (66.7%), 196 Yards, 6 TDs, 0 INT, 0 Sack

WR (1): Obed Laryea (KANIKULE) – 4 Targets / 4 Receptions (100%), 72 Yards, 3 TDs

WR (2): Gabriel Wiseman (HALF N HALF) – 6 Targets / 6 Receptions (100%), 36 Yards, 3 TDs

DB (1): Ezechiel Tiedie (KANIKULE) – 3 Tackles, 2 PDs, 1 TD

DB (2): Joel Chartier (MICHAEL SCOTT’S TOTS) – 5 Tackles, 1 PD

RUSHER (1): Evan Gubert (KANIKULE) – 3 Sacks, 2 PDs

FINALS PREVIEW:

Half N Half (8-1-1) VS Kanikule (5-4-1):

Wow! What a matchup! Despite these teams’ records, this could shape up to be a very close match. HALF N HALF are a team that took off at the beginning of the season and didn’t stop. KANIKULE struggled to find a groove, but since they have, they have been able to beat any opponent! Both of these teams met in the regular season and ended up tying 34-34. The only question I have is: Kurtron Jack. Athena Ryan didn’t throw against HALF N HALF during the regular season. KANIKULE originally struggled in the first half of the game against great coverage and the expert rushing of Gabriel Wiseman. It wasn’t until the 2nd half of the game, when Kurtron Jack found his groove, that KANIKULE started coming back and were able to shut down the HNH offense.

Since then, both teams have grown stronger and closer, and now find themselves in their Final form. Athena Ryan will take the field against a tall and athletic team. She will need to make sure her passes are on point and out of the way of the defenders if she wants a chance to win this. Her receivers: Obed Laryea, Ezechiel Tieide, Evan Gubert, will need to ensure that they play the ball aggressively if they want to help Athena. She will not be able to afford an under 50% completion rate game, and so will need to rely that ALL of her receivers will be able to play the ball.

In my opinion, HALF N HALF have the advantage going into this matchup. They do not have to worry about Kurtron Jack, since he does not have enough games played to join the playoffs, and Gabriel Wiseman will ensure that the back field is taken care of. Having already delivered a few sacks and a safety in their last game, the only avenues left to take care of are Evan Gubert and Obed Laryea. If HNH are able to cover these 2 receivers and put pressure on the Athena Rya, they should be able to come out of this game the victors!

Key Players for this Game:

KANIKULE: Athena Ryan / Evan Gubert / Ezechiel Tieide

HALF N HALF: Kristopher Verreault / Gabriel Wiseman / Camille Ste- Marie