Pack a Punch Ambushed, Yearly Award Predictions

Week 4

The season goes by quickly as we have arrived at week 4. A pivotal week as any last minute additions to anyone’s roster must be done this week or next in order to have 5 games played and be playoff eligible. This week has some huge matchups that will surly shake up the division. Already a very competitive division so far as teams have been beating one another left and right. Although this makes is tougher to predict winners and rank teams, it makes for a great entertainment. This week ill share with you updated power rankings, Game of the Week and Yearly award Predictions. Lets Get To It!

Weekly Headlines 

Pack a Punch fall to 0-2 

A team that I predicted to be in the top 10 and at least a 6 win team is staring at an 0-2 record with tough matchups lined up. They still have Love me Sexy, Snowdon Deli Degens and Vtown left on their schedule and from the way their first 2 games have looked, I don’t think they can keep up with these teams. Micheal De Seta has played okay as he hasn’t turned the ball over with just one INT, but he has only completed 58% of his passes and have not been able to convert on 4th downs. This team that went 10-0 last winter needs some soul searching as a loss to the Brewers on Sunday night could really throw these guys off track. 

Manny Bizogias on fire! 

400 yards, 9 touchdowns and 66 completion percentage has carried Melons to a 2-0 start. Beating a great Cookie Monsters team and Les Studz, this team finds themselves in the top 10 this week. He has spread the ball well as all but one receiver on the team have scored a touchdown in only 2 games and he has also added two scores on the ground. Manny doesn’t look like he uses his legs to bail him out of situations but instead uses them when available. Being able to scramble on broken plays instead of planning a run are two very different things. Manny trusts his arm and his receivers. They take on Ambush this week in a huge game. Let’s see how he performs against a top defence. 

Power rankings 

2.A)Ambush    2-1 

After a strange loss to Black Shinobi, Ambush might not be strongest team in Division D like I have imagined. 26-6 loss to a previously unranked team does not look good. Is this a warning for future games to come or did Ambush and Phil Roberts just have a bad day. Phil was close to awful in their latest loss as he went 9 for 29 and threw 3 interceptions as well. Ben McMahon and Kevin Donnet combined for only 36 yards. Normally this team would drop but I still do believe this is a top team and I don’t see anyone deserving yet of passing them in the power rankings. 

2.B) Love Me Sexy 3-0 

Love Me Sexy with a week 3 bye remain at 3-0. After an Ambush loss some may expect us to move into the #1 ranking spot but I will not grant my team that honour until we earn it. Although we have beaten some good teams, I want to see more offence. Our defence has carried us as of late and until our offence is able to score more then 30 points we cannot call ourselves the top team in Div D. 

3. Notorious C.I.G 2-1 

Staying in at #3 Notorious C.I.G come off another great performance. Beatin Bend don’t Break 29-12, Notorious C.I.G controlled the game for 60 minutes. Whats more impressive is that they were without QB George Spano and who else but Joey Notaro stepped up to the plate. Joey threw the ball well, managed the game and only turned the ball over once. After a 23-6 lead at halftime Joey cruised to another victory. I can’t imagine what the score would have looked like if their full time QB was playing. 

4. Snowdon Deli Degens 3-0

One of the remaining undefeated teams, Snowdon Deli Degens have been playing great football. Beating VTown and SNP by a large margin in the last few weeks. QB Adam Malinoff has had an amazing start to the season spreading the ball around and rarely turning the ball over.  The team stands at 3-0 and will look to continue their win streak. I have put the Degens over the Jagerbombers as they play each other Sunday morning and I think the Degens will have the edge. 

5. Jägerbombers 3-0

A slow paced week 3 game but a win nonetheless. Jägerbombers move to 3-0 after 3 weeks and shot up the power rankings. Rightfully so as their defence has not let anyone score more then 20 points. Averaging one INT, one Sack and 3 pass defences a game, if this defensive unit can keep up those numbers not many offences will find success versus them. But Felix Gerin-Lajoie and company and 2 huge games coming up and they will put this team to the test. 

6. Cookie Monsters 1-2

Nothing else to say about this squad except revenge week. They need to come out strong against a good Jägerbombers team and get a W. Another thing to be aware of is if Felix Boutet misses this weeks game, I would expect him to not return this season at all. Which would really change the outlook of this team. 

7. VTown 3-1 

Strangely enough, a win in week 3 but still dropping in the rankings just a little. I like way this team is playing but they have yet to face top teams in the division. Their next 3 or 4 weeks will tell weather these guys are pretenders or contenders. I believe I predicted them to have about 7 wins and their almost halfway there. Lucas Crivello has been a standout player for VTown as he has snagged 3 Ints and one for a score. They take on GloGang in week 4 who are hungry for wins. 

8. The Process 2-2

Not really sure what to say about this team other then they have been confusing. This team has been up and down through 4 games as they beat strong teams like Hail Marty’s and lose to weaker teams like Old Pats. Their +/- is the best way to describe this team, +1. Playing at their opponents level instead of how I expected the process to play every week. This team gets a week 4 bye and hopefully are able to regroup and figure out their woes because right now I see a 5-5 team with a one dimensional quarterback. 

9. Melons 2-0 

Two impressive wins so far, and great QB play puts Melons in the top 10 this week. This is a team that flew under my radar during the pre season but have shown that they can absolutely BALL. Huge game vs ambush this week in our game of the week that will surly shake up the power rankings. 

10. Black Shinobi 2-1

A Sammy Omombo led team that just handed the #1 ranked team their first loss in impressive fashion. This is a high flying team that will beat you over the top without an issue. Only a 3 point week 1 loss to Hail Marty’s keeps this team from being unbeaten but 2-1 is still a slid start tp the season. It will be interesting to watch how Sammy’s season under center unfolds. 

Game of the week 

Prediction record 2-1

Melons Aim for 3-0 Record Against Top-Ranked Ambush

Big game this Sunday night as the undefeated Melons (2-0) take center stage in a highly anticipated matchup against the #2 ranked Ambush (2-1) in a Week 3 clash that could shake up Division D. Led by the impressive Manny Bizogias at quarterback, the Melons have surprised everyone with their potent offense. Bizogias has showcased exceptional passing skills, spreading the ball around effectively. He boasts a great completion percentage, with all but one receiver on the team finding the end zone already this season. Notably, Bizogias utilizes his scrambling ability on broken plays rather than relying on designed runs, showing a high level of trust in his receivers and his accuracy. This balanced offensive attack poses a significant threat to any defense. Bigger question this week: Can Ambush Bounce Back After Upset Loss?  Ambush, considered the early favourites for the Division D crown, suffered a shocking 26-6 loss to the Black Shinobi last week. This unexpected setback has cast doubt on their dominance. Quarterback Phil Roberts will need a strong performance to reassert their offensive power. Look for Ben and Kevin, his key receiving targets, to step up and create scoring opportunities. The Ambush defense, usually a force, will have their hands full containing the dynamic Melons offense.

Prediction:

This game has all the makings of an instant classic and back and fourth scoring. The Melons’ offensive firepower will be tested against a hungry Ambush defense looking to redeem themselves. The outcome hinges on whether Roberts can find his rhythm and if the Ambush secondary can contain the Melons’ diverse receiving corps. Despite the Ambush ranking, this is a close call. The Melons are playing with a lot of confidence, and Bizogias’ ability to spread the ball makes them a tough matchup. However, the Ambush can’t be counted out, especially if they can learn from their previous loss. This is a tough one to predict but that why its this weeks GOTW. Final Score Prediction: Melons 27, Ambush 2

Yearly Award Predictions 

QBOY: Phil Roberts- Ambush 

On a hot start Phil Roberts and Ambush head into week 4 with a 2-1 record and one of the best quarterbacks in the division in my opinion. Phil Roberts is my early choice and biggest favourite to win QBOY come season end. In his first two games against good competition Phil had thrown for 345 yards, 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. His week 3 game versus Black Shinobi where he was not great to say the least. Only completed 9 of 29 passes for 53 yards. Ambush only scored 6 points and Phil turned the ball over 3 INT’s. Even with this poor performance I don’t think Phil will have another one like this and I still like their chances to go 8-2 and and score 50 one or two more times this season. Sitting at 12-3 TD:INT ratio and currently averaging 140 yards and 4 touchdowns a game, Phil could put up some solid numbers at the end of the season. I would like to see Phil use his legs a little more but I still have yet to watch an Ambush game live. 

WROY: Joey Notaro- Notorious C.I.G 

Joey Notaro is my selection for WROY as he possesses all the necessary skills to have the best season as a wideout in division D. Already with 4 touchdowns and 150 yards in only 2 games is pretty impressive. Needing Joey to step in at QB last week might hurt his season stats but I still think as long as joey plays 9 games as a receiver he will be one of the top receivers. His connection with George Spano is what gives me confidence that he will be able to put up over 15 touchdowns and many more yards. Joeys ability to create space from defenders and run after the catch is not seen by many in Division D. What Joey lacks in height, he more then makes up for it with speed and solid hands. I also believe Notorious C.I.G will be one of the bet teams in the division so its only right that they have the best receiver. 

DPOY: Nicholas Groppini- Love Me Sexy

Oddly enough, I did chose a QB to win this award. Truth is Nick Groppini has a shot at winning 2-way player every season he plays regardless of his division. Here in Div D, Nick had taken on the challenge of playing QB and while the team is 3-0 he has had some struggles. But on the defensive side, Nick is an absolute unit. Picking off every quarterback he has played so far and snagging 3 INT’s in 2 games. He sits tied for 2nd In the division in picks and I have chosen the leader to take home 2-way player. At Safety, I don’t think anyone can play the position better then Groppini in this division. The culmination of his size, strength and speed really give him the edge on deep balls and he has come down with a lot of them in such a short time. Look out for Nick G to get close to 10 INTs this season as every time he throws one, he immediately looks to get one back. 

2-way Player of the year: Evan Shiveck- Snowdon Deli Degens 

The top player in Division D has clearly been Evan Shiveck of the Snowdon Deli Degens. He as been a menace both at receiver and defensive back. Leading the division in picks with 4 in just 3 games Evan has been lock down. On offence he has also scored 5 times already from hauling in 8 passes for 135 yards. The Degens are 3-0 and will look to keep beating down on teams in the division. If Evan can keep up this level of play, not only will the Degens have a chance to secure the #1 seed in the division but Evan could walk away with the coveted 2-way Player of the year. 

Weekly predictions

Prediction Record: 16-16 

Old Pats                     vs    Les Studz 

Hail Marty’s              vs     Dirty Slugs 

Bandits                       vs     Old Pats 

Ball Hawks                 vs     Black Shinobi 

Bend Don’t Break      vs     SNP 

Pack a Punch              vs     Brewers 

Large Life Style           vs   Melons 

Cookie Monsters           vs      Jägerbombers 

GloGang                        vs      VTown 

Slippery Slopes             vs     Ball Hawks 

Snowdon Deli Degens    vs     Bend Don’t Break