Playing for Keeps: Elite 8 showdown in D2

The opening round of the division 2 playoffs came and went without any shocking upsets, but there were definitely some eyebrow raising developments.

Bad Boys and Terror Squad went largely to plan, deposing their opponents relatively easily (although Terror Squad’s offense left something to be desired).

Clockmakers sent a message to the division with their route over King’s Landing. Their win wasn’t surprising, since they remained a lethal team underplaying a massive potential and due for a breakout. What was surprising, however, was the absolutely dominant way they commanded the game from start to finish.  

Khantroversy survived an awkward game where they came within inches of making the crucial stop on several occasions, only to rely on a last play pat down to avoid the massive upset. They were elated by the return of Rod Mashtoub to the field, albeit at far less than 100%. Their success the rest of the way will largely rest on the back of their 2-Way star.

All of this to say that the first round was fun, but now the real fireworks get started. If you’re looking for the best round in the Div 2 playoffs, look no further than the matchups this Monday night. With 4 incredibly even matchups on tap, we should be in for some thrilling, passionate, down-to-the-wire football.

Get your popcorn ready, because it won’t get any better than this.

 

As for Div 1, tune back in early next week for an in-depth preview of the first round matchups. For now, lets dive in to FPFs second division.

 

 

Recaps Div 2 Opening Round

Clockmakers clean the King’s clock

The higher seed deferred, and King’s Landing were given the ball to begin. They were looking to establish an aggressive game plan from the outset, as Sean Avraam sent Anthony Vendrame deep on a corner, but overthrew the open receiver by several steps. With fire in his belly from the missed opportunity, his next pass was a check-down to snapper Steve Sanner over the middle. The ball sailed over the intended target, allowing safety Antonio Lanni to swoop in and make a spectacular diving, one-handed interception. The Clockmakers were keyed-up from the rapid turnover, and quickly punched in the game’s opening score with a short TD to snapper Derek Kastner.

Suddenly on edge from nightmarish opening, King’s Landing looked out of sorts. Failing to establish any rhythm on the following drive, they went 4 and out from their own 10 yard line. With just a few plays into this highly anticipated game, it became obvious that King’s Landing desperately needed a jolt from their defense to get them started. At just that moment, the veteran Jason Prince stepped up and gave his team a huge nudge. Anticipating a check down with the rush barreling down on Kastner, Prince stepped in front of the slant and took an interception back to the house. King’s Landing were back in the game…for the time being.

The Clockmakers offense looked apprehensive to begin the next drive in the face of a swarming KL defense. A pair of incompletions set a tense third and 10 situation. Ryan Kastner has been questioned throughout the year over his play calling and arm strength, but one thing that’s never been in doubt is his ability to stay cool under pressure. Without batting an eye, he drew the defense in with a pump fake before springing Teddy Frenette down the right sideline for a 30 yard gain. They quickly cleaned up the drive with a TD to Kyle Lebofsky to take back the lead.

The King’s Landing offense marched back onto the field, and it felt like they were ready to leave behind the opening possessions and finally get to work. This wasn’t the case. Avraam elected to test Matt Petrone with a deep corner from his snapper. There was clear miscommunication mid route, as Sanner zigged when he should have zagged, and Petrone was left free to track down the fly ball for yet another interception.

With halftime nearing and Clockmakers getting the ball out of the break, the pressure was now on KL’s defense to avoid a massive collapse. Once again, a combination of Vinny Gualano’s blistering rush and a swarming secondary pushed the Clockmakers to fourth and long, within their own starting line. Kastner overthrew his brother on a desperation heave down the sidelines, but a flag was drawn as Vinny contacted the passer while trying to take away the passing lane. The fortunate break gave Kastner a second chance, and he didn’t waste it. He immediate led Leo Lanni with a deft touch pass on a post route against a trailing Eddy Lee, giving his team a 2 score lead.

With just a few plays left until half, King’s Landing got creative in their desperation. A pitch back to Vinny saw him hit Vendrame down the right sideline, setting them up at the 10 yard line for the final play. Sean saw a window on the deep-out to Vinny, but legendary rusher Matt Kirouac was having none of it, as he knocked down the pass to seal the half.

The second half had Clockmakers start with the ball. A comfortable Ryan Kastner started dealing like it was 2015, carving up the frantic KL defense. A 1 yard touchdown to Frennette put Clockmakers up 25-6. They wouldn’t look back, going on to seal a 38-20 victory and book a ticket to face YCSWU in the conference semi-finals.

 

Bad Boys send Alkaholiks packing

Walking past the Bad Boys full roster in the hallways at Papineau, what immediately impresses is the size of their players. They just look big when they’re all together, and posses an extra level of swagger when the whole crew is out in force. On the other side, Alkaholiks looked a bit uptight in pre-game stretches, knowing the task laid before them was monumental. They had the best version of their lineup out in weeks, but to all bystanders the matchup still looked heavily one-sided.

Bad Boys wasted no time off the opening possession, sending Bond on a post from the left slot and hitting him on a 40 yard touchdown. The casual smiles revealed that they already knew they had this game in the bag.

The Alkaholiks were hoping to reply, and keep this battle going a few more rounds. The Bad Boys defense was stifling, and Nic Arsenault-Hum sprung in front of an out route for the interception. Chenard rewarded him immediately on offense, dumping off a crossing route to him in space. Hum turned on the jet packs and blew past the Alkies defenders for the score.

The Alkies finally showed some punch, as Paul put together a long, composed drive leading with trusted snapper Don Sheppard. Once in the red zone he fired a laser into the read basket of his broad snapper for the score. It would be the closest that the Alkies would get on the night since the opening whistle.

The Bad Boys started opening up the field at that point, with Chenard spreading the ball to the athletic and springy trio of Bond, Lessard and Thuot – each reeling in a pair of scores. In the end the youth and athleticism of Bad Boys was far too much, as they picked off their veteran opponent 4 times and cruised into a second round rematch against Braves 2.0 with a 50-20 victory.

 

 

Division 2 Playoff Breakdown Second Round

 

YCSWU (1st) vs Clockmakers (4th)

Previous Encounter: 39-38 YCSWU Week 4

How we got here

YCSWU

Off: 414 (1/14)          Def: 303 (8/14)

Had a strong season last year only to fall to Clockwork in the second round of the div 2 playoffs. Setting seems familiar? They went through a mini rebuild without the services of star QB Liam Mahoney. Fusing with the MetaMayhem guys and the integration of Sasha Papich has helped reinvigorate them. Pumping out a 10-0 record was fun, but they know it will all be for nothing if they don’t deliver the highest prize.

Clockmakers

Off: 268 (11/14)        Def: 320 (10/14)

Laid the hammer against King’s Landing in the opening round. They looked down and out just a few weeks ago, but we can never underestimate a team with this many stone cold ballers. Marco Masciotra and Antonio Lanni looked like groundkeepers by the way they carved up the green at Papineau in the deep secondary. Ryan Kastner found his groove in the second half and started nestling some soft daggers into small openings. They played big, aggressive and confident. You could feel their presence on the field. This was the Clockmakers that we’ve been waiting for all season.

What to expect

If the game resembles anything similar to when they last met in week 4, it will be high tension. YCSWU scored with 5 plays remaining to re-take the 1 point lead, and had to sit on the sidelines praying their defense could hold on. Expect Clockmakers to come out with similar intensity to last week. They’ll try to use their newfound edge to push YCSWU early on, hoping to exploit some rust out of the gates after a week layoff. The savvy Kastner will try to carve up YCSW defense like he did in the previous encounter. YCSWU’s edge may have just been lost to the momentum Clockmakers gained over King’s Landing last week.

Prediction: Very tight game. Final score TBD.

 

 

STL (2nd) vs Khantroversy (3rd)

Previous Encounter: 39-31 STL Week 8

How we got here

STL

Off: 381 (3/14)          Def: 251 (1/14)

Truly a fantastic seaon for STL, as they were many people’s picks as the favorites to come out of conference B, and solidified that perspective throughout the year. Their defense is the tops in the division, and remains absolutely stout. As impressive as they were to start the season, they improved drastically with the addition of Theo Ojeaha mid way. There’s no one quite like him in the league. On offense Dylan Taylor had a phenomenal, All-Star season. He keeps the INTs down and the TDs way up, and he only gets better when the pressure rises. Jamie Ojeaha was completely unstoppable this year, tearing holes through opposing defenses like a supernova. They’re loud, they’re brash, they’re physical (and no, I’m not just talking about Terrence Adams here), and you can be sure they’re confident heading into this rematch with the mighty Khan.

Khantroversy

Off: 339 (6/14)          Def: 296 (7/14)

Would have liked to escape the first round matchup with a bit more of a cushion, but at the end of the day they’re proud of their effort, especially on offense. After an early slip up, Dan Lazzara was razor sharp, roasting the Nighthawks like a tender bird on Thanksgiving. The Lazzara to Gomes connection is sizzling right now, as there’s no tougher duo to stop in this division (and arguably the league) when they’re in sync. However, they’ll need to make some drastic adjustments on defense this week. If they thought that Rick Nincheri was tough to contain, wait until they see Dylan Taylor roll out his studs. An extra week of healing for Rod Mashtoub will be key, as he’s the anchor for their defensive unit. Let’s hope he’s shed the “game time” tag this week and is back to at least 80% health.

What to expect

Make no qualms about it, STL is coming to get into the heads of Dan and AJ, early. They know that if they can get the star duo less focused on the game and more focused on the refs, they’ll have already won half the battle. If I’m Dan, I’m having a respectful conversation with the refing crew pre-game, asking them to politely keep an eye out for Terrence Adams contact after the pass. Also, expect STL to focus on clamping down on AJ, encouraging Dan to beat them with other options. In the first encounter this resulted in big games for the Mashtoub brothers and Thierry Gerville. Once again, Rod’s health and ability to impact this game will be monumental. If all else fails, it’ll be Dan and AJ playing hero ball like Westbrook and George. Against a deep team like STL that’s exactly what they DON’T want. STL should thrive on offense with their regular system. Expect Dylan to be steady in this one, as the onus is on Khantroversy’s defense to initiate change if they hope to make some stops.

Prediction: Dan and Co. won’t stop pushing until the final whistle. They avoid the STL mind games, but can’t solve their offense. 38-33 STL

 

 

#NR (2nd) vs Terror Squad (3rd)

Previous Encounter: 26-19 #NR week 1

How we got here

#NR

Off: 345 (4/14)          Def: 257 (3/14)

For the returning division champ, who went 9-1 this season and gained a first round bye, they’re definitely not getting enough respect heading into the playoffs. They’re the team that no one will write off, but at the same time no one is really taking them to go all the way….for now. These guys thrive being in the underdog role, they cut their teeth on beating expectations. After a week 2 loss versus Braves 2.0 they just kind of cruised through the rest of the field. They made some games closer than needed against sub-par opponents, but then handled other stronger foes with more ease than expected. This looks like the case of the typical returning champ who’ve been pacing themselves for a deep playoff push. Cory Pecker didn’t have a ground-breaking season, but he did what he needed to with this roster at all times. Seeing the Moses brothers and Kendal Mayers headline this offense is a beautiful throwback to the origin days, when #NR was running a muck through FPFs lower divisions. On defense we witnessed a silent rebuild, as the power of this unit now runs on fresh faces like Zion Love, Mike Zimmie, Khadeem Pierre and their new anchor: Jermaine Parrish-Lewis. They haven’t been full staff for the majority of games this year, so there’s still some uncertainty over what it will mean in the playoffs. Will it result in chemistry issues? Or is there untapped potential waiting to bust out, the likes of which the rest of the division should fear. My bet’s on the latter.

Terror Squad

Off: 342 (5/14)          Def: 252 (2/14)

The cleared a very strange game in the opening round, pitching a 19-0 shutout over Prospect Squad. At the same time they both completely controlled the game, but left a lot to be desired in the analysis. The defense has been tight all season, especially in the red zone, where they parked their staff and collectively shouted: “Thou shall not pass!” to Porreca and Co. last week. Jazz-man-do, the capital of their defense, does a marvelous job shifted his super talented pieces in place. His flower defense is blossoming just in time for spring. Savvy veteran Tam Vilaydeth repressed his ego last week, and focused on managing the clock in a game where his defense was on fire, rather than trying to pump in unnecessary points. Still, the fact that he couldn’t finish drives whenever he wanted will leave some doubts heading a slugfest with #NR.

What to expect

One thing’s for certain in this game, and it’s that Terror Squad will need a lot more than 19 points to clear this hurdle. Pecker is the sharpest tool in the shed, and will figure out a way to reach at least 30 in this defensive showdown. The 2nd and 3rd best defenses in the division clash, so naturally it will come down to which offense steps up. Everyone knows what Tam wants to do – pumping the ball to Pilon and Jerome – which still doesn’t make it any easier to stop. I still wonder who will be starting on defense for #NR, and if the potential lack of chemistry will actually hurt them more despite the awesome talent they posses. Still, when it comes down to it they can always step on the NOS and throw in their blistering man coverage. This is the only unit in the division that actually has a chance picking up Serge and Pat in man.

Prediction: Both teams trade blows for a few rounds before #NR steps up the intensity and smothers Terror Squads offense. Pecker meets some resistance from the flower defense, but picks up swagger as the game goes along. 32-26 #NR

 

 

Braves 2.0 (1st) vs Bad Boys (4th)

Previous Encounter: 40-28 Bad Boys week 6

How we got here

Braves 2.0

Off: 408 (2/14)          Def: 282 (4/14)

The lite version of the powerhouse Div A team was even more dominant respectively in their given division. They cruised through the competition, winning on average by 2 touchdowns per game. Jonathan Maheu’s ultra-efficient offense was virtually unstoppable at this level. JD Chevalier was the best deep threat in the division, taking the top off the secondary and splitting hairs with Ojeaha for the top overall spot. With the rapid development of Guillaume Ranger and the always steady production of Mike Pierrecin over the middle, this team looks poised to make a run to the division 2 finals. The major hurdle standing in their way happens to also be the only blemish on their record…

Bad Boys

Off: 294 (10/14)        Def: 293 (6/14)

Predictably ran the tables on an outmatched Alkaholiks team last week, but they still looked very impressive doing it. Similar to Clockmakers, when this team is healthy and confident, they start looking very big on defense and carry a commanding presence on the field. Pat Chénard looked laser sharp last week with his full cast of weapons. With so much speed and versatility in his receiving corps, he can thread his heavy ball into tight windows in the mid-to-deep levels of the field. This style of play gives them an edge on all four downs, as you simply can’t put them in an uncomfortable situation.

What to expect

Bad Boys were successful in pressing 2.0 in the previous encounter, forcing Maheu to make tough throws into contested coverage. The game plan clearly worked last time, but can it be replicated? The matchups on paper favor Bad Boys once again. Hum on Chevalier alone will be worth the cost of admission, as one of the leagues top 2-Way players looks to shut down one of its fastest rising receivers. Chenard will likely spy Pierrecin in the half, giving them providing the toughness needed to square up with the snappers’ gritty play. A possible x-factor will be Ranger, as Bad Boys will need to trust one of their role players with the assignment. Maheu will need to quickly assess the layout and find the weak link to exploit against the Bad Boy’s aggressive front. On defense, 2.0’s best bet will be in throwing a tight zone, hoping to prevent Chenard from getting comfortable from the outset. Bad Boys are mostly a rhythm based offense. If 2.0 can knock them off measure early and get them chasing, they can control the play and shift into the driver’s seat.

 Prediction: The Braves 2.0 will need to execute an effective game plan in order to seal the win. On the other hand, if these two teams simply match up pound for pound, Bad Boys are arguably the most talented roster in the division and you can expect a similar outcome to week 6. I think the former is possible, but the latter is more likely. 39-36 Bad Boys

 

That’s it for this article. The playoffs frenzy is in full swing, so check back throughout the weeks for regular updates of the scintillating action. If you’re craving more content please check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring Moe Khan, Peeze and Simon, it’s a healthy dose of absurdity to get you through the week. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and make sure to check back soon to find out how the week of playoff action shook out!