Playing For Keeps: Heartbroken, in Disrepair; Division 5B breakdown and weekly picks

He jogged reluctantly back to the huddle and flipped the ball to his snapper. The last 2 plays should have been intercepted easily. It felt like the other team was simply toying with them at this point, elongating their agony for no reason other than cruel pleasure. He listened in half-heartedly to his QB relaying the play call. Hearing the route combinations, he immediately knew the play was doomed to fail.

He’s sending too many men deep into the teeth of their coverage, he thought to himself. He looked his exasperated friend deep in the eyes as he spoke his final words of the evening. His look was distant, grey and spiritless; an empty vessel commandeering a cursed ship towards absolute despair.

He thought about interrupting the play, yelling for a timeout and rescuing his friend at the final second. But he didn’t. He kept quiet and dragged his feet to the line. Maybe it was the reluctance of embarrassing a good friend that kept him quiet, maybe it was just pure foolish hope for the best, but he felt like it was probably something more sinister brewing inside him that caused him to bite his tongue.

He wanted to punish him. He wanted to see him utterly broken, in exchange for the 2 score lead his poor play afforded the other team. This team had no business being in the game with them. A bunch of friends casually flipping the pigskin around for an hour. They were 0-7 and were now about to deliver the final blow to his teams hopes for a playoff berth.

He lined up in front of his defender, having seen him bail deep off the snap more times than needed throughout the game. He took his cue from his QB’s cadence and he ran his post pattern hard downfield. Like clockwork the defender broke 20 yards back instantly, leaving an expanse of clear space before him.

He saw his QB momentarily look right, and he desperately hoped that he had spotted something else, some glimmer of an opening down the sideline. Then, as he broke in for his final strides he saw him look back over the middle. The rusher was on his hip and he was hanging off his back foot for life. The frail, wobbly ball went up, his defender broke underneath, and their fate was sealed. No use even trying to come back for it.

As the other team celebrated their now certain victory, he watched as his team sulked back towards midfield. There’s nothing worse than losing a game before the final whistle. He watched his friend closest of all. He didn’t kick the ball, or shout like last time. This time he simply walked off the field, with his head concealed between his shoulders. He sat quietly on the bench and stared at the ground before him, closing himself off from the rest of the world with a towel over his head. There was nothing left to say or do. No cliché speeches to deliver. No second half comeback. This was cold, hard, dejected defeat.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

If the intro to this article seems a bit morose or bleak to some of you, please understand that this is the time of year where fellow FPFers realize that there will be no second season for them. As many of you ramp up for an extended playoff run, with visions of Brossard and the Road Show dancing in your head, don’t forget to take the time to appreciate your fellow competitors who won’t be so lucky this season. It’s happened to all of us at some point in the past, and will happen again in the future. For those of us whose playoff hopes are dashed, don’t despair, there’s still some good football left, and spring season is right around the corner. Playing spoiler to a team on the bubble is a particular form of rambunctious fun, as you get to share your feelings of frustration and hopelessness with others. Most of all, please show up to the game and find enjoyment in the pure competitive pleasure of the remaining games. The pressure is now off. Try something new, try something crazy, you might just be pleasantly surprised with the results. FPF is a league where teams can go from zero to hero overnight. Start preparing yourselves for future success today!

Recaps:

K-Town Showdown!

The Kirkland Touch Football League (KTFL) is an incredibly organised and amazingly fun autumn outdoor touch football league run by Vince Mancini and Dave Allen of the Longhorns. It’s a tradition of comradery and friendly competition that has taken place for the past 35 years, for those who enjoy a little fun (and a lot of beer) with their football. I had the honor of playing in my first season this past year, and I simply cannot wait for this year’s season to kick off.

Saturday, February 25th at Brossard saw a showdown between some of the most prominent names of the KTFL, as Lonnie Johnson, GM Kolethras and Vincent Dagenais of LOB took on their fellow comrades in The Longhorns. In this game LOB would control throughout, as Lonnie cruised along with 5 TDS and 194 yards on 65% completion. He found his extraordinary snapper François Deslauriers early and often, racking up 9 catches for 79 yards and 2 TDs to add to his impressive season totals. Fellow KTFLer Vincent Dagenais made a big impression on his opposing friends, with 41 receiving yards and a TD on offense, and 5 tackles and an INT on defense. Dagenais is a superstar in the KTFL, whose incredible talents are continuing to translate to FPF more each week. Kolethras for his part contributed with 33 yards and a TD on offense, and 4 tackles and 2 PDs on defense, using his length and aggressive play to get in tight windows and break up passes.

On the Longhorns side of the ball Karim Yasmine led the way with 66 yards and a TD receiving. The explosive springboard Adam Rosen also went off for 54 yards and 2 TDs in this game. Lloyd Saul led the way on defense with 5 tackles, using his quickness and awareness to anticipate passes and get himself in position to make tackles all over the field.

Although LOB won this game convincingly, these are two experienced, dark horse teams that will be primed to cause some upsets in the playoffs and perhaps see each other again down the line. One things for certain, they know each other well, and a rematch would be an interesting battle of tactical game planning. I look forward to a potential rematch between these two teams and hope for their playoff success, since they are both excellent characters and easy to root for!

The battle of the loners

If you think about it, Globo Gym Purple Cobras and Aliens share the commonality of being outsiders from traditional society. White Goodman was shunned by society for his overweight body, and responded by transforming himself into a beacon of peak physical condition. Along the way he became bitter towards anyone who he saw as failing to live up to the standard of excellence that he built for himself, which was in fact a standard imposed on him by the rest of society to begin with. Aliens, for their part, have to keep themselves hidden from us humans, because they know that their existence would threaten our delicate egos and we would instantly see them as dangers that needed to be exterminated. Our existence is a zero-sum game in our minds, and if they reveal themselves to us we’ll be forced to declare war for our survival.

In some way it’s tragic that these two idealistic versions of the outsider had to battle each other at Lachine on Saturday. In realty they’re only searching for our acceptance, but instead found themselves pitted against each other in an interlocking battle for our entertainment.

But boy, was it ever an entertaining game. It’s almost inconceivable to me how two teams can fit 94 combined points in under an hour’s game. Eric Maiorino played the part of a perfect field general, marching down field at will and producing an astounding 300+ total yards and 8 TDs! That is a very rare statistical output that occurs less than a handful of times in a career for some QBs and not at all for most of them. He should be proud and hang this one up on the trophy case as a game for the ages. Zach Zwirn helped him lead the way with 89 yards receiving a trio of TDs. Alex Joltopuf also contributed a trio of TDs to go along with 72 yards. And Joey Taylor added another 89 yards and a TD of his own to the pot luck.

On the Aliens side Simon Bosquet Beaudoin was equally up to task in this one, with 300 combined yards of his own and 7 total TDs produced. Another mind numbing performance from the multi-talented Aliens commander and chief. Samuel Phaneuf was the high earner on the night with 91 receiving yards and 1 TD, with Gabriel Poisson finishing just behind him with 87 yards and a TD of his own.

These are both red hot teams of late and the result of this game confirms that. They are marching towards the playoffs at the peak of their stride and look like ticking time bombs for whoever has the misfortune of drawing them.

Power Ranking

Division 5A

Diablos (8-0)
Jaguars (6-2)
TDs and Beer (6-2)
Les Verges Folles (5-2)
Globo Gym Purple Cobras (5-2)
Aliens (5-3)
KGP Ra (5-3)
LOB (4-4)

Division 5B

Mad Bears (8-0)
Friends in Low Places (6-1)
Trinity (7-1)
Jean Coutu (5-2-1)
Dreamville (5-2-1)
Rednecks (5-2)
Tip Top Shape (5-2)
Harambe’s Disciples (6-2)

Mid-Season Review division 5B

*The difficult thing about writing a mid-season review for 52 teams is that it takes so long that you might possibly drop dead in the middle of it. Fortunately I survived the experience, but I still caught a nasty infection mid-way that had me bed ridden for a week. For those of you who inquired into my well-being, I appreciate the sentiment. I am now back to health and will continue to produce my weekly articles in a timely manner. Please enjoy the brief review of each team of division 5 B below. Best of luck in the remaining season games and playoffs to all!

Division 5B

Conference A

Mad Bears 8-0

They appeared to be overachieving early on. Taking advantage of a relatively soft schedule to pad their undefeated record. Then they defeated FiLP in week 4 and set the league on notice. Sebastien Thibault is having an extremely efficient season at QB. His ability to protect the football while driving the offense forward is his greatest attribute. His go-to weapon of choice is the versatile Antoine Brisson, who also happens to be one of the very best 2-way players in the division. Simon Chouinard-Laliberte provides an excellent second outlet for this offense, with the reliable Mathieu Riendeau helping to move the chains along as a solid possession receiver. The true backbone of this team is their defense, where they allow an impressive 18 points per game. Brisson and Thibault lead this unit again, with a combined 6 INTs and 3 defensive TDs. mathieu gravel is another valuable piece of this defense, with 2 INTs and 4 PDs of his own.

MVP: Antoine Brisson

Projection: 9-1

Friends in Low Places 6-1

They lost their first big challenge of the season to Mad Bears in week 4. Have cruised through an easy schedule for the most part aside from a victory over All Hooks. Danny D’Amour is having an elite first season at QB. He’s produced 35 TDs to only 2 INTs, and is putting up nearly 200 combined yards each week. Kevin Smuda is the main beneficiary of D’Amour’s generosity. He was on a record breaking pace to begin the year, but its likely better for this team’s long term outlook that they’ve diversified the distribution lately. Justin Santillo is perhaps the best number 2 receiver in this division. Michael Timmis has been the executioner on defense this year, with 3 late-game pick-6 INTs. Looking forward to how they handle the next two weeks against more formidable opponents.

MVP: Kevin Smuda

Projection: 8-2

Rednecks 5-2

The road to greatness is beset with challenges on all sides. Beating teams like Takeover, Spartans and Jean Coutu looks good on a resume, but losing to a struggling Les Albatros team this week was definitely a cause for concern for a team with championship aspirations. Nevertheless, they’ve impressed overall this season with a balanced arsenal of offensive and defensive weapons. Darick Forgues’ QBOY talk has slowed down in recent weeks, but he’s still demonstrated remarkable progression this season and deserves to be mentioned in the top 5 of the division. Pierre, Livanos, Beauchamp, and Boyte form arguably the best-rounded receiving unit in the division. Their balanced production keeps defenses honest each week, and heading into the playoffs it’ll be a major advantage to have an offense with this much chemistry and trust built in. On defense Francis Auclair and Julien Michaud have really emerged in recent weeks to form a destructive trio with Frédéric Stumpf, all with 3 INTs each.

MVP: Frédéric Stumpf

Projection: 7-3

Tip Top Shape 5-2

They are hitting their stride at the perfect time. Seemingly gaining strength each week heading into the playoffs. Their hot streak was headlined by a thorough trouncing of a very talented Dreamville team last week. The defense, led by David De Andrade and Salem El-Jam has been putting the clamps down on teams lately. Even more impressive though has been the consistent development of their offense throughout the season. De Andrade is balling at QB and has emerged in the top 5 conversation. Elijah Suyat and Jie OuYang are receivers to look out for, with 16 combined TDs in 7 games, good for over 50% of their team’s total. This is certainly a team to look out for going forward, as other top teams have question marks surrounding them, this team seems to provide answers each week.

MVP: David De Andrade

Projection: 6-4

All Hooks 4-3

It’s been a fun season for this team so far, who should be happy to find themselves with a winning record after 7 weeks. They haven’t beaten a single team that I would consider a contender, but hey, you can only beat who’s put before you, and they’ve done a fairly good job of that so far. Losses against the Roadrunners like they took this week show that there’s definitely room for improvement before the playoffs, but they’ve shown us enough potential to give them a fair shake. Charles-Olivier Lavigne is having an incredible season at QB, averaging 200 combined yards and 5 total TDs per game, with only 0.5 INTs in exchange. These are elite numbers in any division of FPF. White, Lavigne and Ferland are the three-headed monster fueling this insurgent season at receiver. It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck approach on defense, as everyone chips in wherever they can. With upcoming games against at best middle-tier opponents, we won’t see them face the type of adversity we would have liked before playoffs. Still, it would be good to see them take 2 of 3 and remain competitive through them all.

MVP: Charles-Olivier Lavigne

Projection: 6-4

Spartans 4-3

Truly an enigmatic team, they seemed to be turning a new page in their development before a devastating upset against Hot Boys Hotline set them back this week. This is a team that fuels themselves off their passion, and who work best when they run their system-based offense effectively. The moments of getting derailed are just normal progression for a young team, and they’ve demonstrated the promise of being able to battle back through inconsistency and tough breaks when they arrive. James D’Andrea has done a good job orchestrating the offense this year and keeping the turnovers to a minimal. He intelligently spreads the ball equitably amongst his three very talented receivers Martel, Bessette and Grant, who have 18 combined TDs. The defense is led by the same trio and the addition of Hernandez, and they’ve shown a knack for coming up with the crucial stop whenever needed. Their schedule eases up at the back end now, giving them enough time to gain their swagger back heading into the playoff stretch. I look for a confident and hungry Spartans team to make some early playoff noise in a month’s time.

MVP: Alexis Bessette

Projection: 6-4

Black Knights 3-4

Their recent surge in the victory column has coincided with a pair of offensive explosions. Stephane Larosiliere has thrown 200 yards or more in 3 straight games, two of which were 40-burgers on offense and resulted in wins. When he’s on, this guy can sling a beautiful ball all over field, and he’s been a lot more on lately than off. Helping him keep the offense lit are premier receivers Michael Café and Jean Jean Alexis, who continually find creases down the field for their QB to drop dimes into. On defense they follow the lead of Reginald Café, who rallies his troops with fire and passion. The next two weeks will be telling for this team, who are still battling for a playoff spot for themselves. If they can catch a recently struggling Spartans squad by surprise this week they will be in business. I would very much like to see a confident and hungry version of this team take their show to the playoff round against an unsuspecting first round opponent. Larosiliere can throw the ball with anyone in the division, so they always have a fighter’s chance.

MVP: Jean Jean Alexis

Projection: 5-5

Takeover 3-5

Our preseason expectations for this team may have been a bit ambitious. Now they’re looking to play the underdog card and make a late season push into the playoffs. They’ve struggled to stop any of the top teams this year on defense, making life difficult on long time QB Ian Einheiber. For his part, Einheiber is having another decent season, giving his team a chance to compete each week and managing the turnovers well. The offense is very top heavy, with William Power looking like a top 3 receiver in the division, and Alessandro Arciero stepping up as a very dangerous number 2. I look to the defense to rally around the effort of Stephen Forbes down the stretch, as he pairs with Power to form the core of the defensive unit. They have two very challenging tests ahead of them, and we’ll have a clear indication in two weeks of just how much this team is willing to compete in the playoffs.

MVP: William Power

Projection: 4-6

The Big R Express 2-5

They seemed to be gaining some traction in the past month with a few very close losses against tough teams. Their last game against Tip Top Shape showed us the value of Adamo Iadeluca to this team, as they were utterly lost without him. He’s been having a decent season so far and making lemonade out of lemons wherever he can. Helping him on offense is the play of Patrick Petraroia, who leads a well-balanced receiving unit with 9 TDs. Damian Conciatori and Anthony Siggia are the two-way engines that drive this team, as their contributions have been significant on both sides of the ball, especially on defense where they have 11 of the team’s 12 total INTs. They need to welcome their QB back quickly and win at least 2 of the final 3 games for hopes of making the playoffs. If they can tilt a couple of those 1-point losses to their side they have a chance still.

MVP: Damian Conciatori

Projection: 4-6

Les Albatros 2-6

They’ve looked far more fluid offensively in the past 2 weeks since a switch to Raphael Isseri-Guertin at pivot. They’ve also been more competitive overall, with a close loss to a very strong Jagys team and a win over Rednecks. I think this new formation gives them hope for the stretch run, as Justin Lafontaine distinguishes himself as a talented receiver and Vincent Beaudry emerges as the team’s new go-to. They were always a scrappy team defensively, led by the rush of Jeremie Dorzin, who’s already eclipsed double-digit sack totals. They no longer control their own destiny for the playoffs, but with two tough games ahead all they can do is continue to play the improved football of recent weeks, and hope for the best surrounding circumstances to fall into place. If it doesn’t work out for them this season, they can always look to the potential of a spring season with their new roster alignment.

MVP: Raphael Isseri-Guertin

Projection: 3-7

Consultants 1-7

Not much has gone right for this team as a whole so far this year, but they have produced a few individual stat lines worthy of merit. Akeem Hoyte-Charles is balling out at receiver, he already has a season’s worth of stats with 561 yards and 12 TDs, with 3 games to go! Chris Williams is having superb season as well with 375 yards and 10 TDs. With a pair of such high producing receivers it’s disappointing that they’re not having more offensive success at tis point. The standout stat line on this team is from Kevin Kousaie, who’s leading ALL OF FPF with a mind boggling 45 tackles. He also has 2 INTs, 6 PDs and a sack to round out a versatile portfolio of defensive output. Erik Rice is also averaging 1 INT per game, having him around more could help this squad squeeze out an extra win in the final stretch of the season.

MVP: Akeem Hoyte-Charles

Projection: 2-8

Hot Boys Hotline

“Oh the humanity!” Herbert Morrison’s heartfelt cry during the decent of the Hindenburg rings true for all bystanders who are currently witnessing the devastating collapse of this once competitive FPF franchise. The term “anemic” would be an understatement for this offense averaging under 12 points per game. If I seem cruel, it’s only because I was one of those who had their preseason hopes dashed by this team after having predicted them to finish second in the conference. With all the promise of a roster led by an emerging Gatehouse, and the return of Grauer, Chernyak, and Archer, I drank the cool aid and went all in on what I considered to be as close to a sure thing in a pool full of unknowns. That tuned out to be my most lopsided prediction of the year, as they proceeded to put up more 6’s on the final scoreboard than a Drake record on playback. I couldn’t tell you where the fundamental error lies on this team, but they are definitely at a crossroads and need to take a step back and ponder their future before proceeding any further.

MVP: Shawn Fontaine

Projection: 2-8

X-Men 0-7

Another once proud team whose nightmare season hasn’t been anywhere near their preseason hype, at least these guys have a better excuse. Loosing perennial star Kevin Boustany was bound to set them back somewhat, but the departure of extraordinary QB Gautama Swaminadhan could not be written off. Still they take the field each week and continue to battle through their difficulties with their heads held up, which is worthy of our respect. Also, Suhael Brohi is having a remarkable season in the midst of despair, and is doing everything he can on both sides of the ball to give his team hope each week. It’s too late to salvage their winter season at this point, but with a bit of roster fine-tuning and return of their critical pieces they could see a rapid turnaround in the spring.

MVP: Suhael Brohi

Projection: 0-10

Conference B

Trinity 6-1

They’ve really caught their groove in recent weeks and begun steamrolling through their opponents on the weekly. Jean-Félix Marquis has already shown noticeable improvement in his second season behind the helm. Watching him spread the ball around to all of his receivers is a thing of beauty, and gives them their most significant advantage, as other teams lack the defensive depth to guard all 5 guys across the field. Vincent Marquis, Samson, Scattolin, Jubinville, and Dansereau-Leclerc have all contributed pretty much equally to carry this team to first place. It’s remarkable to see a team go 6 deep the way they do on offense. This just speaks to the character of this team and the way they all band together without care for individual statistics. It’s easy to tell that this team has a joint goal of winning the championship, and they’ve built a winning system that will give them good chances of doing just that this season and for seasons to come as they advance in the league.

MVP: Alexandre Jubinville

Projection: 8-2

Dreamville 5-1-1

The rebrand as Dreamville has done them some good, as they’ve been playing with an edge and some serious swagger so far this year on path to a strong season. The loss to Tip Top Shape will also do them some good, as they’ll be able to make corrections to any vulnerabilities before a ramped up playoff run. Besides that game however they’ve been nearly flawless on the season. Eli Saleh has done such a great job protecting the ball this year, you could really tell that he made it an emphasis to his game after last winter. Yossi Saleh has emerged as the go-to in the redzone, with 12 TDs to his name already. Langburt and Assayag move the chains for this unit, with nearly 500 receiving yards between them. They also happen to propel the defense, combining for 7 INTs, 13 PDs and a TD. The tough part of their schedule remains ahead of them in the next 3, when we’ll learn just how dangerous this team can be come playoff time. If they can continue to protect the ball on offense and employ a smothering defense they should find further success even when the caliber of their opponents increases. I fully expect this to be the case.

MVP: Andrew Langburt

Projection: 7-2-1

Jagys & Chill 5-2

This team continues to find ways to win with gritty defense efforts despite being held back by a struggling offense. Scoring 2 TDs a game on offense just won’t cut it in the playoffs for these guys, and they know that they need to make quick and drastic improvements in order to make a deep season run. Receivers like Duchesne, Doston, Fontaine-Larouche and Bouchard make this a deep and talented roster, and but they need to find a way to 10X the entire formula on O and get these guys more volume to work with. The defense is led by the uber talented Jean-Felix Daloze, who combines with Bouchard and Doston (who’s quietly putting together a career season on D) to form the most intimidating cast in the division. The crazy thing is that even though FPF is an offensive game, I can still see these guys achieving some success even if the offense doesn’t blossom anytime soon. It’s a true testament to a proven and successful core of players that they can continue supporting their friend throughout his struggles and still find a way to be a top divisional team. With very tough games on the horizon this team will be forced to evolve on O in order to compete. We’ll have a much better picture of where they stand overall in about three weeks’ time.

MVP: Yannick Doston

Projection: 6-4

Harambe’s Disciples 5-2

We were quick to write them off after an season opening debacle at the hands of Jean Coutu, but since then they’ve quietly emerged into one of the most consistent and competitive teams in the division. 4 of their 5 wins have come against some of the toughest teams in the division, therefore they’re one of the few teams that can truly call themselves battle-tested at this point. Their wins aren’t always pretty, but they find a way to grind them out and that’s what matters most. The offense is led by Kenneth Mitchell and Jean Marie McCadly, who are two of the most underrated receivers in the division. On defense Jonathan Williams and Max Philogene have combined for 8 INTs, 3 of which have been returned by Williams for 6 points. Their schedule relents a bit not for the final three games, allowing them to experiment with their attack and gain some confidence heading into the playoffs. This will be a team that snuck under the radar to perhaps the most impressive record in the conference once the season ends, with a full head of momentum directed towards the playoff run.

MVP: Jonathan Williams

Projection: 8-2

Jean Coutu 4-2-1

They’ve fallen out of the spotlight in recent weeks after an explosive opening to the season, but that might’ve been just what this team needed most for an extended playoff run. Exchanging February wins for April wins is a smart trade, as they continue to grow into a powerhouse team each week. Antoine Côté should be on everyone’s short list for QBOY, as he produces an incredible 200 combined yards and more than 5 TDs per game. Bruno Lagacé leads the division with 9 INTs, and has his sights set on either a DPOY or the 2WPOY award. Either way, this team is eyeing some serious hardware for a fantastic regular season performance. At the end of the day however, the only hardware that matters is the championship trophy. These guys are as battle tested as anyone, having drawn one of the most difficult schedules. I look forward to seeing them transition their flawless regular season game to the playoffs in their first full year together. Come playoff time they’ll look to re-emerge as the team that no one wants to see before them.

MVP: Bruno Lagacé

Projection: 7-2-1

Big Fun Party Mix 8 4-3

They should be proud of their success thus far, as no one projected them to be in the upper half of the conference after 7 weeks. Evan Ely Nolet is playing a crafty style of QB and finding a way to give his team a chance to win each week. Mike Franzese is the two-way star of this team, with 6 TDs on offense and providing the passion to spark his teammates on defense. Zackary Alberts-Gill and Rico Tulino are also having noteworthy seasons on both sides of the ball, pushing their team towards success with their inspired play. They have two tough games at the end of their schedule, and Les Albatros won’t be an easy out this week either. I’d like to see them beat the latter, and win at least one of those two tough games. They still haven’t beaten a true contender, and until they do they’ll continue to be viewed more as a mid-tier team than elite. A few key wins could change that perception quickly though.

MVP: Mike Franzese

Projection: 5-5

Roadrunners 4-3

They’ve been sending mixed messages lately, losing soundly to BFPM8 but then beating All Hooks soundly the following week. Mathew Yanakoulias is piecing together a solid statistical season, moving the ball and creating opportunities for his team. Justin Lerner is finding the success we expected him to, leading the team with 250 yards and 6 TDs receiving. Daron Migdesyan is an all-around 2-way beast, wih 5 TDs on offense and filling up the stat sheet with versatility on defense. Nick Rompotinos is the stud on this defense with 5 INTs, giving opposing QBs an easy target to stay away from. They’ve fluctuated between big wins and tough losses throughout the course of the season so far, and I don’t expect that to change too much going forward. With a tough matchup against Dreamville up next, they’ll have a good chance of winning their final two games against softer opponents in the following weeks. They’ll look to build up their momentum and confidence with a string of wins heading into the playoffs, where a single loss spells goodnight.

MVP: Justin Lerner

Projection: 6-4

Buckeyes 4-3

A scrappy, tough-nosed team that wins games by keeping opponents under 20 points, they have demonstrated promise in their 4 wins so far. The most telling thing about this team is that they play the game according to script, they’ve beaten who they should have beat and lost against who they should have lost against. This gives us a pretty clear indication of this team as a solid middle-tier group. William Robert-Allard has done an incredible job keeping the turnovers to a minimum, but he fits the profile of a game manager more than a pure gunslinger. In an offensive FPF game, this can be troublesome at times when high scoring games require more than 30 points. In contrast, their defense has been a revelation for this division. They only have 7 INTs as a team but they find a way to band together and force turnovers on down more and keep their opponents in 3rd and 4th and long. Jean-David Tremblay and Alexandre Zameck are the leaders of this unit, carrying the team in INTs and always swooping in around the ball to make plays. With upcoming matchups against Trinity and Jean Coutu they definitely have their work cut out for them. Their offense will be put to the test, as those are two teams that will force you to score 30+ points if you hope to compete. Let’s give them a fair shake and see where they stand in two weeks’ time.

MVP: Jean-David Tremblay

Projection: 5-5

Les Bigs 3-4

If this team’s season could be broken down into a single game, that game would likely end in a 21-20 score, with a coin flip deciding who gets the win. There’s no team that sits closer to the mean in this division, and for a first year team with all first year players they should be proud of that fact. Erik Brousseau is playing with poise beyond his years, averaging less than 0.5 INT per game. If he could increase his TD total while maintaining the same ratio he’ll be in business. Michael Khazaka and Joseph Haddad are impressing at receiver, with over 600 yards and 11 TDs combined. The Alexandre connection, Delisle and Turcotte, are powering the defense with their athleticism and versatility. There’s a very good chance that they go 2-1 in the final three games and become the .500 team that they seem destined to be. Regardless of how this shakes out it’s been a positive first season for this group and they’ll look to build upon their momentum in the spring.

MVP: Erik Brousseau

Projection: 5-5

Bye Week 3-4

Their 3 game winning streak out of the gates was a mirage, as they couldn’t sustain that kind of record while scoring less than 20 points per game. Reality has set in hard over the past month, with 4 straight losses. They still haven’t found a solution to their offensive woes, but their defense is still playing at a solid level, always keeping them competitive. Matthew Rankin is the star of this team, with 8 TDs on offense and 5 INts on defense. Bradley Blouin is the next man up on this defense, with 2 INTs and 5 PDs his presence if felt all over the field. They have a few tough games ahead of them as they battle for a final playoff spot. With so many teams closely positioned right now the playoff spot is up for grabs for whoever wants it most. Passion is never a problem for this team, it’ll just be a matter of putting together a few inspired offensive performances worthy of their defensive prowess.

MVP: Matthew Rankin

Projection: 4-6

Knights 3-4

This team looked next to dead after opening the season with a 3 game losing streak, but a sudden mid-season turnaround has seen them take 3 of the last 4 and retake control of their destiny. Defense has been the backbone of this squad, as David Horwood, Alex Deslauriers, Jonathan Goyette and Bradley Matsubara have banded together to form on of the most underrated and surprising units in the division. Their recent shutdown of Bye Week was their most impressive outing, as they convincingly beat down a team ranked right next to them in the standings. They have a decent schedule ahead of them to close the season but definitely no world-beaters to worry about. I think they have dark horse status to sneak into the final spot and get into the big dance.

MVP: David Horwood

Projection: 5-5

Génie 1-6

They were in the same position as Knights in week 4, with the two teams playing against each other. The Knights won that game and reversed the course of their season, while this team has still been dragging their feet ever since that loss. It’s a tough development for this group because so many of their losses have come by 1 score or less. It seems like with better luck and a few favorable bounces they could be in playoff contention right now. Xavier Lacourse and Olivier Pagé have had solid seasons for this defense. Gabriel Barbeau and Vincent Guillette have carried the offense as much as possible, but the revolving door at quarterback has never been addressed, and represents their most destructive flaw. They should have two fun games in the upcoming teams against teams they can upset. At this point it’s all about finding the silver lining as they look forward another shot in spring season.

SABRFC 1-6

This team desperately needs to bring in a consultant or a mercenary type player in at quarterback for future seasons, as they’ve challenged HBH this season for most inept offense. The Marinis have been a revelation on both sides of the ball however, as Max holds down the defense with 3 INTs and Mickey paces the offense with 7 TDs. Things will only get tougher from here, with 2 difficult games to wrap up the season. The best case scenario is that they remain competitive down the stretch, and build some solid momentum for future seasons. They have a talented core which can succeed in this league, it’s just a question of putting their best pieces in the right places and complimenting their roster with solid acquisitions.

MVP: Max Marini

Projection: 2-8

Predictions

Alex Danny

Aliens Aliens

LOB LOB

Pandas Pandas

Diablos Diablos

TDs and Beer TDs and Beer

Longhorns KGP Ra

Globo Gym Globo Gym

Flagrant Fouls Flagrant Fouls

Dope Boys Supply and Demand

Fighting Galinas Bunch of Rookies

Jaguars Tyrants

Les Affreux Les Affreux

Les Verges Folles Les Verges Folles

Dreamville Roadrunners

Jean Coutu Jean Coutu

Les Bigs Les Bigs

Harambe’s Disciples Harambe’s Disciples

BFPM8 BFPM8

Knights Knights

Trinity Trinity

Black knights Spartans

Tip Top Shape Friends in Low Places

The Big R Express The Big R Express

Mad Bears Rednecks

Takeover All Hooks

Consultants Consultants

That’s it for this week! Week 8 of FPF is officially in the books, and week 9 has already begun. See how fast it goes! Enjoy your time on the field because winter season passes by in a blur. If you have any feedback, concerns, comments or just want a shoulder to lean on you can reach out to me @alexholowach1 on Twitter, or hit me up on Facebook. If you’re craving more div 5 content please see Nic Belleau’s French article, he truly is the best quality writer on this staff. Otherwise, check out the Calling the Audible podcast featuring Peeze and Moe Kahn, it’s a healthy dose of sophisticated silliness to get you through the week. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and make sure to check back next week to find out how week 9 shook out!