Playoff Races and Week 5 Recaps for FPF Junior

While it may feel like the FPF Junior season just kicked off last week, we are already into the final week of the regular season. This is the last chance for teams to improve their position before the playoffs. The good news is, every team in FPF Junior will play at least one playoff game.

In the Atom division, the bottom two teams will play each other to determine who will face the #1 seed. In all likelihood, those fourth and fifth placed teams will be the Jaguars and the Lions. In a preview of that quarterfinal game, the Jaguars and Lions are facing off this weekend in Kirkland. While the easy thing to do here would be to predict a resounding Jaguars victory, the Lions are significantly better than their 0-7 record reflects. I remember the first time the Lions took to the field; they barely knew what was happening but in just seven games, they have improved significantly. Instead of six individuals running around a football field, they are a now a football team. While they may not have the experience of some of the other teams in Atom, their progress has been remarkable. At the top of the Atom division, there is still a chance that the Grizzlies can finish in first place. Currently, they are second just one win behind the McCaig Gladiators. Luckily for the Grizzlies, they are playing the Gladiators this Sunday. If the Grizzlies want to claim first place, they need to win by 20 points or more.

In Mosquito, things are not quite as clear. While the playoffs follow the same format as Atom, the standings are much closer in Mosquito. The only thing confirmed is that the Cavaliers will be finishing fifth in the division. It is quite likely that the Gladiators will finish first. They have a perfect 6-0 record and they are two wins in front of 2nd place. Unless they have a calamitous final two games, they are secured top spot. In the first Mosquito game of the weekend, the AP Hurricanes 2 will face off against the Cavaliers. A win in that game for the Hurricanes would be enough for them to clinch second place. On the other hand, if they lose their game and the Panthers win both of theirs the Panthers would leapfrog into second place.  As for the Reapers, even two wins this weekend would not be enough to get them out of fourth place.

In Pee-Wee, the Musketeers played a phenomenal season and their efforts are now being rewarded. Despite being only one win in front the APA Hurricanes, they are practically assured first place. If the Hurricanes do manage to beat the Musketeers on Sunday, both teams would have identical records. To break that tie, we first look at the head to head record. Since that record would be 1-1, the next tie breaker is +/- differential. The Musketeers are currently at +113 while the Hurricanes are at +41. So, unless the Hurricanes beat the Musketeers by 36 points, which is highly unlikely, the Musketeers will finish first.  While the Hurricanes aren’t really playing to take first place, they still need to bring their a-game to make sure they win and clinch 2nd place. The most interesting battle going on in Pee-Wee is the one for third place. The Packers are currently one win ahead of the Rams. However, the Packers close out their season by playing the top two teams in the division. If they lose both of those games and the Rams win theirs, then the Rams will move into third place. All the Packers need is a win or a draw from one of those games to secure 3rd place.

In Bantam, the Dusters and North Shore have been in a season long race for first place. The Dusters won a critical game a few weeks back over North Shore to pull ahead. This week, North Shore will have a chance at revenge. On Sunday, these two teams will go head to head at Stade de Soccer. It is not as simple as to say the winner of this game will take first place. It will depend on the +/- of both teams and on how many points they score in their other game. However, if North Shore want any chance of finishing atop the division, this is a must win game. Most probably, it is also a preview of the finals. At the bottom of the standings, there is also a battle for third place. If the Eagles can manage the improbable and win both of their games this weekend while TSM Faze FC lose both of theirs, then the Eagles will move into third place.

While the playoff races in the other four divisions may be relatively straight forward, the one going on in Midget is anything but. The only thing that is certain is that Tigers will finish first. Even if they lose their final game, no team can catch them. Below the Tigers, we have five teams, all with two or three wins. Out of those five teams, the best placed are Montreal’s Youngest. While they may only have three wins, they have played one less game than the other teams that are below them. If they can convert these three final games into wins, they are assured 2nd place. Behind Montreal’s Youngest, TuneSquad and the Mustangs are in a dead heat. They both have three wins and the only reason TuneSquad is ahead is because they beat the Mustangs back in week 4. While it’s nearly impossible to explain all the permutations, Mustangs need to win one more game than TuneSquad, then they will move ahead of them. If TuneSquad win both of their games, they cannot finish worst than third. As for Bunnies, despite only winning two games up to now, they can still hope to finish as high as third. The same goes for Mountain Goats. Despite a difficult season, they are an extremely talented team and they will be a playoff nightmare for whoever they face. Finally, Alaskan Thunderducks currently sit in 7th place, but even they have a chance of moving way up in the standings. They have two games and if they win both, they could move into the middle of the pack.

Week 5 Recaps:

After watching mostly Atom and Mosquito games during the first weeks of the season, I finally saw some action from Midget last weekend. I was able to take in six games and most of those game were quite close.

One of the more interesting games was the one between TuneSquad and Bunnies. Bunnies started the game with just six players and jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first half. At the end of the half, Charles Presser caught a 39-yard pass and was violently hauled down by Bunnies’ Michael Titleman. After being given a roughing call, Michael Titleman lost his cool, received three objectionable conduct penalties and was expelled from the game. Due to his expulsion, Bunnies had to play with five players for the rest of the game. Despite having one less man on the field, they were able to keep moving the ball. Their offensive success is largely due to the phenomenal connection between QB Ryan Rotholz and his star receiver, Eric Lazarowitz. The two connected on six occasions for nearly 100 yards and two scores. With five players, you can play offence with little or no adjustments. However, on defence, you need to make significant changes to compensate for the missing player. It also means that you cannot play man coverage since you have one less player. Despite being shorthanded, the Bunnies defence impressed me. Not only were they able to stop TuneSquad’s high octane offence, they were able to produce turnovers. Three of them to be precise. As for TuneSquad, this is a game to forget. While losing by only one score to a talented group like Bunnies isn’t a horrible result, TuneSquad know they are capable of better. As long as Garner Ross protects the ball and avoids turnovers, this team should have a long playoff run.

The other game of interest from week five was the one between Tigers and Montreal’s Youngest. With the Mustangs struggling, I am sure that Montreal’s Youngest thought that this was going to be their season to shine. However, an unlikely candidate stole that spotlight from them. After a few years of FPF Junior experience, Tigers have emerged as a Midget powerhouse. Led by the mobile Justin Schwartz at quarterback and the talented Jake Newman as a receiver, the Tigers boast a perfect 7-0 record. If any team was going to be able to beat them, it was definitely Montreal’s Youngest. To my surprise, Tigers rose to the occasion and maintained their perfect record with a win over Montreal’s Youngest. While Justin Schwartz was not perfect, he did just enough to get the job done. He passed for 136 yards and three scores. However, his two interceptions nearly cost the Tigers the game. As he has all season Jake Newman led their receiving corps with seven receptions for 54 yards and a score. While their offence got the job done, it was their defence that impressed me most. Montreal’s Youngest have some of the most talented receivers in the league and Tiger’s defence was able to keep a lid on most of them. The only receiver they had trouble containing was the speedy Louis Vincent who caught five passes for 71 yards and two scores. The Tiger’s defence is simple yet effective. They play with two safeties over top, Jake Newman and Justin Schwartz most of the time. They only have three players covering the shorts. Essentially, they give up the short pass on every single play and rely on talented tacklers like Alejandro Fonto to limit yards after the catch. Since very few Midget teams are patient enough to drive the field five yards at a time, this defensive strategy works like a charm. As for Montreal’s Youngest, they had an excellent statistical game. Their QB, Danny Stamiris passed for 185 yards and only threw one interception. Unfortunately for them, they were not able to transform those yards into touchdowns. On possession after possession, Montreal’s Youngest saw their drives stall just a few yards short of the endzone. l think these teams will meet again when the playoffs roll around and if the Youngest are patient and exploit the gaps in the Tigers’ defence they have a very good chance of winning it all.

With that, the final games of the regular season are just a few days away. After Sunday, we will know the final seeding for the playoffs. Normally, I scorekeep the championship games, but I will be out of town so this Sunday is the last time you will see me on the sidelines. Best of luck to all the teams for this final round of games as well as the playoffs.