Categories: Co-EdCo-Ed 2Co-Ed 3ComplementaryWomen's

Playoffs are here for Coed and Women’s Divisions

The playoffs are finally here. After a long and grueling regular season, it is time to get down to the nitty gritty of the postseason. As a reminder to everyone, please be sure to check the playoff schedule to see when and where you are playing. Additionally, players need to have played at least 5 regular season games to be eligible for the playoffs. If you have any questions please email the league at [email protected] as soon as possible. Remember that if an ineligible player plays in a postseason game your team will forfeit. To be on the safe side, ask us any questions before your game.

For all of those teams who did not qualify for the playoffs, I hope to see you again soon! FPF is a challenging league and there is a steep learning curve. The only way to improve is to come back and keep playing so I definitely hope to see you all back for the fall season. In terms of exciting news, the information for the fall season has just been released so check that out here if you are interested.

Before I get into a very thorough playoff review, let’s take a look at the action from week 10 and 11 of the regular season.

Week 10 & 11 Games of the Week

Thunder Buddies (27) vs Tigres (26) – Coed 3

This was a game for the ages and it came down to the very final play of the game. After a disappointing start to the match, scoring just 7 points in the first half, Thunder Buddies came roaring back in the second half, scoring 20 points. On the other hand, Tigres were perfectly consistent, scoring twice in each half. With a few minutes left to go in this game Tigres scored to take the lead by 12 points. Their first mistake came on the play after the touchdown when they chose to go for 2 instead of 1. Ultimately the convert was not successful and I cannot help but feel like they would have been better served by going for 1. With just a few minutes left on the clock TB reclaimed possession and I am sure there was only one thing on Terry Babalis’ mind: he needed to score and fast. TB actually used a combination of both Babalis and Brady Ohanessian under center and they achieved exactly what they were aiming for. On the 7th play of the drive Jafar Hassan caught a touchdown pass from Ohanessian to shrink the deficit to six. 

Next, it was time for the onside kick and a bit more Ohanessian magic. After completing the onside kick and crossing midfield, Ohanessian decided to take things into his own hands and run the ball. That was clearly the right call since he gained nearly 20 yards and set up a final decisive play. Thunder Buddies were down 6 with 1 play to go and needed a touchdown to tie the score. For this final decisive play, Babalis was back under center. I am not sure where this decision to play musical QBs came from but putting Babalis back in was definitely the right call. He connected with Hassan for a 4 yard score to tie the game up. Despite emotions running high, there was still a final play: the convert. Thunder Buddies finished the momentous come back with a successful 1 point conversion.

This is the kind of game that can really turn a season around. The momentum created from this kind of comeback is huge and to have that right before the playoffs get underway is a dream scenario. This is the perfect kind of game to learn about the character of a team. Apart from it being clear that this team has fight, they also have a fantastic running game. Néstor Nacip Chávez Fayad has been terrifying opposing rushers. He is the leading rusher in the division and has already tallied a staggering 500+ rushing yards this season. In this game Nacip Chávez Fayad ran for just 30 yards and no scores, his lowest tally of the season. I believe the credit for this needs to be given to Roxanne Roy. While she only had 1 sack, holding the elusive Tigres QB to just 30 yards is exceptional.

All in all, this Thunder Buddies team has fight, resiliency and a sudden surge of momentum at just the right time. While I dont think this team is on the same level as Drink Team or FNF3, they could cause a few upsets in the playoffs.

Deep Ballz (12) vs Block Party (12)

This was not an offensive explosion by any means. The biggest storyline for Deep Ballz was more who was not there. Francois Rocheleau, arguably the best receiver in Coed, and Frédéric Paquette-Perrault, their super star sub_QB, were both absent. With both of them out of the lineup, Deep Ballz  struggled to put points on the board. In the absence of Rocheleau, Francois Laramee stepped up and was this team’s top target. What did give me hope for this team was how they used their female players. Rocheleau is a touchdown machine but with him out they turned to Ève Charbonneau. She was targeted six times and only managed two catches, but she made the most of those two receptions since they were both for touchdowns.

Defensively, this was a team effort from Deep Ballz which all started with the rushing of Thomas Trépanier and Victor Rifiorati. This Block Party team is well known for their love of running the ball and the fact that the combination of Trépanier and Rifiorati was able to sack them four times and hold them to 26 yards on the ground is a huge accomplishment and definitely changed the offensive game plan for Block Party. In the back field it was the Antoine Epstein show. Not only did he record a defended pass, he also notched his teams only interception of the game.

On the Block Party side of things, they finally learnt that Reka Sivasubramaniyam was their best player. She  received the most targets and led this team with 35 receiving yards and a score. If this team targeted Sivasubramaniyam five times a game all season I am willing to bet they would be in the postseason. Looking back on this season that was for Block Party, I think the biggest takeaway is that they need to find a long term solution at the quarterback position. They have been rotating through quarterbacks and have not yet found a star pivot. That being said, this team is loaded with talent. They have electric receivers and talented female players. A top tier quarterback could be the piece that this team is missing.

Week 10 Team of the Week

Every week, I will name 12 players to the team of the week. If you make the offensive team of the week, you cannot be on the defensive one and vice versa. The team of the week will be made up of players from Coed 2, Coed 3, Women’s 1 and the Women’s 2 divisions. Only stats will be considered when choosing players for the team of the week. That means 100 receiving yards in Women’s 1 is equivalent to 100 receiving yards in Coed 2. In the spirit of the Coed and Women’s divisions, every team of the week will have a minimum of two female players on the offensive and defensive team.

Offence

Quarterback: Alexandre Roel (Drink Team) 11 completions, 205 passing yards, 8 TDs, 0 INTs

Receiver: Daryl Charles (Street Runners) 5 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs

Receiver: Paulina Gasparrini (X&X) 9 receptions, 177 yards, 3 TDs

Receiver: Esther Morin-Struthers (Les P’tites Miettes) 12 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

Receiver: Keiya Allen-Beckles (Red Nation) 6 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TDs

Receiver: Tony Vo (Pig Six) 7 receptions, 108 yards, 4 TDs

Defence

Rusher: Heidi Ocana Lynch (Red Nation) 3 sacks 

Defensive Back: Alexandre Noel (Kiss My End Zone) 3 tackles, 3 INTs, 2 TDs

Defensive Back: Thomas Chaussé (Pig 6) 2 tackles, 3 INTs

Defensive Back: Jeanslee Alexis (The  IG Team) 5 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD, 2 TDs   

Defensive Back: Luis Begin (Kiss My End Zone) 1 tackle, 3 INTs

Defensive Back: Tamara Journeau (Wildcats) 4 INTs

Week 11 Team of the Week

Offence

Quarterback: Maude Lacasse (Subzero) 16 completions, 275 passing yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT

Receiver: Marie Stanescu (Blue  Thunder) 9 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TDs

Receiver: Olivia Stewart (X&X) 10 receptions, 164 yards, 4 TDs

Receiver: Esther Morin-Struthers (Les P’tites Miettes) 12 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

Receiver: Nathan Desjardins (EZFun) 6 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TDs

Receiver: Anthony Moustache (Free Agents) 6 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TDs

Defence

Rusher: Julian McLaren-Thompson (Plenty of Fish) 3 sacks 

Defensive Back: Oriola Poirier (Fast Not Furious 3) 4 tackles, 3 INTs, 1 PD, 2 TDs

Defensive Back: Alexandre Noel (Fast Not Furious 3) 4 tackles, 3 INTs, 1 PD

Defensive Back: Catherine Gaumont (Subzero) 4 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PDs   

Defensive Back: Sherlene Stewart (X&X) 1 tackle, 4 INTs, 2 PDs

Defensive Back: Kenny Boutilier (Michale Scott’s Tots)  3 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 PD

Divisional round Predictions:

Deep Ballz (4-5-1) vs The Rookies (5-5) – Coed 2

The biggest question in this one is how Deep Ballz plan on replacing the injured Francois Rocheleau. He was their leading receiver this season with over 500 receiving yards and 15 receptions. Simply put, there are very few flag players in Canada that can replace Rocheleau (yes, he is that good) and I do not see Deep Ballz overcoming this loss.

As for the Rookies, they have quietly had a very respectable season. Cedric Maurice has been a serviceable quarterback Mazen Ouali has been leading the charge at the receiver position for this team. The only concern that I have about this group is the ability of their female players to get involved in the offense. Despite that, I think they will have an easier time rolling past Deep Ballz. 

Prediction: The Rookies

Fitsquad (5-5) vs Never Too Late Team (5-5) – Coed 2

This could very well be the game of the week. Both of these teams have struggled but feel better than their 5-5 record. Fitsquad especially is a team that excelled in the first half of the season and handed Kiss My End Zone their only loss of the season but have struggled as of late. On the flip side, Never Too Late Team are packed with dynamic playmakers and have a veteran QB in Paolo Della Roca. This is going to be an exciting high scoring affair and if there is one game you want to make it out to see this weekend, it is definitely this one. 

Overall, I prefer the experience of Fitsquad in this matchup. This is a team that has plenty of experience in the playoffs and has even previously made a Coed 2 finals. Not to mention, they definitely have the upside in terms of female players. Frédéric Chevarie led this team in the regular season with nine scores and over 230 yards of offence. This team also has Laurence Pontbriand who is one of the better female receivers in the country right now. 

All in all, this will be a fantastic game between two teams that definitely should have finished higher in the standings. In the end, the playoff experience and female athletes of Fitsquad should win out over Never Too Late Team.

Prediction: Fitsquad

We Love Big TDs (5-5) vs Tigres (3-7) – Coed 3

Despite having the better record heading into this one, I am very worried about We Love Big TDs. They only have five sacks on the season and four of those sacks have come courtesy of Nicholas Fon who is also their leading ball hawk with four interceptions. In other words, this team can only produce sacks or interceptions and not both. In this game Fon will need to rush and while that might negate the run threat of Néstor Nacip Chávez Fayad, it will open up significant lanes in the passing game. 

This is going to be a close one but I think this is an awful matchup for We Love Big TDs.

Prediction: Tigres

Kamikaze (3-7) vs Michael Scott’s Tots (5-5) – Coed 3

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this Michael Scott’s Tots team was able to finish the season with a .500 record. Kenny Boutilier has slowly but surely learned the ropes of the QB position and while he is still overly reliant on his legs, he has shown significant improvement over past seasons.

As for Kamikaze, they are looking for their answer at the quarterback position. They have thrown nearly as many interceptions as they have scores and are averaging just under 2.5 scores a game. 

This is not going to be a pretty game to watch, but the easiest way to predict a game is to choose the best QB and in this one, that has to be Kenny Boutilier of Michael Scott’s Tots.

Prediction: Michael Scott’s Tots

Subzero (10-0) vs WOS (8-2)

This duel in the Women’s 1 division is a semifinal game and not a divisional round matchup. The winner of this game will qualify for the finals while the loser will play The Rock for a second chance to qualify for the finals. 

Predicting this one is fairly easy. Not only have Subzero beaten WOS twice this season, Subzero also recently won the Canadian national championship. Simply put, they are the best women’s team in the land and certainly the best team in the Women’s 1 division. 

Sara Parker won QB of the year honors with a 46/1 TD to INT ratio and Laurence Pontbriand led all female receivers with nearly 750 receiving yards despite only playing eight games. They also have the best rusher in the division (and Canada) in Jessica Bositampen who led both W1 and W2 with 11 sacks. If this team had a weakness, it would have to be their secondary. No player has more than four interceptions and they have only 17 interceptions on the season. While WOS might be able to slightly take advantage of this Subzero secondary, it will not be enough to win.

Prediction: Subzero

Good luck to everyone in the postseason and as usual, feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the articles.