Rehan’s Report (D1) – Finals Preview

After a week and some days of rest, media attention and God knows what else, we are now a few days away from the division 1 finals, how exciting! The question I have is which team wants it more, the Hurricanes or the Montreal’s Finest? Evidently I am inclined to say the latter because after a two-year drought, Montreal’s Finest are hungrier than ever but that wouldn’t be entirely accurate. As a Hurricanes player pointed out, once you win, the hunger to win another one is just as strong because you have tasted the sweetness of victory and do not want to relinquish it. If you’ve never won a division 1 title, perhaps it makes you more determined because you crave it badly but don’t underestimate the team who has won it twice for reasons stated above. Therefore all signs point to an epic battle between these two powerhouses and the real question is: Will the Hurricanes three-peat or will the third time be a charm for the Montreal’s Finest?

 

I will now break down the final contest of division 1 Winter 2009 season. In the head to head match up earlier this season, Montreal’s Finest won by a score of 37-34 but that means nothing and both teams are fully aware of that. The following analysis looks at the keys of the game for both teams.

 

 

Montreal’s Finest (8-1-1, 1st overall)

 

 

Offense – In his first playoff game with Montreal’s Finest, QB Kevin Wyeth was unstoppable and played excellent against the Rainmakers. All season, he spread the ball around. At least five players had 20 plus receptions, four players had 9 or more TDs and five players had 200 or more receiving yards. In the one playoff game, he threw for 7 TD passes with 76.2% completion rate and 151.4 QB rating. His task against the Hurricanes will be to spread the ball again but more important attack them deep as they have been vulnerable in that regard all season. The rest of the offense realizes that at such a high level, there is no room for mistakes especially against a great team like the Hurricanes who can make you pay. So there can be no drops, especially in scoring position given the fact the Hurricanes defenders will be strong on the ball.

 

Defense – They had the best defense in the regular season and held the Rainmakers’ potent offense to only 19 points. The chemistry of this defense is remarkable and their communication is on par. At least six players had 2 interceptions in the regular season and five players had 4 PDs or more. This defense is aggressive but also patient and is led by many veterans who know the game. This Sunday they will have to stay patient and not allow the deep ball against a Hurricanes who can go deep with the best of them (must keep Louis Larouche and Robby Robinson in check). Once the deep ball is eliminated, their prime target underneath will be Tony Khoury who catches the ball right off the snap therefore neutralizing him will make it a frustrating night for Rick Nincheri. More important, Moe Khan (rusher for Montreal’s Finest) will have an important task in making sure he doesn’t miss any chance Rick Nincheri (QB of Hurricanes) gives him for a sack due to excellent coverage by the Finest defense. Moe Khan has to be the hungriest of all the Finest defenders this Sunday.

 

Key match-up: Moe Khan vs. Rick Nincheri

X-Factor: Kevin Challenger

Must come up big: Andre Knights

 

 

Hurricanes (6-4, 3rd overall)

 

Offense – QB of the year Rick Nincheri must play like he did against the Demons in semi finals because he was flawless. In the two playoffs game so far, he has thrown for 12 TDs, no interceptions and no sacks (one of the games was against Andrija Zecevic). Rick Nincheri has the ability to release the football very quickly, which is the main reason he doesn’t get sacked quite often. He is arguably the best QB in FlagPlus Football right now. Montreal’s Finest defense will definitely show him different looks and will take away his first two reads so he must counter and get that ball off to his third read. With that said, there must be strong communication in the huddle discussing the areas that are open and although the window of opportunity might be small, the margin for error is even smaller. All Hurricanes receivers have to step up because at any time, any one of them could be called upon to make a big play.

 

Defense – They have had problems all year long on the defense and that trend continued against the Demons in the semi-final game as they allowed 45 points. This is the time to make sure all your stronger players are on the field at all times, if that means Shane Williams (receiver/defender on Hurricanes) must be present on both sides of the ball, then so be it. He is proven to be a solid contributor on offense and defense; therefore his services must be used. With Kyle Smith also back in the line up, their secondary is very strong. They should concentrate on cutting off the deep ball, giving Kevin Wyeth the small passes more often. If they make Montreal’s Finest score in the redzone, it will be to the Hurricanes advantage. Another advantage with putting Shane Williams and Kyle Smith in the secondary will be to place Kevin Wilson at the rusher position. Asif Choudhury, defensive captain of Hurricanes, has to find a way to slow down Kevin Wyeth who is on a tear right now.

 

Key match-up: Robby Robinson, Louis Larouche vs. Montreal’s Finest secondary

X-Factor: Kevin Wilson

Must come up big: Jay Ulley

 

 

In any big game, the team that has the best supporting cast (players who are not the go-to guys) will always have a slight advantage. There is depth on both teams, however I believe Montreal’s Finest has a slight advantage on the Hurricanes in that department. After losing last two finals due to a lack of depth, they addressed that issue in the off-season and now are finally ready to go head-to-head with an army. It is for this reason alone that I pick them to win their first ever championship although the two-time defending champions will not go down without a fight.

 

 

Last week I promised to reveal the categories that are present in STAR-AWARDS© so everyone can vote on the winners. I’ll publish the results next week. The categories are: Best Scorekeeper, Best Zebra (best referee), Adriano Tassone award, Best Entertainer, Fastest Man, Best Hands, Best Route Runner, The Moe Khan award, Best GM, Best Dresser (football gear), Best Trash Talker, STARWAR of the year, Sarwar’s Spread winner and league MVP. If I missed any categories, feel free to contact me and I will include it. Furthermore, I’ll name a MVP for every team and also write the top ten stories (headlines) of Winter 2009 division 1 season.

 

That does it for this week’s article; there is only one more to go. In my last article, I’ll recap the final game and announce the winners of STAR-AWARDS©. If you also have any suggestions, feel free to write to me and suggest them on Facebook or [email protected]. That is all time I have for this week but tune in to Rehan’s Report next week same STARWAR time, same STARWAR article.