Reviews and Previews for Co-ed

After what has seemed an interminable bye week, co-ed is finally ready to kick back off this week. In an attempt to get everyone back into the co-ed mood, I will discuss each team’s performances so far and what we should expect from them in the upcoming games and postseason.

Before getting into the analysis, I would just like to say a quick word about Lance Daniel. For those of you who have been around FPF for a while, you know Lance as the Game of the Week guy. While Lance has now retired from the official Game of the Week, he is still around FPF. Lance is now working as a freelance videographer. If you are interested in having your game filmed and edited, give him a shout! He is all over the FPF Facebook page so you can discuss the details with him over Facebook.

 

Team by Team Reviews and Previews

3rd Down for What (5-1)

While this season has been full of surprises, 3rd Down for What has not been one of them. We have become accustomed to seeing them sitting atop the co-ed standing and once again, they are in first. Before the season started, I thought that the loss of a few of their key players was going to take a toll on this team. Clearly, the most important piece of this team is Sara Parker. She has had yet another fantastic season. With a 15/1 TD to INT ratio, a 70% completion percentage and a 131.7 QB rating, it is easy to understand why she is the best passer in the division.

3DW are set to close out the season with two winnable yet tricky games. I think they will narrowly beat both Midtown and Michael Scott’s Tots to finish the season with a 7-1 record. They key for this team will be maintaining their spectacular form in the playoffs. While they are the heavy favorites to win it all, they were also the favorites last year before they crumbled in the finals

Party Mix (4-2)

Party Mix didn’t make any drastic changes in the offseason. Rather, they regrouped after a challenging winter campaign and rallied together to turn things around for the spring. The Party Mix we have been seeing week in and week out for the past few months is the Party Mix of old. They are not a flashy team, none of their players will wow with superhuman feats of athleticism. However, they are by far the smartest team in the division. It is so frustrating to play against Party Mix because they have no problems taking 12-15 plays to march down the field. Opposition defences are left frustrated by their patient approach. While many co-ed defences rely on the abilities of their individual players, Party Mix’s defence finds its strength in the cohesion of the group.

Party Mix have a fairly easy final two games and I expect them to win both. Heading into the playoffs, Party Mix matchup extremely well against the younger teams who like to go deep but I don’t see how Party Mix could get past a methodical team like 3rd Down For What. Against any patient team with a precise QB, Party Mix will struggle mightily.

Midtown (4-2)

Before the season started, I really didn’t know who Midtown were. They had never played co-ed in the past and I only recognized one name on their roster. After playing them and seeing them around co-ed, I have finally figured out what defines them. Simply put, Midtown are the most athletically gifted team in this division. What they lack in FPF experience, they more than make up for with raw talent.

If Midtown want to find success in the playoffs, they will need to change up their formula. So far, their offence has two settings. Either they pass it deep to Jean-Christophe Morin-Phaneuf or they check down the ball to Marilou Beland. While those options will work against less talented teams, they have yet to find an answer for when the opposing defence takes away the deep ball. After Party Mix forced Midtown to throw short, they held them to three scores.

Black Mamba (3-3)

Black Mamba with three wins and a 0.500 record has to be the surprise of the season in co-ed. It is hard to imagine that just a few months ago this team were bottom dwellers in co-ed 2. After a season of learning and a few very key offseason acquisitions, this team has surprised. Yes, two of their three wins did come on the last play of the game and a third came against a depleted team. However, a win is a win. They have been opportunistic and found ways to turn close games into wins, that is more than I can say for some other teams in this division.

If Black Mamba finish in the top five, the playoffs are going to be very rough for them. That top playoff bracket will be filled with experienced teams who will quickly figure out Mamba. However, if they lose their two final games and they fall into the lower bracket they might have a fighting chance.

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (3-3)

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce are a hard team to figure out. They have the most elusive quarterback in the division and three top caliber receivers on offence. Despite all that talent, this team has found a way to lose three games. They seem to lower their level of play to the level of their opponents. One thing that has always been working for SHCS are the legs of Jean-Felix Marquis. He has eluded all rushers he has faced. It does not look like there is a single rusher in this division who will be able to contain him.

Luckily for SHCS, they have two slightly easier games coming up before the playoffs. If they can learn to be more consistent over those two games and play up to their abilities instead of down to the ones of their opponents, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

Yin&Yang (2-4-1)

Yin&Yang are by far the most puzzling team in this division. If you look at their roster, they have one of the very best. Every single one of their players has the ability to make a big play at any moment. Even more importantly, they have two of the very best women in the division. Despite all this talent, Y&Y have only won two games.

For some reason, Gino Di Fazio has been splitting quarterbacking duties with Jonathan Bardo. While Bardo has a strong arm, he is no Di Fazio. Once the playoffs start, I am sure that Di Fazio will take sole possession of this offence. I expect this team to be a serious contender.

Kiss My End Zone (2-4)

For a team that was constructed for co-ed 2, I am thrilled with what Kiss My Endzone have accomplished. They have managed to stay within just a few scores of some of the very best teams in the division. While the two wins are great, this is also a learning experience for many on the team. They have a young roster who are still growing accustomed to the ways of co-ed and FPF in general.

The big question for KMEZ entering the playoffs will be can they pull off a great defensive and offensive performance in the same game. We have seen their offence shine twice, scoring 38 points against Michael Scott’s Tots and 33 against 3DW. Their defence also proved itself in the match versus Y&Y. If KMEZ can play offence like they did against MST and defence like they did against Y&Y, they will be a frightening team in the playoffs.

Drunk Again and Looking to Score (2-4)

Drunk Again and Looking to Score are a team brimming with talent. They have one of the brightest young quarterback prospects in FPF with Rocco Christiana as well as one of the best receivers in the division in Chris Milard. The problem with this team is that they are over dependent on Milard. It quickly becomes obvious to opposition defences that he is their number one target.

They have proven they can run with the best of them with wins against Y&Y and SHCS. However, DALS have not won a game since May. They need to make the most of their final two games to enter the playoffs on a positive note. The fate of this team in the playoffs will be decided by Christiano. If he continues to feed Milard the ball, they won’t make it out of the first round. If he starts spreading the ball, this team might win it all.

Michael Scott’s Tots (1-3-1)

Michael Scott’s Tots made some great offseason acquisitions and I had them penciled in as one of the top teams in the division. I saw them as contenders for first place. Wow was I wrong. With key players missing far too many games, this team has struggled to find any sort of consistency.

The good news for MST is that they are the only team with three games remaining. They are in the perfect position to gather a head of steam and head into the playoffs brimming with confidence. For MST to have enough momentum to make a playoff run, I think they will need two wins out of their final three games.

 

I hope you enjoyed these team by team recaps. Hopefully it got everyone in the mood for some co-ed football because the bye weeks are finally over and co-ed actions is just hours away!