Spartans survive a scare; teams solidify playoff seedings

Welcome to Week 8 of the FlagPlus Football Division E season. Yeah, the season is going by too quick. We are now officially in the stretch run of the season. Teams are doing one of three things; either solidifying their spot in the standings, fighting to get into the post-season, or making plans for the Winter Season.

As far as a team who is solidifying their spot in the standings, the SPARTANS took another step on the path to perfection, as they used their height and speed to earn an extremely hard-fought 31-25 victory over Gyr Tuesday night in Brossard.

SPARTANS Rusher and Wide Receiver Charles-David Martel continued his break-out campaign on the offenive side of the ball, as he came up with numerous big cathces for his team and shredded the Gyr defense. At certain points in the game Martel and his QB James D’Andrea looked like Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, as D’Andrea was smartly throwing fade and corner routes to Martel who used his length to catch passes over the much smaller Gyr defenders.

On the defensive side of the ball, he was no slouch either, as not only did he have 3 sacks, put his constant pressure on opposing Quarterbacks Nathanael Niedermann and Fred Casgrain made it hard for the duo who were replacing regualr starter PJ Belec, to get into rhythm.

Also coming big the undefeated side was Dale Messi, who also used his size to pick off 2 passes, and knock down 2 others. He also added a TD on a jump ball thrown his way in the redzone, on his only reception of the night.

Standing on the sideline wathcing this game, I could tell that it was a frustrating loss for Gyr. They were without their starting QB, they struggled to get stops on defense, but yet they were arguably 1-2 plays from walking out with an upset W.

Hopefully the team learned something about themselves from the loss. I know I did. Namely, they don’t quit, and Nathanael Niedermann is simply a BEAST. His one-handed catches, ability to locate the ball in the air, and come down with it despite being double-teamed is impressive. They also have a very capable back-up QB in the aforementioned Casgrain, who did a pretty decent job in his first game ever at the position. Most importantly though, I am 100% confident that the outcome of the game would have been completely different if Belec had played. Gyr knows this, and I think the SPARTANS do too.

The Warriors also took some steps in to hammer one of the top spots in Conference B as well, by easy dismantling the Suh-Tang Clan 36-19.

Watching this game, you can tell that this matchup had a big game feel, as both sides looked ready to play. Early turnovers and missed opportunities through-out the game by Suh-Tang doomed them however, as even when they got a chance to either tie the game, or at the very least steal all the momentum, they would make a mistake that was costly.

A big reason for The Warriors coming away with victory, was their QB Michael Solimene, who sliced and diced the Suh-Tang defense, as he threw for a Div. E Week 7 high 219 yards, and connected on a touchdown to 5 different receivers. One of those receivers was Steve Masganas, who came up with big plsay after big play for his team, especially on third down when it looked like S.T.C had their opponents pinned down in their own side of the field.

The Warriors who are still only one game behind the SPARTANS for 1st place in Conference B, play the the RoadRunners and their dangerous offense uesday night in Brossard. A win for the 1-loss team would not only keep them the SPARTANS’ heels, but it would also keep the glut of teams who are one game out of 2nd place at bay.

Both TDs and Beer and Les Bonhommes Jaunes have pretty much all but wrapped up the top two spots in Conference A.

TDs and Beer remained undefeated after laying a beating on the Permian Panthers 50-6, in a game that was over by halftime, as Brad Evans’ crew was up 32-0 at the break. They got after and confused first-time QB Julien Rokket, he threw 3 interceptions and only completed 8 passes.

Les Bonhommes Jaunes moved to 7-0 as they beat Goon Squad 30-0 by forfeit. As I’ve been saying for the longest time, that is lame. Forfeiting a game not only robs you and the other team of playing, but it is also a colassal waste of money, since you already paid to play. We’ve all been in a position where we’ve had to scramble around to find players and make roster moves the night of a game, but no-showing is just wrong, especially when you are 1 game out of the playoffs as Goon Squad was heading into their game against LBJ Sunday night.

Jean Guy took a major step up the standings and more importantly in Conference B’s East Division, with their 21-6 win over the Rolling Thunder.

Jean Guy rode their traditionally strong defense to the win, as they Rolling Thunder QB Jeremy Dee into the worst performance of his FPF career, as the rookie threw 4 INTs. What makes the victory even more impressive, is that they pulled it off without their best player and rusher Simon Laporte.

As for Emile Lamy, the Jean Guy QB didn’t post up any significant numbers on offense, but he did throw for 2 TDs, and added 76 yards and another score on 6 carries.

The win puts the team in a tie for first place with Gyr, and 1 point up on the Suh-Tang Clan.

Beastmode got a huge performance from the trio of QB Charles-Olivier Lavigne, and his Wide Receivers Jeremy White, and Jean-Christophe Ferland as they trounced (I’ve always wanted to use that word in a sports article or column) the Super Troopers 41-18.

Lavigne who threw for an impressive 6 touchdowns, conmected with his two leading receivers a combined 13 times for 123 yards and an eye-popping 5 TDs. Impressive indeed.

More important than the stats, the win gave Beastmode a huge 2 points, as it put it them 1 point up on the Super Troopers as well as FACE Jazz and Goon Squad who are all tied for the 8th and final playoff spot in Conference A with 4 points.

The roller coaster ride that has turned into the Jagys & Chill season, went back up the tracks, as they pulled off the huge upset in knocking off the Smokin’ Axolotls 25-18. J&C got a solid performance out of two-way players Gabriel Moreau-Paquette and Jon Pendenza.

Moreau-Paquette had an interception, to go along with 4 tackles and 4 knockdowns which were both game-highs. Pendenza picked up a sack, a batted ball, and 3 catches for 31 yards and 2 TDs on offense.

In last week’s article I called Jagys & Chill out. I am glad they answered. Let’s see what they do this Sunday against a reeling Super Troopers squad.

Let’s see who balled this week…

After 7 longs weeks, and many close finishes, Dirty Mike n the Boys finally picked up their first win of the season, with a 32-6 beatdown of FACE Jazz. The win was impressive, as was the performance of QB Jordan Allard. The first-year passer, had without a doubt his best game of the season, as he went 17 of 23 for 118 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the ground he was equally effective, as he ran 4 times for 34 yards and 1 TD. He wasn’t done there however, as the two-way threat had an interception that he ran back for a score.

Also having a big night for the team was Dylan Segall, who had 6 catches for 53 yards, and added an INT of his own as well. Good job on the win guys!

Gyr – As I said earlier, they were without their starting QB, and still managed to give the best team in Div E all they could handle. I have a feeling that these two will meet up again in a few weeks when all the marbles are on the line. I for one can’t wait to see the rematch.

Normil (Jean Guy) – No, that’s not a typo, Mr. Mormil’s first name wasn’t submitted to the score keeper, so he is listed as R. Normil on the FPF site. Either way, he made an impressive debut, as he picked off the Rolling Thunder’s Jeremy Dee twice.

Dale Messi (SPARTANS) – As I said earlier, he had a big game versus Gyr with his two interceptions and a TD on offense. He actually dropped a 3rd INT. His length and speed make him a valuable member of a defense that is missing two key pieces in Daniel Hernandez and Eric Thananayagam. Messi is doing his part to pick up the slack.

Brad Evans (TDs and Beer) – Another week, another 5 touchdowns, for a the Div. E leader in TD passes with 37. The only question that remains, is whether or not Mathew Yanakoulias (The RoadRunners) and Michael Solimene (The Warriors) who both have 31, can catch Evans.

Justin Lerner and Nick Rompotinos (The RoadRunners) – They delivered big performances, and were a huge reason why their team were able to hang on and knock-off a fired up Gronky Kong team 32-24. The duo combined for 6 receptions for 110 yards and 3 TDs. On the otherside of the ball, they teamed up for 8 tackles, and 3 INTs.

Simon Bosquet Beaudoin (Aliens) – In a game that was ugly to say the least offensively, as we saw 5 QBs combine to go 14 of 32 for 202 yards, Beaudoin was pretty much the only person to shine as he put up 4 catches for 93 yards and 2 TDs. More importantly, his performance helped his team move into a tie for second place in Conference A’s East Division with the Smokin Axolotls.

Trinity – After losing three games in a row, and falling in real danger of missing the playoffs, Trinity finally got back on track against the KRUSADERS, as they dominated them early and often, on the way to a 43-6 victory. The team got a really good performance on both sides of the ball out of Vincent Marquis, as the 2nd year player 2 grabs for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns on offense, to go along with 2 interceptions, 1 of which was run back for a score. Let’s see if the team can continue their winning ways this Tuesday in a huge matchup against the Rolling Thunder.

KRUSADERS – After getting shutout the last two weeks in a row, the KRUSADERS finally got on the board. They only managed a TD, but you gotta start somewhere. The team also added Quarterback Chris Olsen. I’ve known him for a long time, and played against him numerous times. He’s a competitive and proud guy, who is also a team player. He should be able to add something to the team over the last 3 weeks.

Gronky Kong – Yes, they are still winless, but these guys are really fighting hard, and have been getting a lot better the last few weeks, as they’ve given the Suh-Tang Clan and The Warriors a run for their money. If it wasn’t for a few costly mistakes in the second half this past week, they would’ve pulled off a huge upset victory over the RoadRunners. The team has a number of talented players including Francois Martin, Alexis Labonte, Josh Levine, and the main man Deeze. I don’t see them going winless for the season.

Let’s see who took the fall…

FACE Jazz – After picking up their first two wins of the season over the last two weeks with victories over the Goon Squad and Permian Panthers, FACE Jazz had a chance to make it 3 in a row as they faced the winless Dirty Mike n the Boys. A win would have also vaulted them into sole possesion of 7th place in Conference A. Not only did F.J not get the win, but they didn’t even show up, as they were flat-out dominated. Step It Up guys!

And the streak continues…Last week I mentioned that we have seen shut-outs in every week of the season. I was kind of worried that I might have jinxed the steak, but NO!!!!! the lame Goon Squad 30-0 forfeit to Les Bonhommes Jaunes, keep the record alive for yet another week.

Passing – I have talked about this for multiple seasons, but teams still ignore my advice. When the game is close, and in some cases even when it’s not, why do teams continue to throw the deep ball. In every single game that I watched this week, lots of QBs decided to go to the deep, ball despite the fact that teams were either playing cover 2, the Receivers being sent on long routes weren’t open, or some cases, the aforementioned QBs didn’t have the arm strength and/or accuracy to deliver the ball to their target.

Here’s some more advice that shouldn’yt be ignored. If a Defensive Back is playing 8-10 yards before the snap, and especially if he drops back once the play starts, throw hooks, crossers, and out routes. Football is a thinking man’s game. Let’s use some common sense…

Match-ups

Marc-Antoine Vallee (Les Bonhommes Jaunes) versus Jameel Greenidge (Tigers)

Two dangerous play-makers going at it, you can’t ask for anything more than that. Both guys know what to do when the ball is in their hands, and the duo makes their pressence felt on both sides of the ball, as they have combined to score 23 TDs. I expect to see a least a few one-on-one matchups between these two. I can’t wait.

Francois Martin (Gronky Kong) versus Emile Lamy (Jean Guy)

As I said earlier, Martin and his Gronky Kong squad are coming off a tough loss The RoadRunners this past Tuesday night. Martin’s plays has improved over the last 2 weeks, as he has thrown 8 TDs. Pride is on the line for G.K, so you can expect them to play hard like always.

Emile Lamy doesn’t put up pretty numbers as a QB, but he and his team get wins, and that’s what matters most. As I mentioned earlier, Jean Guy is currently tied for 1st in Conference B’s East Division, a strong performance Lamy who is also tied for his team lead in INTs with 4, will go a huge way to keeping his team atop the standings.

Nick Grennon (Suh-Tang Clan) versus the Gyr QB

Grennon has been arguably the hottest rusher in the division over the past as he has picked up 2 sacks in three straight games. This past week I saw the SPARTANS Charles-David Martel wreck havoc on the Gyr offense. While Grennon is a totally different player than Martel, the fact remains, that he knows how to rush the passer. If PJ Belec is not behind Center, it might be another tough outing for the Gyr offense. Even if Belec does suit up, it won’t be a walk in the park.

Power Rankings (N/R = Not Ranked)

SPARTANS (Last Week: 1 Undefeated)
TDs and Beer (Last Week: 2 Undefeated)
3.Les Bonhommes Jaunes (Last Week: 3 Undefeated
The Warriors (Last Week: 6. Big win, plus losses by teams who were in front of them.)
Gyr (Last Week: 5. Impressive in loss, and came within a play of knocking off the SPARTANS.)
Smokin’ Axolotls (Last Week: 4. Big loss to a Jagys & Chill that only had 1 impressive win.)
Aliens. (Last Week: 8. Big win over the Tigers sees them climb a spot.)
Jean Guy (Last Week: 10. Solid win over the Rolling Thunder boost them in the rankings.)
Tigers (Last Week: 7. They drop two spots with the loss to the Aliens. They have a huge chance to soar up the standings if they can knock off the undefeated LBJ.)
Jagys & Chill (Last Week: N/R. Huge win over the Smokin Axolotls puts them in the rankings.)

Picks (Favorites in bold)

Super Troopers vs Jagys & Chill – Jagys & Chill

Aliens vs Beastmode – Beastmode (My pick for Game of the Week #1)

Les Bonhommes Jaunes vs Tigers – Les Bonhommes Jaunes

Goon Squad vs TDs and Beer – TDs and Beer

Victorious Secret vs KRUSADERS – KRUSADERS (Upset Special #1)

Smokin Axolotls vs FACE Jazz – Smokin Axolotls

Dirty Mike n the Boys vs Periman Panthers – Dirty Mike n the Boys

Gyr vs Suh-Tang Clan – Gyr

Gronky Kong VS Jean Guy – Gronky KONG (Upset Special #2)

The Warriors vs The RoadRunners – The Warriors (My pick for Game of the Week #2)

Rolling Thunder vs Trinity – Trinity

Les Huards vs SPARTANS – SPARTANS

Last Week: 8-4

Season: 44-26-2

That’s it for this week. Thanks for taking the time to read the article. I’ll be back next week with a re-cap of Week 8, and my Week 9 preview.

If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, feel free to contact me at [email protected]

Happy Canada Day!!!!