The Dubois Awards
The end of the season is a sad event, but it also means it’s time for awards! In FPF Junior, we have two sets of awards. The first are the official awards handed out by FPF commissioner Robert Campana in collaboration with the coaches. Those trophies for MVP and MIP (most improved player) have already been given out. Those awards come with a shiny trophy and international recognition (OK, league wide recognition).
The other awards are what I have affectionately dubbed the Dubois Awards. These are my unofficial division by division awards for best quarterback, defender, receiver, rusher and two-way player. Sadly, these awards do not come with fame or a shiny trophy but rather with the satisfaction of knowing that your great season did not go unnoticed. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the Dubois Awards for the Atom division.
The Dubois Awards
Atom
Quarterback of the Year: Luca Swaminadhan (McCaig Gladiators 2)
Stats: 39 completions, 48.1 completion percentage, 471 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, 2 INTs, 1 sack, 93.2 QB rating
There was really no one else in Atom who came close to matching Luca Swaminadhan’s performance. He blew away the competition with his arm and led his team all the way to the championship.
Receiver of the Year: Harley Minzberg (Grizzlies)
Stats: 11 receptions, 182 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs
Harley Minzberg is by far the most electrifying player in the division. Every time he touches the ball, you have a feeling he is going to make something happen.
Defender of the Year: Jake Roberts (Silver Cougars)
Stats: 5 tackles, 2 INTs, 8 PDs, 1 defensive TD
While Jake Roberts may not have grabbed the headlines like the other two, he had just as much of an impact on the game. With his eight defended passes, he was a force to be reckoned with in the Cougars’ secondary.
Rusher of the Year: Elif Balci (Jaguars)
Stats: 10 tackles, 7 sacks
Rusher is one of the hardest positions to play in FPF. It is made even harder in Atom since the rusher is 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Despite all that, Elif Balci still managed to rack up 10 tackles and 7 sacks. What a season!
Two-Way Player of the Year: Aaron George (Jaguars)
Stats: 9 receptions, 129 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 14 tackles, 6 INTs, 5 PDs, 1 defensive TD
Aaron George was the heart of the Jaguars on offence and defence. When they needed a first down late in a close game, it was him they looked to. On defence, if they needed someone to shut down the other team’s top receiver, it was once again Aaron George who got the call.
Mosquito
Quarterback of the Year: Kingston Paquet (McCaig Gladiators 1)
Stats: 89 completions, 63.1 completion percentage, 875 passing yards, 21 passing TDs, 4 INTs, 3 sacks, 108.3 QR rating
Kingston Paquet blew away the competition in Mosquito. His maturity and poise in the pocket coupled with his ridiculous arm strength made him the best quarterback in the division.
Receiver of the Year: Anthony Barrette (AP Hurricanes 2)
Stats: 27 receptions, 333 receiving yards, 7 receiving TDs
I always thought of Anthony Barrette as more of a defensive player. This season, he proved that not only is he a great defender, but also a terrific receiver.
Defender of the Year: Kevyn De Serres-Payne (Panthers)
Stats: 21 tackles, 9 INTs. 6 PDs, 1 defensive TD
Most know Kevyn De Serres-Payne as a fantastic quarterback. What they don’t know is that he is an even better defender. He averaged more than an interception a game and was the heart and soul of the Panther’s defence.
Rusher of the Year: Emile Kilbride (McCaig Gladiators 1)
Stats: 8 tackles, 14 sacks, 1 PD
There was no other rusher close to Emile Kilbride. With his fourteen sacks, he struck fear into the hearts of opposing quarterbacks game after game.
Two-Way Player of the Year: Luca Fonsato (McCaig Gladiators 1)
Stats: 28 receptions, 300 receiving yards, 7 receiving TDs, 14 tackles, 7 INTs, 4 PDs
I always thought of Luca Fonsato as a receiver. I was surprised to see that he was equally as dominant on the defensive side of the ball.
Pee-Wee
Quarterback of the Year: Kaydon Shaw (Musketeers)
Stats: 91 completions, 68.9 completion percentage, 1132 passing yards, 27 TDs, 1 INT, 5 sacks
While his 1132 passing yards and 27 touchdowns are fantastic, the most impressive of all those statistics was the fact that he only threw one interception all season long.
Receiver of the Year: Aymerick Jean (Packers)
Stats: 36 receptions, 450 receiving yards, 14 receiving TDs
Aymerick Jean has been flying under the radar all season long. Since the Packers only played once in Kirkland, I barely had the chance to see him play. Even though he didn’t get the media coverage he deserved, Aymerick Jean had a memorable season.
Defender of the Year: Zev Diner (Rams)
Stats: 12 tackles, 3 INTS 10 PDs
After three seasons as a depth player, Zev Diner finally emerged as a dominant defender. With his three interceptions and ten tackles, he was daunting opponent for any opposing offence.
Rusher of the Year: Max Arnovitz (Rams)
Stats: 8 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 PDs
I Have said it before, and I will say it again. Rusher is one of the hardest positions to play in all of FPF. Despite all the challenges in Max Arnovitz’s way, he still managed to lead all of Pee-Wee with six sacks.
Two-Way Player of the Year: Massimo Moufrage (Musketeers)
Stats: 30 receptions, 510 receiving yards, 14 receiving TDs, 16 tackles, 6 INTs, 1 sack, 7 PDs, 3 defensive TDs
I could easily have named Massimo Moufrage as receiver of the year or defender of the year. He led the division with 510 receiving yards and no one came close to his numbers on defence.
Bantam
Quarterback of the Year: Marco Gentile (North Shore)
Stats: 78 completions, 53.1 completion percentage, 1077 passing yards, 27 passing TDs, 7 INTs 5 sacks, 96.6 QB rating
This was a close race between Marco Gentile and Adam Malinoff of the Duster’s. While the Duster’s quarterback may have run for more yards, this is QB of the year and not runner of the year. Therefore, Marco Gentile with his 1077 passing yards and 27 TDs has to win it.
Receiver of the Year: Matthew Eiley (Dusters)
Stats: 20 receptions, 482 receiving yards, 11 receiving TDs
This one wasn’t really close. Matthew Eiley blew away the competition with his 482 receiving yards and ran away with the receiver of the year crown.
Defender of the Year: Andrew Backler (Dusters)
Stats: 19 tackles, 4 INTs, 4 PDs, defensive 2 TDs
Andrew Backler did a bit of everything for the Duster’s defence. He was a sure tackler with his 19 tackles and a ball hawk with his 4 INTs and 4 PDs. He even managed to score twice.
Rusher of the Year: Brenden Urquhart (North Shore)
Stats: 9 tackles, 1 INT, 16 sacks, 1 PD
There was really no hesitation here. No one came close to matching the phenomenal numbers Brenden Urquhart put up. He blew away the competition and terrorized every single QB in the division with his 16 sacks.
Two-Way Player of the Year: Dylan Koszycki
Stats: 8 receptions, 150 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs, 12 tackles, 8 INTs, 7 PDs
It was hard to find a two-way player of the year for Bantam. While there were plenty of remarkable defensive and offensive performances, Dylan Koszycki was the only one who made a difference on both sides of the ball.
Midget
Quarterback of the Year: Garner Ross (TuneSquad)
Stats: 124 completions, 66 completion percentage, 1334 passing yards, 29 passing TDs, 11 INTs, 8 sacks, 101.8 QB rating
If you look at Garner Ross play, you wouldn’t expect him to be QB of the year. The ball comes out kind of wonky and his entire motion looks somewhat awkward. However, it’s not the optics that matter, but the results. Don’t let any of those optics distract you from the fact that Garner Ross had a phenomenal season and led all Midget QBs in terms of passing yards.
Receiver of the Year: Eric Lazarowitz (Bunnies)
Stats: 36 receptions, 415 receiving yards, 6 TDs
Eric Lazarowitz used his big frame and surprising speed to lead all Midget receivers with 415 passing yards. He was the driving force behind the Bunnies offence and their go-to man whenever they needed a big play.
Defender of the Year: Jake Newman (Tigers)
Stats: 4 tackles, 5 INTs, 1 sack, 7 PDs, 1 defensive TD
Jake Newman always stole the headlines as a receiver. Even his coach mentioned he was trying for receiver of the year. While he may have been a few hundred receiving yards short of that award, his defensive prowess made him more than worthy of the defender of the year title.
Rusher of the Year: Jonatan Lebensztajn-Shahrabani (TuneSquad)
Stats: 12 tackles, 2 INTs, 10 sacks, 2 PDs, 1 defensive TD
Apart from having the most complicated name in the division, Jonatan Lebensztajn-Shahrabani is also the fastest player in Midget. He used that blistering speed to tally an impressive 10 sacks.
Two-Way Player of the Year: Charles Presser (TuneSquad)
Stats: 20 receptions, 377 receiving yards, 8 TDs, 16 tackles, 4 INTs, 2 sacks, 6 PDs
Charles Presser was just as dominant on the offensive side of the ball as the defensive side. His fantastic jump ball abilities allowed him to be a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. On offence, he used it to snatch the ball high above opposing defender’s heads while on defence he used his height and jump to tally his four INTs and six PDs.
There you have all 25 of my choices for FPF Junior’s third (and hopefully not last) edition of the Dubois Awards.