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 Sophomore division.

 

The Dubois Awards:

Sophomore:

Quarterback of the Year: Adam Bateman (Wolves)

Stats: 69 completions, 46.6 completion percentage, 906 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 9 INTs, 6 sacks, 80.7 QB rating

In a division where most quarterbacks struggled, Adam Bateman found a way to excel. He used his legs to extend the play and give his receivers enough time to get open.

Receiver of the Year: Nicholas Kousaie (Colts)

Stats: 30 receptions, 243 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs

Even though the Colts did not have a great season, one constant bright spot on this team was Nicholas Kousaie. He led all Sophomore receivers in receptions with 30.

Defender of the Year: Zachary Nelson (Panthers)

Stats: 20 tackles, 6 INTs, 4 PDs, 2 defensive TDs

Zachary Nelson was the leader of the Panthers offence. Most impressively, he returned half of his interceptions for touchdowns. For a Panthers team that sometimes struggled to score, those pick sixes were crucial.  

Rusher of the Year: Jeremy Racicot (Panthers)

Stats: 11 tackles, 1 INT, 11 sacks, 1 defensive TD

Rusher is the most underrated position in FPF. A rusher can go an entire game without tackles or sacks and have played a fantastic game because he limited the opposing QBs time and space  in the pocket. Jeremy Racicot did all that and also sacked his opponents 11 times.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Jordy Melnik (Bulls)

Stats: 17 receptions, 277 receiving yards, 11 TDs, 24 tackles, 9 INTs, 9 PDs, 3 defensive TDs, 1 sack

Whenever the Bulls needed a big play, they turned to Jordy Melnik. He was their leading receiver and also the leader of the Bull’s ball-hawking secondary.

Atom:

Quarterback of the Year: Jordel Springe (Flight School)

Stats: 67 completions, 59.8 completion percentage, 1057 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 6 INTs, 6 sacks, 108.5 QB rating

Jordel Springer is the most electric player in all of FPF. Despite being one of the youngest players in the division, he threw for four times more yards than any other quarterback. I cannot wait to see how much more talented Springer will be in a few years time

Receiver of the Year: Jeremiah Andre (Cougars)

Stats: 19 receptions, 142 receiving yards, 2 receiving TDs

Jeremiah Andre was the go-to man for the Cougars. He accounted for half of their passing yards!

Defender of the Year: Samuel Cote (Jaguars)

Stats: 1 tackle, 6 INTs, 3 PDs, 2 defensive TDs

In a division where points are extremely hard to come by, having a defender who can not only pick off your opponents, but turn those interceptions into points is key. That is exactly what Samuel Cote did for the Jaguars with his two pick sixes.

Rusher of the Year: Charles Drouin (49ers)

Stats: 9 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 PD

Rusher is a difficult enough position to play and it is made even more difficult in Atom since the rusher has to leave from 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Despite that challenge, Charles Drouin impressed with four sacks.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Shelby Gaba (Flight School)

Stats: 18 receptions, 331 receiving yards, 6 TDs, 8 tackles, 4 INTs, 7 PDs, 1 defensive TD, 1 sack

Offensively, there was no player like Shelby Gaba. Gaba accounted for more receiving yards than most teams had passing yards. To add to that, Gaba was also a ball hawk on defence with four picks and seven defended passes.

Mosquito:

Quarterback of the Year: Amani Ho Sang (Flight School 2)

Stats: 73 completions, 68.2 completion percentage, 1066 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 1 INT, 1 sack, 136.1 QB rating

Amani Ho Sang led the lead in passing yards. Even more impressively, he did so while only throwing one interception. He was nearly perfect this year so who knows, maybe next season he will not throw a single interception?

Receiver of the Year: Vincent Debray (Diablos)

Stats: 33 receptions, 450 receiving yards, 12 receiving TDs

Vincent Debray’s unique mix of speed and athleticism made him a nightmare for whichever defence he faced. He used his athleticism to lead all Mosquito players in receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns.

Defender of the Year: Jaden Jacob (Flight School 1)

Stats: 14 tackles, 12 INTs, 8 PDs, 1 defensive TD

Most defences hope to average one interception a game. Well, Jaden Jacob on his own averaged 1.5 picks a game for Flight School 1. What a season.

Rusher of the Year: Justin Lavigne (Cougars)

Stats: 9 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 INTs

Justin Lavigne did a bit of everything for the Cougars. When he wasn’t busy sowing terror in the backfield, he was picking off passes in the secondary.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Harley Minzberg (Grizzlies)

Stats: 26 receptions, 328 receiving yards, 7 TDs, 12 tackles, 4 INTs, 3 PDs

Harley Minzberg was the driving force behind the Grizzlies this season. Whenever he made a big play, you could hear his coaches wondering how they would manage without him. Well, with his 328 receiving yards and 4 interceptions, it is hard to imagine the Grizzlies without Minzberg.

Pee-Wee:

Quarterback of the Year: Obryan Bouchard (Flight School 2)

Stats: 75 completions, 60.0 completion percentage, 870 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 5 INTs, 5 sacks, 104 QB rating

While Obryan Bouchard may not have led the division in passing yards, he did a great job taking care of the football. He threw four times more touchdowns than interceptions. That mistake free football led Flight School 2 to a 7-1 regular season.

Receiver of the Year: Justin Swaminadhan (Gladiators)

Stats: 30 receptions, 303 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs

Whenever the Gladiators needed a key first down catch, they turned to Justin Swaminadhan. While Swaminadhan may not be a deep threat like other receivers, he constantly finds ways to get open and tally up the yards.

Defender of the Year: Ryan Whitehouse (Cougars)

Stats: 20 tackles, 2 INTs, 2 PDs, 1 defensive TD

Ryan Whitehouse was a tackling machine for the Cougars. He marauded the flats and did a great job eliminating his opponents yards after the catch. To add to his twenty tackles, he also picked off his opponents twice.

Rusher of the Year: Cedrick Leroux (AP Hurricanes)

Stats: 7 tackles, 14 sacks, 1 PD

Whenever a rusher averages more than a sack a game, you know they had a great season. Well, Cedrick Leroux averaged nearly two sacks a game and pressured opposing QBs on countless more occasions.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Malik Sabourin-Danglade (Flight School)

Stats:  40 receptions, 523 receiving yards, 15 TDs, 14 tackles, 4 INTs, 5 PDs, 2 defensive TD, 13 sacks

What can’t Malik Sabourin-Danglade do? He led all receivers with 523 receiving yards. He also excelled as a rusher and finished the season with 13 sacks. On top of all that, he found time to tally 4 interceptions and 5 PDs.

Bantam:

Quarterback of the Year: Nicholas Masella (North Shore)

Stats: 99 completions, 57.9 completion percentage, 1317 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, 5 INTs, 19 sacks, 109.8 QB rating

No one in FPF Junior completed more passes than Nicholas Masella. While he may not have a cannon of an arm, he is perfectly suited to excel in FPF. Masella is a smart quarterback who can dissect an opposing defence with a single glance.

Receiver of the Year: Racim Kaisbachammard (Diablos)

Stats: 28 receptions, 455 receiving yards, 8 receiving TDs

Racim Kaisbachammard is deceptively fast and used that speed to sneak behind defenders and finished the season with an impressive 455 receiving yards.

Defender of the Year: Zander Leiba (Islanders)

Stats: 12 tackles, 8 INTs, 4 PDs, 4 defensive TD

Zander Leiba managed to return half of his interceptions to the house. Wow!

Rusher of the Year: William Leclerc (Flight School)

Stats: 6 tackles, 23 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 PD

I cannot say enough about this performance. William Leclerc single handedly transformed Flight School’s defence into a force to be reckoned with. On every play he was hurrying the opposing quarterback into making quick decisions. While he was rewarded with an astonishing 23 sacks, he also produced countless more turnovers since quarterbacks panicked when they saw him coming and just tossed the ball into the hands of a FS defender.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Ryan Velan (LCC Lions)

Stats: 15 receptions, 347 receiving yards, 8 TDs, 7 tackles, 6 INTs, 2 PDs, 1 defensive TD

When you think of a well-rounded player, you think of Ryan Velan. He was a leader on the offensive side of the ball with his 347 receiving yards and defensively, he was amongst the league leaders with six interceptions.

Midget:

Quarterback of the Year: Noah Gravell (La Belle Province)

Stats: 87 completions, 58.8 completion percentage, 1127 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 6 INTs, 3 sacks, QB rating 105.5

Noah Gravell had a fantastic regular season. He protected the ball and avoided negative plays, he was only sacked three times. He was the driving force behind La Belle Province’s 8-0 regular season.

Receiver of the Year: Farell Gnago (Diablos)

Stats: 27 receptions, 379 receiving yards, 8 receiving TDs

Farell Gnago was the deep threat for the Diablos. He averaged nearly 15 yards per reception and led all receivers with 379 receiving yards.

Defender of the Year: Matthew Eiley (Dusters)

Stats: 11 tackles, 4 INTs, 1 PD

Despite only playing six games, Matthew Eiley was amongst the league leaders in tackles and interceptions. Just imagine if he would have played 8 games!

Rusher of the Year: Marco Gentile (North Shore)

Stats: 4 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 PDs

In a division where sacks are hard to come by, North Shore’s Marco Gentile impressed with his eight sacks and three defended passes.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Carter Soles (North Shore)

Stats: 16 receptions, 287 receiving yards, 7 TDs, 17 tackles, INTs, 6 PDs

Even though Carter Soles only played in five games, he managed to lead all Midget receivers in interceptions with six. As a receiver, he averaged 18 yards a reception and was one of the most terrifying deep threats in the division.

 

There you have all of my choices for FPF Junior’s 4th (and hopefully not last) edition of the Dubois Awards.