The GM’s Scouting Report (Div 1&2)

The GM’s Scouting Report – Week 1 Recap

 

As I left the arena Sunday evening, I felt the worst feeling in the world. One that every FPF player experiences every week – win or lose. The second the cold air hits you and you step out into the parking lot, it’s officially the longest possible time until you next step on the field. You walk away from the glory of the field and have to wait an excruciating 167 hours until you’re back on the field.

 

Matchups of the week:

 

Division 2

 

DK (27) vs. Road Runners (25): I really didn’t see this game being as close as it was. Both quarterbacks had similar outputs (Benabdelkader 15/27, 4TD/1INT vs. Chenard 17/26, 4TD/1 INT) in a super contested match that was back and forth the entire game. The ball was spread well between both offenses, and it came down to the last play in which the possible winning touchdown for the Road Runners was deemed incomplete. Despite being a chirpy game, both teams show a lot of promise and have all the potential to go far once they hit their stride.

 

Wolfpack (32) vs. Served With Ice (26): The other game in Division 2 that came down to the wire. Both teams have done some re-tooling and had different looks to them. Wolfpack are without Mikhail Davidson, Remy Pare and GraciaMwembo, and SWI had a fill-in patchwork offense that included last-minute additions of Andy Peterkin and Tony Khoury. Pascal Murray was off to a great start, and utilized new weapon Felix Prevost early and often. Served With Ice struggle early on with obvious chemistry issues but kept it close before being unable to punch it in on the last drive of the game for the win.

 

Division 1

 

Flag MoiL’Sac (47) vs. Alkaholiks (39): A game that made me look silly for putting Alkaholiks first in the preseason rankings. Without a doubt, FMS had a statement to prove and they proved it with conviction. Listening to FMS on the sidelines, they seem to be of the impression that they’re going to win it all, and it might just be the case! Despite seeing great drives from both teams and Paul Lapierre really utilizing Jamil Springer and Anthony Vendrame, the Alkaholiks were hit with momentum killers that were the picks from Samuel Nadeau-Piuze and Timothe Morin-Gauthier. The Alks have the talent, but are going to need to prioritize chemistry.

 

 

Beastmode Players of the Week:

 

Division 2:

 

QB: Mike Grilli – The closest we saw to perfect this week. An incredible completion percentage without interceptions, Mike just seemed to have the knack for finding the open receiver and managed to decimate the Wolverines’ defense.

 

Receiver: Frank Bruno – He dropped a few and still ended up with 5 receptions for 4 TDs; stats that some would have trouble to accomplish even if it took them the entire season to try.

 

Defender: The entire D-Boys defense – 42 to 0. That’s a disgusting way to start off the Division 2 season, and they are going to be the scariest possible team for anyone to play. Div 2 looks like D-Boys vs. the world.

 

Division 1:

 

QB: Alex Nadeau-Piuze–  Hemade great passing choices this week and has the athletes to back him up. Also, seeing him run is like watching a locomotive: once they start, you really don’t want to get into their way.

 

Receiver: J-R Verger – The king of the fly and the fade is still making his mark, even in Division 1. A nightmare to cover, I don’t think that this’ll be the last time that I’ll be mentioning his name here.

 

Defender: Guillaume Ward – An absolutely destructive 5 sacks on Ryan Kastner seems almost excessive. If you do the math, the yardage loss of those 5 sacks on Kastner equal 38 yards – almost the ENTIRE FIELD!

 

 

Random Thoughts and Musings:

 

– *Insert annual complaint about the Loyola lighting.*

– Division 1, Conference A?!?All 4 teams go 1-0 and the teams in Conference B all go 0-1.

– There was nothing more entertaining than seeing Don Shepherd’s face when he saw just how small he was on the sidelines compared to the height that is AlexandreGatien.

– Kevin Wyeth has been asking about the FPF touchdown record. The only person that this can be good news for is Akked Moore.

– My hall of fame picks for the 3 of you that care (I don’t even know if I get an official vote): Robbie Robinson, Donald Shepherd, Patrick Jerome, Francois Lebeau and Nathan Taylor.

– Robbie Robinson playing snapper? What planet are we on?

– Flag MoiL’Sachave more hyphenated names than the rest of the division combined.

 

 

Week 2 Predictions:

 

I went 4-6 in Division 2 and 1-3 in Division 1 last week. Clearly some improvements need to be made.

 

Division 2:

 

D-Boys vs. Bodyhype: Bodyhype are a new team that are full of athletes, but who aren’t necessarily 100% familiar with what works in FPF and what doesn’t. Look for the D-Boys to prey on yet another inexperienced team, and keep in line with that #1 power ranking.

Prediction: D-Boys

 

Ice Up Son vs. GoonzSquad: IUS are fresh off of a win, GoonzSquad are fresh off of a loss and I think that it’s going to be business as usual for both of these teams. Adam Bailey is going to have his hands full rushing Yan Vanasse, but I think that the stout and strong IUS defense is going to pick apart GoonzSquad just like the D-Boys did.

Prediction: Ice Up Son

 

Pantheres vs. One Night Stands: An offensive battle if I’ve ever seen one. This one will be entertaining to watch for the output of the two quarterbacks, but not so much for the defenses involved. The game will be decided by a turnover (if there even is one.) ONS feels more stacked than Pantheres on offense, and I’m inclined to go with them. Prediction: One Night Stands

 

Road Runners vs. Team Padon: I think that this match will be the best display of athleticism for the week. On paper, I would vote for the Road Runners, but there is still a lot of room for Padon to emerge. Manuel Crisi-Lauzon is incredibly nimble and would pose a lot of problems for the Road Runners defense should DjonathanBuissereth struggle. But when in doubt, pick experience.

Prediction: Road Runners.

 

Top Gunnz vs. Wolverines: Coming off of a loss with their strongest roster yet, I know that the Wolverines have a lot to prove. The Wolverines are 2-0 against the Top Gunnz, and I think that their slow paced offense will be enough to frustrate the Top Gunnz once again. Look for more of the same. Prediction: Wolverines

 

DK vs. Served With Ice: The repeat of last year’s Division 3 finals. Both teams have made acquisitions since then (DK have loaded up offensively and SWI are more than the 6 players that they were in the finals.) This is an eagerly-awaited matchup for both teams, and I have no doubt it’ll be a good one. Prediction: N/A

 

Wolfpack vs. Hustlers: I like the roster of the Hustlers on paper, but they should be much better than their week 1 output. After a lackluster and forgettable performance, they need to go into this matchup with a clear head if they’re going to stop the hard-hitting Wolfpack offense. I see this one being all about the extra-points.

Prediction: Hustlers

 

Division 1:

 

Gladiateurs vs. Terror Squad: We have the repeat of Division 3’s final in Division 2, and a repeat of Division 2’s final in Division 1. Just like last year’s final which came down to the wire, I expect this one to as well. However, with the additions that Gladiateurs have made to their roster, it’s harder to ignore them in this one.

Prediction: Gladiateurs

 

Rainmakers vs. Alkaholiks: Both teams made great offseason acquisitions but had forgettable week 1 games. This is the game that’s giving me the most trouble to predict because although the Alks have the roster, a Deslauriers and Williams led defense seems to be Lapierre’s kryptonite. Still, I’ll go with my gut.

Prediction: Alkaholiks

 

Express vs. Montreal’s Finest: Express love calling themselves Montreal’s Nightmare after their surprise championship run in Winter 2010. However the last time these two teams met, the result wasn’t pretty and I’m thinking that we might see more of the same.

Prediction: Montreal’s Finest

 

Maniax vs. Flag MoiL’Sac: Checklist – Blue jerseys, quarterback who can throw as well as run, physical and smart athletic defense and receivers who can catch bombs and shred tackles. Both have all of this, and more. I really like what Flag MoiL’Sac bring to the table here. If Maniax win this one, I’ll officially be a believer.

Prediction: Flag MoiL’Sac

 

 

Well, that’s it for me. I’ve mentioned my twitter handle before (@gmkole44) but I have yet to mention the new podcast with Moe Khan and Donald Shepherd. It can be streamed live while they record it, and then the audio and video should be up the following day. Definitely worth checking out; especially if you don’t like hearing what I have to say and want a change.

Again, any and no mail can be sent to [email protected]

It’s much easier to chat with me there than waiting to beat me up in person. Until next week, the GM is out.