The Pulse (D5) – Week 11

 

Upset City (Div 5) -Week 11

By Bryan Mongeau-Eastmond

With everything that transpired in the first round of the playoffs, I decided to temporarily change the name of my column to something a little more fitting. Without further a due, welcome to “Upset City.” Numerous teams, who earned a reputation during the regular season as being a powerhouse club and offensive juggernauts, struggled last weekend and were forced to gracefully exit the tournament. In fact, almost every division in FPF saw a heavily favored team hit the canvas and down for the count. Last weekend’s upsets and close contests only prove that all clubs elevate their game during the postseason and that any team, regardless of ranking, has a chance to advance and shock the FPF community.

Recap of the four divisional playoff round upsets

South Shore Strom (1) vs. J’s (8)

The J’s exposed the South Shore Storm by defeating the number one seed in conference A when it mattered most. Jamaal Gittens, who won the Receiver of the Year Award in Division 5, was held without a TD for the first time this season, and his lack of production had a huge impact on the game. I give credit to the J’s for playing their best football when all the chips were down.

Les Buddays (2) vs. (7) A-Squad

Not sure if it was nerves, the playoff jitters or just plain fatigue, but Les Buddays came out flat and could not match the intensity of the A-Squad. On their first possession, Les Buddays’ quarterback Leandre Ethier threw an interception which the A-Squad turned into points. On the second series, Ethier stepped out of bounds in his own end zone which resulted in a safety. A very shaky start to that game and things never really got better for them.

The Incredibles (3) vs. Da Boyz (6)

In my opinion, this was the game of the week in division 5 and you hate to see a deserving team be eliminated after such an entertaining performance. The Incredibles had a golden opportunity to advance in the postseason, but on the final play of regulation, a pass from Greg Stern was batted down in the end zone to force overtime. With momentum shifting in favor of Da Boyz, the Incredibles failed to shine in overtime and were edged by their opponents 20-19 in a very exciting contest.

Widow Makers (4) vs. Mustangs du Gridiron (5)

This makes the list as an upset simply because the Widow Makers spotted their opponents an 18 point lead before the very first snap. The Widow Makers arrived late for their most important game of the season and seemed to face a colossal task down by three scores. But by some miracle, the Widow Makers defeated les Mustangs du Gridiron by one point to advance into the next round.

I thought that Les Mustangs had a good game plan implementing Samuel Nadeau and Simon Fortier at the QB position. Unfortunately for their club, both players struggled and their numbers were not pretty.

Preview Quarter finals

Warhawks vs. J’s

Matchup to watch Joel Watson will most likely be covering the J’s playmaker, Chris Olsen. Both players are coming off great individual performances in the first round of the playoffs.

By the numbers Watson is arguably the best defender on his team’s roster. His six tackles, one interception and three pass deflections last weekend proves that. Conversely, Olsen grabbed five receptions for 58 yards and one score. Something’s got to give when these two go head-to-head.

Who will win and why? The J’s will be trying to reverse any notion that their impressive win over the South Shore Storm was a fluke. However, I have yet to see the J’s hit a hot streak and win more than two consecutive games. This is a team that has shown glimpses of brilliance but has looked horrible the following week. I believe that the red-hot Warhawks will simply be too much for the J’s to overcome. Winner Warhawks.

Golden Eagles vs. A-Squad

Matchup to watch Accurate throws is what you need to have to be successful in this league and that is exactly what Francois Ehtier displayed last weekend against Les Buddays. He looked composed, ran when he had to and did not allow the pressure to affect him. Ethier was throwing the ball before receivers were out of their break and connecting on third downs. The A-Squad will need him to duplicate that performance against the Golden Eagles’ defense this weekend.

By the numbers That last time these two teams met, it was the defense and not the offense that stood out. Aside Kevin Lubin rushing for 45 yards, virtually all the statistics are identical. These two teams seem evenly matched and the A-Squad did prove to be the Golden Eagles’ toughest opponents in the regular season.

Who will win and why? Although I was impressed with the effort and intensity of the A-Sqaud last weekend, much of their success was a direct result of Leandre Ethier struggling from the opening series, on. I do not see Lubin being easily rattled and I look for him and company to continue proving that they are the best team in division 5. There is a reason this team went undefeated in the regular season and that is because of thier talent and preparation on both sides of the ball. Simon Provencher will have a big game. Winner Golden Eagles.

Lockdown vs. Da Boyz

Matchup to watch Thiery Fontin had a huge game last weekend and I look for him to put up good numbers on offense against Da Boyz in the quarter finals. He is Lockdown’s main weapon in the deep passing game. It will be interesting to see how Da Boyz will cover this big time receiver.

By the numbers Lockdown’s defense struggled near the end of the regular season, most notably in week 10 against Thunder. They struggled again in the first round of the playoffs, so they need to tweak a few things on that side of the ball. Lockdown has allowed 91 points in the past three games.

Who will win and why? Although Lockdown may be facing their share of problems on defense, it is worth noting that are facing a team that is not known for their explosive offense. Lockdown should be able to “lockdown” Da Boyz (yes, the pun was intended,) and move onto the next round. Winner Lockdown.

Outlawz vs. Widow Makers

Matchup to watch The Outlawz have been solid on defense all year and Hugo Quintin and Gabriel Cournoyer shut down the Dragons last weekend. Both Quintin and Cournoyer will have their hands full trying to contain Widow Makers’ Felix Morin and Philippe-Antoine Beausejour.

By the numbers The Widow Makers could easily be ranked higher if their defense played more aggressively in the regular season. At times they give up big plays and have trouble tackling. On the flip side, their offense can compete against any team in the division and were ranked second in conference B after 10 weeks, with 280 points scored.

Who will win and why? Because the Widow Makers spotted les Mustangs du Gridiron an 18 point lead in the first round and still managed to win the game, I believe that they will be a confident bunch. Confidence goes a long way in football, so I see an upset in the making. Winner Widow Makers.

The action continues next weekend. Look for all your updates, right here at the Pulse. Feel free to send me a message on Facebook or approach me during the Div 5 games. Let’s talk football. Good luck the rest of the way!