The Pulse (D5) – Week 12

 

With March Madness finally over, I now turn my undivided attention to Division 5 and its four remaining teams. However, I must point out that our division has mirrored the NCAA`s tournament in numerous ways. Major upsets have transpired in the past few weeks with top contenders such as Lockdown, the Incredibles, South shore Storm and Les Buddays making early exits from the tournament. As we are on the verge of FPF`s version of the Final Four, one underdog has consistently defied the odds and refuses to lose. Entering the playoffs as the number six seed in conference A, Da Boyz embraced the role of the underdog and are still considered as such despite their brilliant play in recent weeks. This year, Da Boyz are known as the “Cinderella team”, having made it this far into the postseason as the lowest remaining seed in the playoff bracket.

 

Who is not your typical QB?

Kevin Lubin, Tim O’ Hara, Jean-Michel Beaudin and Nigel Thomas are the four remaining quarterbacks battling for a championship. Let’s take a closer look at each player to see who doesn’t fit the typical QB mould.

 

Kevin Lubin: A proven veteran in FPF with 4+ seasons under his belt, Lubin has seen his share of playoff action over the years. With a perfect 10-0 record during the regular season and winner of the ‘Quarterback of the Year’ Award, Lubin has demonstrated the ability to get it done through the air and on the ground. Since the beginning of the postseason, Lubin has completed 33 passes out of 54 attempts for 336 yards.

Jean-Michel Beaudin: Perhaps the hottest QB in the postseason, Beaudin simply looks unstoppable. He is the only quarterback in the final four who has not thrown an interception and is a perfect 8-0 in the TD/INT department. Since the beginning of the postseason, Beaudin has completed 38 passes out of 51 attempts for 351 yards.

 

Tim O`Hara: A proud member of the Warhawks, O`Hara has been with this club since their inaugural season as the ‘Dawgs’ three years ago. Much of the recent success attributed to the Warhawks falls directly on his shoulders and his arm since this was a team known for its defense rather than its offense. However, in recent weeks, O`Hara has turned up the heat and is undoubtedly playing the best football of his long FPF career. Since the beginning of the postseason, O`Hara has completed 31 passes out of 47 attempts for 366 yards.

 

Nigel Thomas: With the help of a strong running game, Thomas, being a young quarterback, has the luxury of winning games both on the ground and through the air. This has been instrumental in his team`s success in the playoffs. It may not always be pretty, but it’s hard to argue semi-final qualification. Since the beginning of the postseason, Thomas has completed 13 passes out of 26 attempts for just over 200 yards.

Final verdict: After looking at these player profiles and stats, it is a miracle that Thomas and Da Boyz are generating enough offense to win games. Thomas is averaging just 6.5 completions a game and O`Hara, who led all passers in the postseason, has thrown for 158 more yards than Thomas. No question that he is not your typical passer, but he is getting it done.

Da Boyz must establish their legacy right now or else…

The time for Da Boyz to establish their legacy is now. They have momentum heading into the semi-finals and sure have confidence built up after having defeated two very good teams in ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Lockdown’. This is will probably be their best chance at a championship run in years to come, so they better take advantage of it. I don’t say thins because I think this team is undeserving, but because division D/5 is that tough. I don’t see how so little offense through the air can generate more than a handful of wins in the spring season or in the future.

Julien Dubé-Senécal saves the day.

 

The team that is currently 12-0 still found a way to impress me. Yes, I am talking about the undefeated Golden Eagles. We always hear about Kevin Lubin, Alex David, Simon Provencher and Alexandre Guertin, and with good reason. They are the playmakers for this team. But the Golden Eagles were forced to dig deep in their bag of tricks and relied on the services of Julien Dubé-Senécal, who came up big for his team last week. His two touchdown performance was instrumental in his squad avoiding an upset at the hands of the A-Squad. What this tells me is that the Golden Eagles have talent across the board. Role players can also get it done for this team.

 

Prediction: Warhawks vs. Da Boyz

 

I am not sure what it is about Da Boyz, but this is a team that seems destined to make it into the finals. They seem to defy logic by the way they win games, I give them credit for sticking to their game plan and for finding a way to slow down time so that their clock doesn’t strike midnight, and put an end to their magical season. Winner: Da Boyz.

Prediction: Golden Eagles vs. Outlawz

 

During the regular season, the Outlawz showed on numerous occasions that they had a stellar defense. This is a squad which allowed only three teams to score 20 points or more during the regular season. That aggressive style of play has carried over into the postseason and the Outlawz are coming off an impressive beat down of the Widow Makers and their high powered offense. I think that the Golden Eagles and their mighty offense may come up short against this stout defensive unit. Not many teams can play flawless football for an entire season, with the exception of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, of course. The Golden Eagles’ run at perfection could come to an abrupt halt in a schematic matchup that seems to favour the underdog.

Winner: Outlawz.

 

Details concerning the Press conference

Just a reminder for the remaining teams, we will be holding a press conference next Monday, April 11th for the two finalists. We will ask that two representatives from each of the winning teams be present at the Soccerplexe Catalogna (Lachine) on Monday evening, to answer a series of questions leading up to the championship game. I will confirm the time with you following this weekend’s games. Remember, the finals will be held on Saturday, April 16th at 6 p.m at Complexe Sportif Bell (Brossard).