The Pulse (D5) – Week 5

This past weekend, there were a few teams that did everything in their power to avoid losing ground in the playoff race. With such a tight race forming in Conference A and B, every win from here on out is vital in terms of keeping your playoff hopes alive. On the flip side, not every team will make it to the next stage. Frustration must be setting in for teams with a sub .500 record. Fresh off a bye week, a few clubs came out flat and were a huge bust.

A lopsided loss for Pendant Publishing

Pendant Publishing only mustered six points against the A-Squad. This is the fewest points that a team has put on the board against a defence that is allowing an average of three TDs per game. Pendant Publishing’s offence showed glaring issues in the red zone and on third downs. Their defence, most notably Andrew Salis, did a good job applying pressure on A-Squad quarterback Francois Ethier, and despite recording two INTs, he forced more bad throws that the secondary should have intercepted. To have a lopsided loss like that, just shows inconsistency. Ethier finished the game completing 7 of 18 passes for 86 yards and three touchdowns.

Comeback effort falls short for the Dragons

Coming off a bye week, the J’s had fresh legs, aiding their attempts to keep their playoff hopes alive. Conversely, the Dragons stumbled out of the gates and the week off seemed to have had a negative impact on them—at least in the first half of Saturday’s game in Brossard.

The Dragons did comeback from a 12 point deficit to cut the J’s lead, but Simon Dagenais and company were unable to completely dig themselves out of an early hole and grab the lead. The solid defensive play of Thava Soosai and Alexandre Chasse from the J’s was the difference, as both players recorded timely interceptions.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

The Big Birds have had a rough start to the 2011 regular season and moved to 2-3 after Saturday’s 18-12 loss to the Mustangs du Gridiron. As much as this loss may hurt right now, the team should be excited, as there were positives that came from this game. Something clicked for the Birds’ defense and they did not allow a good team to score at will like some people thought they would.

Getting to know…

rgin-bottom: 16.2pt; line-height: normal; background: white;”>Christophe Girard (Dragons)

No question that the Dragons have been relying on defense to keep games close and squeak out wins. One of their secret weapons is Christophe Girard. With a few whispers starting to circulate that he may be a shutdown corner with his stellar play, his teammates are confident that Girard may emerge with the ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award when it is all set and done. QB Simon Dagenais went as far as to say that his defensive playmaker is “one of the best corners he has seen in FPF.” In three games, Girard has recorded 7 tackles and a whopping 5 interceptions.

Leandre Ethier (Les Buddays)

Les Buddays are looking to distance themselves from the average ball clubs in Div. 5, and are ready to be recognized as an elite team. With a 4-1 record and currently sitting in second place in their conference, so far so good. Quarterback Leandre Ethier is a major reason behind the team`s success and welcomes the challenge. He is 3rd in passing yards with 831 and does an excellent job distributing the ball and keeping all of his receivers happy—something that is rather difficult to accomplish in FPF. In a quarterback driven league, les Buddays will only go as far as Ethier will take them.  With five weeks in the books, Ethier is doing a good job directing traffic and les Buddays are gunning for that number one spot.

Jacob Peterson (The Incredibles)

Jacob Peterson from the Incredibles is a multi-dimensional star. His elusive style of running allows him to pick up extra yards after the catch and his speed enables him to get behind opposing DBs for six. With quarterback Greg Stern out in week three, Peterson was asked to fill the void at the pivot positionand kept it fairly close, in a game against the top seeded Lockdown.  Every team needs a player that can play and be valuable at multiple positions on offense. What separates great players from the herd is their ability to catch and run with the ball, at times be a decoy and toss the ball on occasion to keep defenses guessing. Number 90 fits that description well.

Preview Game of the week: Les Buddays (4-1) vs. Les Mustangs du Gridiron (4-1)

There is no mystery hovering over both clubs as the number two and three seeds in conference B prepare to battle. Players on both teams are friends and most have played tackle football together, which makes this matchup interesting to say the least. Of course, bragging rights are at stake, as les Buddays’ Shayne Turgeon expressed to me, but it comes down to positioning in the postseason. Both teams currently sit at 4-1 so the winner would become the number one challenger to the Golden Eagles. Each team circled week 6 right off the bat when the schedule was released and now it is time to play ball.

Power Rankings

1. Golden Eagles (5-0) Would be interesting to see how the Golden Eagles would fare in Div. 4 against tougher opponents. I highly doubt that they would be undefeated after five weeks. With that said, they are hands down the best Division 5 team.

2. Lockdown (4-0-1) Still undefeated but are trailing the Golden Eagles in the rankings based on style points.

3. Incredibles (4-1) Continue to separate themselves from the pack.

4. Les Buddays (4-1) Not allowing any points. Recorded two consecutive shutouts.

5. Thunder (4-1) Have made the right moves so far. Team is continues to set the bar high for themselves.

6. Mustangs du Gridiron (4-1) The entire squad is pumped up and jacked up about their weekend match.

7. Green Machine (3-2) Calm and composed as the players on this team get ready for their next opponents.

8. South Shore Storm (3-1-1) Got a much needed W. Now the Storm are looking to bully their way back up the charts.

9. Outlwaz (3-2) Will try to make a playoff push in the weeks to come.

10. Widow Makers (2-3)Were the latest victims of the Golden Eagles, but have the perfect remedy in facing the Stallions.

The action continues next weekend. Look for all your updates, right here. Feel free to approach me during the Div 5 games. Let’s talk football! You can also reach me by email at [email protected].