The Pulse (D5) – Week 8

 

 

This year like always, division 5 saw a few new teams get introduced to the FPF community. While the transition for some inaugural teams was painful and remains an ongoing process, others showed promising signs and have enjoyed success. No names have to be mentioned, you know who you are and your record speaks for itself. However, a common denominator shared in this highly competitive division rests with the talent and playmakers on each roster. It’s never too late to start talking about MVP honors and with the playoffs just a few weeks away, here is a list of deserving nominees according to the ‘Pulse’. Listed below are players who stood out from the pack and left their mark on Division 5 this season.

Top two QBs of the Year

Player: Kevin Lubin

Team: Golden Eagles

By the numbers: 40 TDs with just 8 interceptions with 1337 passing yards

Take a minute to appreciate those stats provided in the “by the numbers” section. You are not going to lose many games by posting numbers like that. In fact, because of those numbers, the Golden Eagles are the lone undefeated team in division 5. You can expect this high octane offense and their quarterback Kevin Lubin to put on an offensive clinic against opponents come game day. Blessed with a strong arm, great speed and the ability to juke defenders, Lubin is arguably the best player in both conferences. He leads all QBs in passing yards with 1337 and is second in rushing yards with 393. A player that can hurt any defense through the air and on the ground gets my nod of approval.

Player: Pat Riot

Team: Lockdown

By the numbers: 30 TDs and 6 INTs with 953 passing yards.

Pat Riot is your typical pocket quarterback. Get the snap, drop back and let your receiver make a play by letting it fly. That has been and continues to be his motto. While many quarterbacks in division 5 tend to look at their primary receiver and tuck the ball and run if the play is not there, Ranaudo has the ability to go through his progressions. Maybe the fact that he can’t outrun the rusher is a reason why he stays in the pocket, but this is the key to success for QBs in higher divisions. He has excellent pocket presence along with a quick release, making it difficult for defenses to sack him. Just ask Da Boyz’s rusher Mather Warsame who only mustered one sack last weekend against Ranaudo, who was coming off a knee injury.

Top two WRs of the Year

Player: Jamaal Gittens

Team: South Shore Storm

By the numbers: 34 receptions for 495 yards and 20 TDs

Jamaal Gittens seems to be a perfect fit for the type of offence his team runs. He continues to make big plays every game and no team has managed to keep him out of the endzone after eight weeks. While a few players across the league resort to trash talking on the field, Gittens’ numbers speak for themselves. He has great hands and is a threat in the deep passing game averaging close to 15 yards per catch. He leads all receivers in touchdown receptions with a whopping 20 and is the most dangerous player that division 5 has seen in recent memory. The only mark left for him to attain in the regular season is to post a 100 yard receiving game.

Player: Philippe-Antoine Beauséjour

Team: Widow Makers

By the numbers: 44 receptions for 531 yards and 12 TDs

It’s hard to overlook a player who leads the division in receiving yards. In fact, Philippe-Antoine Beauséjour is the only receiver to crack the 500-yard mark thus far. Trust me, no defensive back wants to see this playmaker line up in front of him. All he does is run crisp routes and forces defenders into mistakes, which allows him to create separation and catch uncontested passes as seen throughout the entire season. Widow Makers’ quarterback Felix Morin has tossed for 1002 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. That means that half of his passing yards have been hauled in by Beauséjour and in addition to almost half of Morin’s TD passes.

Top Two Defensive Players of the Year

Player: Mather Warsame

Team: Da Boyz

By the numbers: 21 sacks in 8 games

Last season in division D, Eagles’ rusher Gabriel Lapensée was one of the league’s best rushers, and marveled those around him with his 20-sack season. Well move over Lapensée, as Mather Warsame has surpassed that impressive number with another two games left to play. I said it before, and I will say it again, Warsame is the best rusher in the division. Hard to get rid of the ball and make accurate throws when a speedster is in your face as soon as you gather the snap. He is a big time player and must be accounted for on every snap.

 

Player: Andrew D’Anna

Team: Lockdown

By the numbers: 33 tackles and three interceptions

Andrew D’Anna may not be the most gifted athlete on the field when Lockdown battles opponents every week, but he is definitely going to play full speed for 60 minutes. His engine never seems to stop and he is relentless on the defensive side of the ball. More often than not, D’Anna is around the football making big plays. He leads his team in tackles and is Lockdown’s best defender. Determination is the name of his game and he simply gets the job done.

Honorable mentions:

• Felix Morin from Widow Makers: 1002 passing yards along with 494 rushing yards.

• Alex Lewis from the Stallions: 30 tackles, two interception and three sacks

• Christophe Girard form the Dragons: 15 tackles and eight interceptions in just six games
• Gabriel Wiseman from the Shaolin Shadowboxers: 23 tackles and seven interceptions
• Chris Olson from the J’s: 50 receptions for 372 yards and four scores

 

Who gets the final playoff spot in conference A? Love Cows, Tyrants or J’s

Fortunately for the bottom dwellers in division 5, the curtain which signals the end of the show has yet to fully descend. Translation, there is still time to make it into the postseason and secure that number eight spot. The J’s currently occupy that last playoff spot, but for how long? The J’s have hit a brick wall and are riding a three-game losing streak. Either they put it all together and win a game, which would almost guarantee them a playoff berth, or hope that both the Love Cows and the Tyrants lose all of their remaining games. The Love Cows have been playing their best football of the season as of late and they will face the J’s in week 10. Maybe this match will decide who moves on and who stays home. Hai Minh Luong from the J’s has done his best to keep his team in the hunt, having tossed for 1101 yards 21 TDs and 5 INTs. He will need to step it up even more in the weeks to come and get Mike Dorilas more involved in the game plan. Dorilas scored the J’s only two touchdowns in last week’s loss to Thunder.

Who gets the final playoff spot in conference B? Dragons, Big Birds or Venom

I do feel that the Big Birds can win their two remaining games to finish with a 4-6 overall record. However, I do not see the Dragons losing both games left on their schedule. Considering that the Dragons are already up one game from the Bid Birds and Venom, I see them advancing to the tournament.

Top 5 teams

1.Golden Eagles (8-0) Still clinging to that number one spot, but had some stiff competition in recent weeks. Have teams figured out the Golden Eagles or is this a team that is overlooking opponents due to their success since the beginning of the season? In any event, if the Golden Eagles wish to keep their perfect season alive, they must play better football this weekend against Lockdown.

 

2.Les Buddays (7-1) Statistically speaking, Les Buddays have the best defense in the division, allowing only 99 points in eight weeks. That is only 12 points per game, which makes them extremely difficult to beat. Their defense will be tested against the Outlawz and their QB Jean-Michel Beaudin this weekend.

 

3.Lockdown (6-1-1) Lockdown’s offense is finally clicking having recorded 30 points or more in the past three weeks. They are finally winning games by a large margin and appear to be heating up just in time for the playoffs. Good sign for them heading into this week’s showdown.

 

4.Thunder (6-2) I have questioned this team’s ability to win big games in the past and the Thunder have always stepped up to the plate. This team impressed me with a win over the J’s last weekend, without their star quarterback Bruno Lavergne in the lineup. Thunder showed me that they can win games when faced with a difficult task.

 

5.The Incredibles (6-2) No surprise that the Incredibles lost to Les Buddays with their QB not in the lineup. As a result, the Incredibles’ tenure as top seed in conference A was short lived. However, Greg Stern should be back taking snaps this weekend and the Incredibles should get back to their winning ways against the Shaolin Shadowboxers.

 

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!