The Sarwar Report (D1) – Week 1

 

Welcome everyone to the Winter 2010 FlagPlus Football season. Division 1 ballers are very familiar with me and like your STATE-FARM agent, you know my goal is to provide the best coverage of the FlagPlus Football’s elite division. We are entering the 10th season of FlagPlus Football and its success is attributed to all the players who have participated over the years, all the supporters who came to watch the games and read the articles and are heavily involved in the Facebook discussions. Claiming its stake as the top division shouldn’t be too hard, considering the rosters that are present this season. The quality of talent this season is far superior to Winter 2009 and surely 2008. Even though there are only six teams, there will be no easy wins as might have been the case over the last two seasons. Even the Express, who lost a close one to Montreal’s Finest in week 1, has become a stronger team. It will be a war all season long and if you thought Winter 2009 Division 1 season was wild, we are in for another great ride.

 

Headlines

 

CLR: No Rust, No Fuss, Just Results!

 

CLR Forces prepared extra hard in the off season with numerous practices and it paid off on opening weekend against the Hurricanes. Freddy Dupuis led his squad to a 31-26 victory in which he threw for 4 TDs; superstar snapper Dominic Lemieux had 2 of those scores. It was the CLR Forces defense that came up big in key situations such as in the red zone and at end of the game. They have an 11 man roster who they hope will stay healthy all season because they are highly confident that they can make some noise in Division 1 and return to the big dance, a place they haven’t been since 2006.

 

Makin’ It Rain

 

The Rainmakers are ready for another successful season despite going on an emotional roller coaster during the Winter 2009 season. They looked strong against the Expos, who looked as good as the Montreal Expos in their later years in this city without star QB Chad Byers. The Rainmakers had three different receivers with a TD and furthermore, their defense came up big with 3 INTs. Charles-Antoine Sinotte had two of those picks while old-reliable Michael Chitayat added a pick six special. If he was here, number 32 would be proud as are the rest of us in FlagPlus Football.

 

The Spectacular Six

 

Can we really discuss parity when there are only six teams? Yes! Just look at all the scores from week 1, every team won or loss by one score. This trend will continue over the course of the season. There will no longer be games in which teams can take it easy and put it on cruise control; consequently this is a recipe for intense battles. By simply looking at the QB for each team, Kevin Wyeth (2 championships), Rick Nincheri (2 championships), Frederic Dupuis (finals appearance), Ryan Kastner (finals appearance), Chad Byers (2 championships, though none as primary QB) and Patrick Chenard (1 championship, 1 finals appearance) it is evident that there is a lot of skill in the elite division. There are also many other players who have championships and awards so this leads me to believe that every week will have a playoff-like atmosphere. Therefore sit back, enjoy and get your popcorn ready; the new decade of FlagPlus Football will keep us on our toes.

 

Moe Khan: An Evolution

 

If anyone checked the stats for the Montreal’s Finest vs. Express game, they were probably as shocked as I was when they saw Moe Khan had an interception. At first I thought it was a mistake and I had to call four to five people to confirm, but alas, it is true. It doesn’t surprise me at all because when I think of Moe Khan’s past performances, he could be called Mr. Clutch. In the Winter 2008 Division 1 conference finals, he caught the TD which led the Montreal’s Finest to the finals. In Winter 2009 season, he sacked Rick Nincheri on a third down situation, forcing Hurricanes to their first and only punt in 2009 and sending the game to OT. Montreal’s Finest won that game and their first championship in team history. And now the interception, I am sure it is one of many to come. Therefore Mr. Khan, keep up the good work!

 

Three STARwars of the week

 

3. Moe Khan (Montreal’s Finest): Any time Moe Khan has an interception this season, he is automatically a star of the week.

 

2. Charles-Antoine Sinotte (Rainmakers): On offense the McGill standout had 4 grabs for 57 yards and a TD, while on defense he racked one tackle with 2 interceptions.

 

1. Frederic Dupuis (CLR Forces): 12-22 for 125 yards with 4 TDs, also 29 rushing yards with a TD.

 

 

Since only one week has been in the books, I’ll keep the first article light but here is what everyone can look forward to read this season:

 

 

• Next week, I will have an interview with Robert Campana about FlagPlus Football’s path over the last nine seasons; you won’t want to miss it!

 

• Starting week 3, I’ll have an in-depth interview with one player each week that will cover interesting topics. If you want to volunteer, feel free to contact me!

 

• Also in week 3, I’ll have three leading candidates for Division 1 regular season MVP and that list will be updated on a weekly basis based on statistics and overall performance. The list is not restricted to any position.

 

• There will be a player under the spotlight every week based on his contribution to his team.

 

 

So there is a lot to come in the upcoming weeks. If anyone has any suggestions/comments, please email me at [email protected]. Till next week, stay healthy, keep fit, have fun and remember that second place is the first loser!