The War Room (D3) – Week 9 – FlagPlus Football League

It is with a heavy heart that I write this week’s article, for this week we all lost a cherished member of the FlagPlus family. Adriano Tassone, captain of the Rainmakers, passed away on Tuesday in a car accident. No words can truly express the feeling of loss or shock that I feel right now. I had the pleasure of meeting Adriano before his FlagPlus days and he truly was a gentleman. Always armed with a smile and a witty comment, he was a joy to be around and one of the most well-respected players in D1. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family who, well beyond any of my own comprehension, must deal with this nightmarish loss. It truly is a sad day for this league and his death puts into perspective the real joys this life has to offer. It reminds us that even though we can get all worked up in fierce competition and rivalries, ultimately the camaraderie we share goes beyond football. Nobody understood that better than Adriano… Rest in Peace Adriano.

As sombre a mood as that places us, I still must bring you to week ten and the various subplots that are developing. Division three has been a very exciting and volatile division this year with various teams pulling themselves out of the proverbial garbage and into playoff contention. While other teams have rested on their laurels and fallen onto the playoff bubble, in the next few paragraphs I hope to give a scouting report to the various teams trying to clinch this week and the games that matter most.

Conference A

D3 Hybrid* (9-0): VR6
Falcons* (8-1): The Squad
SWAT* (6-3): Titans
Rage* (6-3): Motrin Junkies
Red Rebels (5-3-1): Ball or Fall
Top Sauce (5-4): Ballerz
Bandits (5-4): Choppers
Walk Ons (5-4): GPK
Tennessee Studs (5-4): G-Men
Doggone Bawclub (4-5): AMB Eagles

Conference B

Ruff Ryders* (8-1): Alliance
D-Boys* (7-1-1): KGP Champs
Wildcats* (5-3-1): Spartiates
DIP* (5-4): Souljahs
Titans (7-1-1): SWAT
AMB Eagles (6-3): Doggone Bawlclub
Ballerz (5-3-1): Top Sauce
GPK (5-4): Walk Ons
G-Men (5-4): Tennessee Studs
Choppers (4-4-1): Bandits
The Squad (4-4-1): Falcons

Falcons VS The Squad: The Squad has a good QB in Samuel Nadeau and decent long game attack which should trouble the Falcons. But the Falcons offense should pile on points on a Squad defence that I don’t see matching up well.

SWAT VS Titans: The Titans, who must be quite upset at their performance last week vs the Ruff Ryders, will make quick work of a SWAT team that is just happy to be in the playoffs. SWAT must continue to work hard in order to be playoff ready, as this game doesn’t mean much beyond seeding purposes.

Rage VS Motrin Junkies: Rage is the hottest team right now, with a peaking QB and a wide array of targets on offense (note: Leo “the ref” Gervais had a huge game last week), make them a scary target for any of the division winners.

Top Sauce VS Ballerz: This game is very interesting and really I have no idea who will pull it off. The matchups are there for the closest battle either team has faced all year and I put a lot on the shoulders of the defense of Ballerz if they want to pull this one off. Top Sauce will be a good match for Tougas, but I think with guys like Lever and Starwar the edge goes to Ballerz. But I’m still not sure…

Bandits VS Choppers: The Choppers are placing a lot on the shoulders of Sean Avraam and it will take more than just his talent to pull this one off. Bandits are a middle of the road team with decent receivers and a QB who doesn’t really impress me but manages the game well enough to win.

Walk Ons VS GPK: Big game for both teams and both are looking to get into the playoffs with a win here. Walk Ons have lost a bunch in a row, while GPK got manhandled by Wildcats last week. It will be a battle of wills and which players can step up in the clutch. Lets see which QB leads his team to the playoffs, Stagg or Godyn?

Tennessee Studs Vs. G-Men: G-Men really want this one and haven’t played up to their press lately with so many changes on their depth chart. Tennessee Studs have lost the reigns on their division and are in serious contention to miss the playoffs. I see the Studs playing well enough to hang in there with G-Men but the overall experience shall be the difference maker for this game. G-Men should win.

Doggone Bawclub VS. AMB Eagles: This is one of the more interesting games of the week depending on which Bawlclub team shows up. Is it the one that lost to Alliance or the one who beat Goliath (Ruff Ryders)? AMB Eagles should make quick work of them if they don’t get a solid rush on their QB. Look for Doggone to pull this one out in the late stages of the game.

Souljahs VS DIP: No contest DIP wins based on the presence of a certain ALL-GALAXY receiver (cough cough).

Castleton’s Random Thoughts of the Week:

1. Notre Dame: They get into the playoffs when their back was against the wall and Hamid Marmoudi is eligible for playoffs. This could get dangerous!!!

2. Wolfpack: Way to blow an undefeated season to a team which was a double digit underdog prior to the game. Sure Pascal Murray wasn’t there but lets be honest, you guys should have some quality backup.

3. All-Stars: The selections for all-star weekend are coming in shortly and it is a tight race in a lot of divisions due to the stellar play of a multitude of receivers, QBs and defenders. I’m sure some controversy will ensue.

4. Wolverines: I wonder: if they don’t make the playoffs this year, will they relegate themselves in Winter 2010? I think they have too much pride for that but maybe a step back is needed for them to rebuild.

5. Snookers: The up and coming team in D4. With everyone talking about Triple Sixers and Ditkas, the Snookers, led by Chris Politis, are polishing up their division quite nicely.

6. Videotaping: I see many teams videotaping their games lately. It’s good to see people taking pride in their team and building “highlight” packages of their season. Maybe we can see them all posted on FB one day..

7. Rainmakers: My thoughts and sympathies go out to the Rainmakers team who must play into the playoffs without their captain and with bleeding hearts. Prayers and best of luck to all of you who had the privilege to line up with or against A. Tassone…

Quote of the week:

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~From a headstone in Ireland