The Wrath of Khan (D2) – Week 1

 

Welcome back to another fun filled edition of the FPF winter season. Out of the five divisions, D2 will provide the most warmth during this brutal seasonal stretch.

This year’s edition will offer unique matchups, stories, and last but not least, parity amongst the teams.

Also, least we not forget the number of defections, and signings within the D2 ranks.

Let’s start off with ex-Monarchs quarterback Rick Nincheri leaving the toxic wasteland of his predecessors to latch on with the Nixon’s Renegades. Maybe the Renegades will have a worse record than the Monarchs did with Nincheri at the helm. However, he looked impressive in “team vector’s” victory over the Tomahawks on Sunday night.

What about the Shockers? Even though they lost Kevin Wyeth, and Kishon Thompson to O.N.S. Yes, they have their quota of D1 players in Karim Binette(injured), and Andre Knights who are franchise players.

Presently, they have their quarterback in Mike McNair. But they will lose him to surgery at some point during the season. Then who will take over at the pivot position?!? Untested players like Phil Cutler, and Jon Young. Who could both end-up being the next Vadim Chernyk (ask Ros Castleton on his thoughts). The latest rumour is the Shockers are targeting Montreal’s Finest, Zan Symonds to throw for them.

Can the Click Clack finally elevate themselves in the upper echelon of teams? Each year, they have improved in the standings, but have yet to take that next step to win the title that has eluded them. On Sunday night, it did not help their creditability when they tied a Kingz team who were sans Fred Dupuis. Furthermore, the offense looked a bit out of sync, as Daniel Gentile threw two interceptions.

By the way, with the Wolverines dropping down a division, does that mean if they win D2 do they move up again, or do they drop down to D3?

This year’s preview edition will be different than in the past. Rather than breaking down all the team tendencies, this article will be a “Pros and Cons” edition. A quick analysis of each organization based on their team chemistry, injuries, or internal problems.

Conference A

East Division:

Black Knights:

Pro: The only hope is new Knights quarterback; Todd Tibbo has a Kurt Warner like season by being a dominant thrower while taking the place of the injured Damien Imhoff.

Con: Can Todd Tibbo be able to carry this team? They’ve also lost team leader JP Moreau to injury.

Mercenaries:

Pro: Quarterback, Gino Di Fazio is bound to win a championship with his empire of teams he has in FPF. The Mercenaries have gone very deep in the playoffs, but they have come short on numerous times.

Con: Will they become the forgotten team in this potential group of death? Losing Paul Lapierre from the Winter ’09 roster and Tony Testa from the Spring ’09 squad may leave a void.

One Night Stands:

Pro: Team captain, Ryan Brewster has assembled a roster that will make them an immediate contender. The additions of Kevin Wyeth, and Kishon Thompson are a huge coup. The offense will be hard to stop. In fact, they might have the ability to put up 35-plus points per game. Keep an eye out for Sean Kennedy as well, who had three touchdown catches during the opening weekend.

Con: Beyond the aforementioned names, do the O.N.S. have the depth to match their opponents? Will the time off for some of the players, and lack of experience for others hurt them early on?

Phoenix:

Pro: The veteran experience of the Phoenix has led to a plethora of victories. Quarterback, Martin Tougas, when he feels like playing, has the ability to really control the tempo of the game. Having the Winter 2006 Receiver of the Year and Two Way Player of the Year in M.A. Masse and Patrick Duplessis together again takes some of the pressure off Tougas as well.

Con: Rather than ascending, will they descend into the ashes? When will they actually win a critical game? The window of opportunity may be closing on this once scary team. Losing Adi Sharma, Tony Khoury, P.A. Le Bouthillier and the Raymond brothers all at once may simply be too much to overcome.

Tomahawks:

Pro: Could be the darkhorse of this division. With the Raymond brothers and Fred Brunet on-board, as well as veteran QB Mike Grilli (who passed for five touchdowns in his first FPF game), the Hawks could pull off an upset or two down the road.

Con: Will the Raymond brothers and captain Matt Morin carry over the Phoenix playoff jinx?

West Division:

Renegades:

Pro: The Renegades made tremendous strides last year transitioning from D3 to D2. Dale Williams assembled a roster that is one of the lead horses to win the title. With the addition of D1 talent, and former Monarch, Rich Nincheri, the offense becomes even more potent. Don’t forget to include Robbie Robinson, Liam Mahoney and Scott Mironowicz to the equation. Defenses, pick your poison.

Con: Can Nincheri really make this team better, considering they finished 8-2 last year? Do the Renegades have the ability to win the big game? They lost to the Shockers (week 1, winter’09), and the Thundering Herd (playoffs, first round) when it mattered most.

Ruff Ryders:

Pro: Paul Lapierre, Jamal Pierre, Rochdi Benabdelkader and Marc Champagnie. What more can you ask for? Champagnie was one of the best two-way players in DA spring last season. The Ryders have the potential to be matchup problems for the opposition. Keep an eye out for Keeshan Myers. Quiet player, who has Wes Welker skill sets.

Con: Will the lack of focus hurt this team? Last Winter and Spring, they were heavily favoured to win their division, but came up flat in the playoffs.

Wildcats:

Pro: They won the D3 title last year led by QB Pierre-Marc Chadi and superstar Kevin Regimbald, when many in the Lachine Centre thought Gino Di Fazio had the game locked up. They put up a valiant fight against O.N.S. in their opening game as well. The addition of Patrick Chenard helps, but they may need at least two more Chenards to be competitive.

Con: I sure hope they don’t forget that winning feeling, because it could be a long season in a very tough Conference A.

Wolfpack:

Pro: Pascal Murray was a man amongst boys last year as he passed for 40-plus touchdowns. The Wolfpack offense was difficult for opponents to handle. Furthermore, they beat a legitimate team in Click Clack twice.

Con: Clearly, they were outclassed in the D2 finals by the Buffaloes. As a result, with a tougher schedule (they lost to the Phoenix 37-18), they might not be as a dominant as they were last year.

Wolverines:

Pro: All the D1 experience they have gained will go a long way in D2. Moreover, they won this very same division in ’06. Tony Tabet has the ability to shepherd this team through this so-called dark time.

Con: What does it say about this program to drop back a notch? After playing for a few years in D1, has this team really regressed to the point that their roster is simply a team full of marginal D2 players? Finally, are the Wolverines mature enough to keep their explosive emotions in-check?

Conference B:

East Division:

Byrdgang:

Pro: Too much grey area with this team. Their roster is filled with UdeM talent, but it’s not tackle football we play in FPF, and these guys need to get more organized and stop relying on athletic ability alone.

Con: It will be a long season.

Click Clack:

Pro: This offense has potential to put up points on the board. It will fall on the arm of Daniel Gentile who could be the difference maker for C.C.

Con: Is the window of opportunity closing on this perennial contender? Paul Kamel will need to get this defense to play the attacking style (the opposite theory of Bill Sheridan) that has won them many games. How will the loss of Nareg Yessayan (he opted to stay with the Wolverines) affect them?

Monarchs:

Pro: Still trying to find something to write. The core of Stephen Free, Kimani Selman and Mike Majeur are back, along with squiet stars Renaldo Jordan and Stephane Chartrand. Will it be enough for this once proud franchise to compete in D2?

Con: Is this team better off with Cory Johnson (formerly of North Shore in Spring season and Seminoles in Winter 2009) as the quarterback, than Rick Nincheri?

Red Ballers:

Pro: Jonathan Collin had tremendous success with the McGill Redmen. Hopefully he can translate that onto a FPF field. Tim Kramer is one of the most underrated players in this division. His leadership qualities will help this team.

Con: Do they have enough talent to stay afloat? Will lack of experience hurt Collin in this league?

Waterbuffaloes:

Pro: As a number five seed in the playoffs, the Buffaloes won the D2 title. Craig O’Brien may be unorthodox with the way he throws a football, but he gets the job done. They are the FPF version of the Utah Jazz.

Con: Many pundits questioned why they didn’t move up to D1? Will their wins be tainted if Chad Byers plays in the majority of games? According to the team, he will play at-most two games while O’Brien is away. They looked lost against a faster, younger, and more athletic team in the Texas All-Stars last weekend.

West Division

416:

Pro: Sanchez Dechamps has experience playing in FPF. In fact, he had a tremendous individual season with his previous team, the Red Ballers. With the additions of Corey Greenway, and a few other Stinger players, it could help due the familiarity they have with each other.

Con: The team is primarily comprised of Concordia Stinger football players. Now, if they played like they did against Laval in the Quebec Football finals. It will be a long year for 416 no matter what area code they’re from.

All Blacks:

Pro: Terrance Morsink has all the tangibles to be a solid quarterback in D2. The All Blacks led by captain Robert Gouldson, have a team feistiness to really pose problems for their opponents.

Con: Beyond Morsink, who’s the go to guy? Honestly, to lose to the Monarchs in week one is a huge blow to the team’s psyche.

Kingz:

Pro: Even though Rey Sarwar (the architect behind this team) has “bought” titles in the past. This team has a different feel. With the likes of Andre John and Alex Lever on the team, he has baked himself a half decent pie. Furthermore, the addition of Fred Dupuis, and Guilaume Ward will make this team competitive in the ever tough West division.

Con: Beyond Dupuis, and Ward’s D1 experience, will the lack of D2 talent hurt this team? Why wasn’t Ward on offense the entire time in week one? He has one of the best set of hands in this league. The Kingz better learn fast that Ward, not Sarwar, is the best receiver on the team.

Shockers:

Pro: This is by the far their best chance to win a D2 winter title. That’s why they came back to win the one title that has eluded this franchise. Andre Knights, is a top-five best player in all of FPF. The defense displayed a ferocity against the Byrdgang that I have never ever seen before.

Con: No Kevin Wyeth, or Kishon Thompson. Will this hurt the team? Will Mike McNair’s apparent surgery in the middle of February, hinder their offense? Who will take the controls if McNair opts for surgery? Will the Shockers be known as the Phil Mickelson of FPF?

Texas All-Stars:

Pro: They have speed, athleticism, and talent. Now, they added Benny Goodfriend. With his high football IQ, he has the ability to mentor these young stallions to the promise land. Will Goodfriend’s laid back personality be a good fit with a group of younger, more eccentric players than he’s used to playing with?

Con: Will their emotions get the better of them, like in year’s past? Is Goodfriend ready to take the next step to win a championship?

Top-10 Games of D2 (excluding week one)

10) Week.2: Kingz-Waterbuffaloes: Welcome to D2 Kingz, your first “real test” is against the defending champions Waterbuffaloes. After the week one tie against the Click Clack, can Fred Dupuis pull off an upset? Will the Buffaloes be a shadow of themselves with no Chad Byers, and Pat Lanctot?

9) Week.7: Byrdgang-Black Knights: This might be only time that these two teams will get any coverage. Furthermore, this might be the best chance to win a game this year. I hope they prove me wrong.

8) Week.3: Click Clack-Tomahawks: The hype machine thinks the Hawks will be a force to be reckoned with in D2. This is a great litmus test for the Click Clack to see how they measure up against a potential trap game.

7) Week.3: Kingz-Shockers: The battle of former WEPL mates. Rey Sarwar will butt heads with Ros Castleton. Could this be the first trap game of the year for the Shockers? Rey Sarwar seems to get the best out of his teammates against the better teams. The Shockers might need a steamroller in this matchup against the Kingz.

6) Week.6: Phoenix-Tomahawks: This might be one of the most-bitter rivalries in this league. These two teams know each other inside-out. Keep in-mind, P.A. Lebouthillier who is rehabbing an injury will be eager to get back in the lineup. Moreover, the Phoenix would like to prove that they can fly without being tomahawked by their new rivals.

5) Week.9: Renegades-Wolfpack: First one to 45-points wins this game. With the addition of Rick Nincheri, the Renegades have the ability to put up an average of 40-plus points. Moreover, the Wolfpack, have their own gunslinger in Pascal Murray who can post 41-plus points on an opponent. No one will be sleeping on the Wolfpack this year.

4) Week.6: Waterbuffaloes-Shockers: The Shockers came up short in their pursuit of D2 excellence with their playoff loss to the Buffaloes. It seems the Shockers have taken the attitude of the 1980’s Miami Hurricanes teams that there will be no team that can stop them. Well, the Buffaloes did last year. Twice.

3) Week.10: Wolfpack-One Night Stands: This could very well determine who will win Conference A. On the other hand, one team(Wolfpack) could be fighting for one of the final playoff spots in the ever tough Conference A.

2) Week.3: Click Clack-Texas All-Stars: For those who were not there to witness one of the most intense rivalries in the summer of ’08 between the two clubs. This will be a treat. They played a feisty regular season game, and an epic final. However, the stakes are different. It is Valentine’s Day, but I am sure there won’t be any chocolates exchanged between these two teams. But I hear Nathan Taylor likes chocolate covered turtles (hint, hint Paul Kamel). The All-Stars now have a quarterback(Goodfriend). The Click Clack are primed to show they are the real deal. This win will go a long way in the conference standings.

1) Week.8: Shockers- Nixon’s Renegades: In what might be considered murderer’s row for both teams in this part of their schedules. The Renegades D2 initiation was a shell “shock” by their opponent. To even add more spice to this dish, Dale Williams had to change his cleats that were pointed out by the Shockers to the referees. The Renegades feel strongly they can beat this very confident Shockers team.

Standing Predictions: (Note: I made my predictions last week)

Conference A

East

One Night Stands: 9-1

Tomahawks: 7-3

Phoenix: 6-4

Mercenaries: 5-5

Black Knights: 3-7

West

Renegades: 8-2

Wolfpack: 6-4

Ruff Ryders: 6-4

Wolverines: 6-4

Wildcats: 1-9

Conference B

East

Click Clack: 7-2-1

Waterbuffaloes: 6-3-1

Red Ballers: 4-6

Monarchs: 4-6

Byrdgang: 0-10

West

Shockers: 9-1

Texas All-Stars: 8-2

Kingz: 6-4

416: 4-6

All Blacks: 3-7

Final Words

So, these are my thoughts, and predictions. I am confident that 78-percent of my prophesies will go down the toilet. However, it is fun to try to prove that I am an actual Nostradamus. Good luck to all the teams, and keep up the good fight.

P.S. My finals predictions: Shockers 35-24 win over the One Night Stands. However, I am sure this won’t happen since I have potentially jinxed these teams by having them as my finalists.