The Wrath of Khan (D2) – Wrath Awards

As we enter the final stanza of the FPF season, it’s time to acknowledge those who best exemplified their football skills on the field in the first ever Wrath Awards.

I have been privileged to witness some great D2 games this season. As a result, I have seen some incredible performances from the excellent players who play in this division. Without further ado, here are my 12 picks (6 offense, 6 defense) for top players at their respective positions. During my process of elimination in naming this team, regardless if a player played on a winning or losing team, I based it on performance on the D2 field.

Offense:

QB: Pascal Murray, Wolfpack (45 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 1544 passing yards, and 116.6 QB rating): Without a doubt, Murray has been the cream of the crop for the D2 quarterback position. This year, he has put up astronomical numbers with 45 touchdowns in 9 games. His value to his team is enormous, as their lone loss came when he was not in the lineup. Murray, who was a former Yellow Jackets quarterback, has revamped his image of being a D1 bust into a quarterback of the year candidate in D2.

WR: Mike Roy, Monarchs (56 receptions, 718 yards, and 17 touchdowns): For all the pre-season attention that the Monarchs received, it has come to a crashing halt as they will not qualify for the playoffs this winter. However, if there has been a silver lining, it’s been the play of receiver Mike Roy. Making the transition from quarterback to receiver, he has done a great job as he has caught a league leading 56 balls, and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (17).

WR: Andre Knights, Shockers (39 receptions, 563 yards, and 17 touchdowns): If there is one constant on the Shockers football team besides Ross Castleton, it’s Andre Knights. Knights will always come up with a big play, and he has done it consistently this year, especially with quarterback, Mike McNair throwing him the football. If there was a survey to be taken, Knights would rank as one of the best players in the entire FPF.

WR: Mikail Davidson, Wolfpack (34 receptions, 414 yards, and 14 touchdowns): For Pascal Murray to have a great season, he needs his teammates to catch the ball. Well, that has been the case as Davidson, who is a great unknown in D2, has put up solid numbers for the Wolfpack. He ranks ninth for receiving yardage with 414 yards, and his 14 touchdowns puts him tied in the top tier for 6-pointers. The key has been his ability to create more yards after the catch, which has made the lethal Wolfpack offense even more dangerous.

WR: Sanchez Deschamps, Red Ballers (43 receptions, 467 yards, and 13 touchdowns): Even though the Red Ballers were officially eliminated from the playoffs last weekend, no one should discount the playmaking ability that Deschamps possesses. In their win against Turf Toe Inc., Deschamps made some catches that would be worthy of being Sportscentre top-10 highlights. He does have a couple of Terrell Owens attributes in wanting the ball on every play, but which WR doesn’t?

WR: Pat Lanctot: Waterbuffaloes (40 receptions, 517 yards, and 17 touchdowns): No matter who is throwing the ball, Lanctot has put up great numbers. The trio of Chad Byers, Craig O’Brien, and Lanctot will be tough to stop in the playoffs. He has come up with some huge catches for the Buffaloes in their victories this season. He is another unknown great receiver in the D2.

Defense:

Rusher: Stephane Cole, Messengers of Happiness (16 sacks, 8 tackles, 1 interception, and 7 pass defenses): Without a doubt in this scribe’s mind, Cole is the most dominant, feared, and confident pass rusher in D2. He has changed the momentum of games throughout this season, and he has held some nimble quarterbacks in check (see Scott Mironowicz). Cole is one of the rare FPF players that has the tools to alter a quarterback’s comfort zone.

DB: Jason Barr, Phoenix (31 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 4 pass defenses): Barr may be loud, annoying, and is possibly the most hated player in D2. But he is a character who has done well this year. He has a knack for being around the football, and has done a great job keeping his teammates motivated and getting under the skin of his opponents. No matter how disliked he is by his opponents, he is entertaining to watch and has been one of the top DBs in D2.

DB: Pavlos Papachristopoulos, Click Clack (41 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 4 pass defenses): Papachristopoulos has done a great job this year. Maybe it’s because he is playing with the backbone of the team, Paul Kamel, but Papachristopoulos leads the league with 41 total tackles. Sure, some within the D2 community will say tackles are not indicative of how good a player is. But keep in mind that FPF tackling is not an easy task, and to have 41 in the ever competitive D2 is an accomplishment.

DB: Teddy Frenette , Messengers of Happiness (17 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 sack, and 11 pass defenses): On a Messengers of Happiness defense full of game-breakers, Frenette has been one of the best cover defensive-backs in D2. Many of the elite quarterbacks have tried throwing against him, but his Charles Woodson like ability has stolen away sure catches for interceptions. Besides a couple of players in D2, I have never seen a player come out of his breaks as fast as Frenette. He is a great player on an incredible defense.

DB: Nathan Taylor, Texas All-Stars (14 tackles, 5 interceptions and, 4 pass defenses): Finally, the entire FPF league has caught wind of who Nathan Taylor is. As a result, not many balls are thrown to his side in D2. His stats might not be considered good enough to be a part of the All-Wrath Team, but Taylor taking away one side of the football does wonders for a defense. For the few quarterbacks who have dared to throw to his side, they have won very few battles against him.
 
DB: Ben Leger, Homsapiens (20 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 8 pass defenses): One of the very few two-way players who have excelled on both sides of the ball, Leger, has done a great job manning the defense for the Sapiens. His 6 interceptions are tied for fourth in D2, and his steady leadership influence has been instrumental in his team’s drive for the playoffs.