Tier 2 Finals Preview: And then there were two

Welcome to the FlagPlus Football Tier 2 Finals. It has been four months, and 150 games so far. Tomorrow will be number 151.

The Finals are all about showing your stuff and earning the right to be called the best team in the division. The Infantry and Idaho Udapimps will battle for the latter tomorrow afternoon.

Let’s look at how both teams got here.

Idaho Udapimps forced two second half turnovers, the first an interception, that would result in an eventual touchdown, and then a turnover on downs that would also lead to a score, as they beat Fins Up (32-28). The final wasn’t as close as the score would indicate, as the latter would record a TD on the second to last play of the game, and IU surrendered the 2-point conversion.

The Infantry punched their ticket to the Finals, as they earned an overtime victory over the number one seed Vultures, in a game that could be best described as an instant classic. The contest came down to two plays. Going for a 2-point convo, Vultures QB Ben McMahon would hit Receiver Sanders Armand in the back of the endzone, but the Back Judge official ruled that the talented two-way threat stepped out of bounds and came back in before catching the pass, making it illegal touching, resulting in an automatic incompletion.

After stopping The Infantry twice in a row on 2-point attempts, the Vultures, trailing by one point, had a chance to get the walk-off win, but a pass from McMahon to Receiver James Drysdale was too high, and went out the back of the endzone to end the game, and resulting in a explosion of excitement from the defense’s sideline, as The Infantry won (36-35).  

(2) Idaho Udapimps versus (4) The Infantry

Previous Meeting: Idaho Udapimps (26-19) Week 5

Defense was the story of the first meeting as Idaho Udapimps scored their fewest number of points of the season, while The Infantry produced their second lowest total. Both teams really struggled to move the ball in the second half, as they each only recorded one touchdown.

As you might expect, this game came down to a stop. After giving up a go-ahead touchdown to Idaho Udapimps, The Infantry had a chance to either tie the game and send it to overtime or go for the 2-point conversion and the win.

The Infantry moved the ball down the field with pace, as Quarterback Sean Semerjian connected on passes to his brother Rory Semerjian (twice), as well as to Marc-André Lapointe, and Nicholas Di Maulo. The trio of pass-catchers combined for 31 yards.

An incomplete pass sandwiched in between two offensive penalties would set up the final play of the game. The Semerjian brothers would try to connect again, but Safety Marvin Steinberg would knock the pass down to end the game and give his team the win.

The one bright spot in the game offensively was the performance of Danick Coulombe, as the two-time All-Star had a game-high three touchdowns for Idaho Udapimps.

To get the win tomorrow, The Infantry will have to score more than three touchdowns. The team has the fifth best offense in Tier 2, but in Week 5 it looked like anything but, as Semerjian averaged eight yards a pass, and none of his Receivers had more than 45 yards.

To score more points, the team will need its best players to play like it. In the first matchup, Six-time All-Star Quaysie Gordon-Maule was held without a catch, and for some reason only had two passes thrown his way. Rory Semerjian wasn’t much better, as he was limited to a regular-season low four catches for 39 yards. A repeat performance will spell doom for The Infantry.

The final thing the team must do is bring the same defense that showed up to Chateauguay in Week 5. The unit provided sticky coverage, and held Idaho Udapimps QB Brady Ohanessian, to a season-low in yards (138) completion percentage (57.6%), and touchdowns (4). The Infantry have been the best team on that side of the ball all year long. They’ll need to show up one more time tomorrow.

For Idaho Udapimps to win it all, they will need to use their defense as well. While not as vaunted as The Infantry, IU has playmakers at every level. Jeremy Rooney, Sam Anastasopoulos, Andrew Grant, and Steinberg have all made game-altering plays on that side of the ball this year, and they will be called on to do the same thing tomorrow.

Idaho Udapimps must also do their best to make sure this is not a one-possession game. This season, IU is (4-2) in that scenario, which includes the victory over The Infantry, but if you look a little closer, they narrowly beat Shake & Bake in the Quarterfinals, after IU turned the ball over on downs on their last offensive possession. This past Monday versus Fins Up, they were the beneficiary of several drops by the Fins Up Receivers, including a key drop that turned the game around, as a pass by Quarterback Will Power deflected off the hands of Receiver Donndre Borden, and was intercepted by Steinberg. Credit to IU for taking advantage of their opponent’s mistakes, but you don’t want to rely on that to ensure a win too many times.

These are two fantastic teams. They both have the perfect combination of top end players, as well as less heralded guys who will surely make an impact tomorrow afternoon.

Idaho Udapimps are going for back-to-back championships, and they are the deeper squad. The Infantry have the top defense, and just knocked off a team in the Vultures, that many including yours truly, thought was the best team in Tier 2. This is the definition of a toss up game. I am going with The Infantry, as I feel OT win Monday night can’t be ignored.

Prediction: The Infantry (32-28)

Picks

(2) Idaho Udapimps vs (4) The Infantry – The Infantry (Upset Special)

Last Week: (2-0)

Playoffs: (8-2)

Regular Season: (36-16-1)

Upset Special: (6-6-1)

In last week’s article, I mentioned that I recently sat down with FPF President Jeff Rosenblatt, and Commissioner Ben McMahon. We touched on all things FPF, including info and surprises for the upcoming 2025 Winter Season. If you haven’t listened to the interview, you can find it wherever you get podcasts, or right here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1FnPwsveYhQJmxilWdeqHs?si=0JQFVnYVTl6mWEveJIp7-w

This is it for this week, and the Fall Season. Thank-you to everyone that took the time to read my articles, as well as answering the survey questions I put on the FPF Facebook page. It was my pleasure to write for you guys. I appreciate all the kind words, dedication, and feedback. Good luck to both teams tomorrow, I fully expect a great game.

Happy holidays to you and your families. Take care, and I’ll see you guys in a few weeks when we kickoff the Winter Season!