Tier 3: Fall-Season 1, Episode 1

Tier 3 

What’s up FPF and welcome to our first ever Fall Season. That’s right, Fall Cup is a thing of the past and I for one am happy with the change. Even though there are much less teams that participate in the fall, it still should be treated as a regular season. For those of you who don’t know me, My name is Raff Morelli and I will be your tier 3 writer for this season. I have been playing FPF since 2018 and have been writing articles for the league for two years now. I have loved every moment whether playing the game or covering divisions, this truly is the best Flag league in Montreal. Most of my articles will vary from week to week but some topics will be featured every week like Game of the week, power rankings and weekly picks. Even though its already week 2, ill give a small introduction on some teams that have been in the league for a while and a few teams that will be new challengers. Ill also give my early top 10 power rankings. So without further ado lets dive into tier 3. Side note, I am currently playing in Competitive 5v5 and Tier 2. But I will be subbing for tier 3’s Dirty Slugs from time to time so this will allow me to get a chance to witness some of tier 3’ teams first hand. 

Old faces 

This is a small outlook on teams that have been playing together for a while and have become somewhat of a Franchise in FPF. 

Voodoo 

A team that has been under the name since 2018 led by QB Frank Kaye who has been playing in the league before FPF even began recording stats on their website. Their last season was back in the winter where they played in 4B where they had a tough season going 2-8. The team that has a plethora of experienced players can only be successful when they are surrounded by a few young guns with fresh legs. Thats exactly what they did this season and their week 1 result shows it as they got the win 33-6. 

Win Diesel 

A team that has been around for more then 2 years participating in at least 6 seasons, enters tier 3 as one of the top teams after being successful in Div C last spring. William Sebag under center once again after a 38 td season. He will be a front runner for QBOY here in tier 3 as they should beat down on some of the lower end teams. 

Team Ethnik 

Probably one of the longest standing franchises in all of FPF, Team Ethnik, David De Andrade and Benoit Lawler began their journey 12 years ago in 2012. Their core has remained the same with different additions as the years go by. Their previous season was underwhelming an out of character as they only won 2 games. I expect a much better record from them this time around. Unfortunately, Benoit has yet to raise a FPF trophy, both Championship or QBOY. Will this be the season they finally get it done?

Penetrators 

Entering their 8th season, The Penetrators are back. After a great winter season where they just fell short and lost in the 4B finals, Penetrators are looking to finally get over the hump and win their first championship. Led By QB Justin Goodman and Nick Fon this team has the offensive power to score lots of points and methodically drive down the field. 

West Island Boys (defending Champs) 

Among other franchises that appear here in tier 3 I couldn’t go without talking about the West island Boys, the Defending Tier 3 Champs. With players like Skylar Bayliff, Julian McLaren-Thompson and apparently QB Jerome Hovington, this team has all the makings of a star studded roster. They shouldn’t have trouble finding themselves deep in the playoffs. 

New Challengers 

These teams either never have played in FPF under this team name or have never played in this division before. 

Mixed Mambas 

A new team name with many new players to FPF. Micheal Remy takes the lead under center for the first time as well. I have never seen him play before so I wonder how well he can throw the ball and even more important, how well he can call plays that are FPF friendly. Newer players, especially guys from tackle football, don’t necessarily call the right plays at the right moment or take unnecessary risks. 

Les Petites Carottes JR

A mix between Div C’s Les petites Carottes and Div E’s LPC Jr. This new franchise has come into the league this year and has made their mark early, winning Division E and going 9-1 in division C. The team is full of speed, size and youth. I expect them to be one of the best teams in the division. Alexandre Manes is the QB to lead this squad and with receivers like Mathis Ledoux and Xavier Brault this will be a dangerous offence. 

Notorious C.I.G

After being one of the top teams last Sping in division D, Notorious C.I.G are back for another run. We saw Joey Notaro take over as Qb last season and although he played really well, I would like to see George Spano stay QB and have Joey Notaro be the #1 option. Joey is a Tier 1/5v5 competitive type of player so there isn’t many defences in this division that will be able to contain him. Look for Joey to have a huge All-Star year if he remains a wideout. 

Top 10 Power Rankings

Power rankings are back after some positive feedback from last season in Div D where I first introduced them in my articles. They are essentially a snapshot of who’s considered the best at that particular point in time. I have chosen a top 10 Power Ranking as there are a-lot of teams here in tier 3 (24). At the beginning of the season, I’m basically just predicting things from what I see off of rosters and schedule. My power rankings will certainly change once the weeks start to go by.

Here’s what typically influences power rankings:

• Recent Performance: This is a big one! Recent wins, losses, and the margin of victory/defeat all play a role. A team on a winning streak is likely to climb the rankings. Big performances from star players will also weigh heavily on where I think you’re team belongs in the top 10. 
• Strength of Schedule: Not all wins are equal. Beating a weak team is less impressive than beating a strong team. Power rankings take this into account, giving more weight to wins against tougher opponents. Beating a team that is in the top 10 will surly move you in the rankings. 
• Historical Performances: A team’s past record can also influence their ranking. A team that has consistently been strong is unlikely to plummet in the rankings after a single loss. The start of my rankings will obviously be weighed heavily from this and how well I predict these teams to succeed this fall. 
• Advanced Statistics: Beyond wins and losses, my rankings will consider advanced metrics that attempt to measure a team’s true underlying strength. This is a power ranking, not a standings page so this can include things like points scored and turnovers committed to show how well a team is actually playing. Essentially bring at the top of the rankings means I believe in that team the most to win a playoff game if the season ended that week. 

1. Les Petites Carottes JR  1-0-1

Merging their Div C and Div E team, this team possesses one of the best rosters in Tier 3.

2. Win Diesel 2-0

Another team to do extremely well in Div C last spring that find themselves here in tier 3. They might be listed as #2 but its more of a 1.b type thing.

3. Jagerbombers 1-0

A team that did extremely well last Spring in div D where they ended the season 8-2. Their Qb is one of the fastest in the division and they have a secret weapon in Amélie Durocher, one of their best receivers on the team.

4. Penetrators 1-0

Justin Goodman and company have only had winning records and I don’t expect that to change here in tier 3. They might fluctuate in the power rankings but I predict this team to be in the top 10 most of the season.

5. Snowdon Deli Degens 1-1

After an undefeated season in Div D, Adam Malinoff and company are back. Can they repeat that type of success here in Tier 3

6. West Island Boys 0-1

The defending champions started off with a loss but I expect them to bounce back and have a great year with Jerome Hovington under center.

7. Tune Squad 1-1

8. Notorious C.I.G 0-1

Another Div D team with one of the best QB-WR connections. Expect big things from Joey Notaro.

9. The Process 1-0

The process is back but Noah Groper has opted out of the Qb position and handed that duty to Johnathan Perez.

10. Team Ethnik 1-0 

Veteran team will be quality wins. Tier 3 is closer to their talent level compared to Div C so I believe they will end with a winning record.

Weekly Picks 

Prediction Record: 0-0 

West Island Boys   vs.   Bandits 

Voodoo                  vs.    Snowdon Deli Degens 

Team Sexy             vs.    Black Shinobi 

Team Ethnik           vs.    The Process