To see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm.

What’s up FPF fam! I hope you all enjoyed stuffing your faces during the long Easter weekend, I know I definitely did. Aside from Easter weekend being celebrated amongst family & friends, late April means we got NBA basketball heading our way! Don’t get me wrong I love my Raptors, but even I am aware that this matchup against Philly isn’t going to be any walk in the park. Regardless, Raps in 6 baby!

As we turn the corner back into the FPF world, we only have two weeks left before playoffs! Some teams still have 3 games left, while others have simply 1 left. You already know, it’s going down to the WIRE! Although 3 wins currently has Les Maloudes seated with a first round bye in conference A, It seems to be a fight for survival in conference B. What is extremely odd yet true, is how Conference B has FIVE teams currently tied up at 6-2. That is wild!! With all that said, we are one step closer to figuring out the award winners for each position. Let me tell ya, the race for some of these awards couldn’t bet any tighter! Finding their way with the last playoff seed, we can;t ignore the run Killa Bees are currently on, Jeremie Mongeon-Duby has been playing outta his mind as of late! it’s going to be interesting to see who will be the one to stop their run. That is, if their run is even going to be stopped…. Without further ado, Let’s dive into the explosion of offence we say on display last week, shall we?

Division recap

Are we about to witness Simon Dagenais’ squad return from the dead!? Just last week it seemed as though Lightweight were down and out, and now they stand currently one game back of Bearskins with still 3 games left to play! In a game not too many folks were interested in, Justin Blanchard had himself a DAY as he found the endzone on 3 out of his four catches. Simon finally had one of those stellar performances that I’ve seen him do PC! (Pre Covid). 6 passing tds, all while getting both of his superstars involved. Justin Lerner did his thing as well, scoring 2 tds while hauling in 5 out of his 6 targets. Oompa Loompas’ Alec Gregoire finally found himself a sidekick in teammate Romain Botella who caught 5 passes for 89 and a score, Unfortunately, Lightweight had too much experience on the other side of the field to get a win here. Eddy Lee showing up was also huge for Lightweight as he brings a defensive tenacity to the team, he ain’t afraid to jump those hook/out routes & go house those INTs a La Ty Law in his prime! Ultimately, This win was huge for Lightweight as they put themselves one step closer to squeezing into the playoffs. Wouldn’t it be an incredible story? Start off the season losing your first SIX games, only to be sitting at week 8 needing to win 2 out of your last 3 games to make the playoffs! All while somehow, someway, taking down a top seed in the first round of the playoffs… If they pull this off, it would be the most Simon Dagenais way to get a team into the playoffs.

Okay, I think it’s time to start giving praise back to one of the division’s best; Sheeesh. What a defensive performance they put on, as they were able to pick off Touch it Catch it’s QB Fred Mallette not once, not twice, not 3 times, but for a total of 4 times! I was at this game, some were on the receivers fumbling the passes, and some were simply on Fred who whole heartily knows not only where he went wrong, but how he needs to be better with playoffs looming around the corner. It was a weird night of flag, I’m not going to lie to yall. Mallette got picked off trying to find Aj Gomes at the goal line on a slant route. Vincent Benjamin was able to step in front and cause a pop fly in the middle of the field, resulting in another INT. Understandably, AJ is a go to target without a doubt! However, if I can make any suggestions it would be to find different ways to get him the ball. Cerebral Defensive minds such as the one on this Sheesh roster won’t just give up anything easy, ESPECIALLY at the goalline to the league leader in receiving Tds at 18. (tied with Brisebois). Bottom line, if you want to win, you’ve got to be unpredictable at times! On the flip side, Andrew Langburt seemed to be dancing in the backfield all night, scrambling for yards or maneuvering around the pocket to buy some time to find his boys downfield. The funny thing is, after what you just read, you would think Langburt was absolutely untouchable… That is where you are wrong, because Isiah Allard was able to have his presence felt, accumulating 4 sacks on the night! It seemed as though Andrew was given every opportunity to run away with this game, yet kept giving Tici a way back in. Vice versa, whenever Mallette got an opportunity to take advantage of Sheeesh’s mistakes, he didn’t. Instead, he gave the ball right back to the high powered offence. Only 6 points were scored all second half between both teams, talk about a defensive slugfest! Speedster Noah Groper was able to get separation on a nice out route at the goaline to sit comfortably with a 2 score lead. Bottom line, I don’t believe it will be the last time these two talented rosters face off against one another; If and when they do, I’ll just say this… Get your Popcorn ready, Folks!

Ginooo… Gino, Gino, Gino… you’re going to give these Expendables a heart attack before this season ends! Currently sitting with a bye if the playoffs start today, Gino Di Fazio has his newly inherited team at 6-2. As great as it is, chances are they don’t maintain that first round bye, as their next two matchups are up against two of the top offenses in conference B; Junkyard Dogs & Thor’s Hammer! As much as it’s all kumbaya whenever your team is winning games, it’s important to address the underlying issues amongst this Expendables team, before it’s too late. Sure, they are on a 3 game winning streak, however Di Fazio has accumulated a total of 7 interceptions during this 3 game span. Not exactly what you want coming from the pivot position. With the injury to Pollice,The Expendables have clearly woken up on the defensive end. They have allowed less than 30 points a game during the 3 game skid! Somewhere at home Carmine is telling himself “Where was this effort all season??” These next 2 weeks before playoffs should paint a picture that will be quite telling as to how well the Expendables will be able to compete amongst the divisions best. As for Speed Academy, if Emile Plant can’t muster up a 3 game winning streak vs the remaining juggernauts they have (Sheesh, Mongoose, Past Our Prime), then it might just be lights out for the academy filled with speed. However, a lot of football still remains to be played!

Seven… that’s the number of consecutive games that my guy Daniel Mancini has scored a touchdown for the Silent ticklers. You ask how Jordan Panetta has his squad making the most noise at this point in the season? It’s because of the consistency they’ve been getting from not just Mancini, but others who’ve just balled out this season. Names that come to mind would be Adam Rosen, who’s been a nightmare for defenders all season long! Just this season alone, he’s had 4 games in which he finished the contest with 3 touchdowns, that’s some game breaking numbers! Although it wasn’t the prettiest of games for Les Gros Coqs QB Dom Lefort, it’s important to note that they still have 2 winnable games left to be played. If they go winless during that span, we might just see Lightweight fizzle their way into the playoffs. These two teams faceoff against one another Monday night for what could prove to be a do or die situation for Lightweight. Interesting, to say the least.

Officially eliminated from the playoffs, which is a bummer because aside from their record, Past our Prime QB Craig O’Brien has played a pretty good season, statistically speaking. He’s completed 65% of his passes on the year, along with 38 touchdowns and he’s only been sacked once! If he would have done a better job taking care of the football, I have no doubt that P.O.P. would have had different results in the 3 games they lost by one score. Shoutout to Scott Payne yet again, who had an absolute monster of a game scoring 4 touchdowns in the contest. Unfortunately, Past our Prime wasn’t ready for the title wave of offense that hit them in the face. I am referring to the steaming Killa Bees who have been LAVA hot as of late! Another lights out performance by QB Jeremie Mongeon Duby, throwing for 235 and 8 Tds en route to dropping 58 points! Second time this season JMD tossed 8 Tds in a game, pretty impressive stuff! Killa Bees currently sit with the last playoff spot available, but with 2 games left they can possibly finish with as much as a first round bye (Depending on the outcome of certain games). If KB is going to want any shot at finishing higher in the standings, they’re going to need to continue getting Batman & Robin involved as they’ve done so well all throughout the season. Batman would be Guillaume Racine-Tessier who has 13 touchdowns on the season. His sidekick Robin, AKA Mr. David Dumas-Goulet, is not far off with 12 touchdowns himself. Should these two studs continue to find ways to dominate the competition, I can very well see Killa Bees finish the season with 8 wins. Although it’s not impossible, it doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy task to complete. KB’s last two games are vs the top 2 teams in the division at the moment; Blessed, and Silent Ticklers. After these next two weeks, we’ll get a real grasp of how much potential Killa Bees truly have with the roster they’ve assembled.

Les Maloudes vs EZW literally resulted in an Easy-W, as Jeremy White was able to do his thing all night long, scoring 6 tds along with taking care of the rock. If you’re ever in a position to play mistake free football, all while taking advantage of the opposing teams mistake, means you know what it takes to win those grimey style of games. Despite the fact that JW only completed 57% of his throws, he still managed to get 8 players involved on offense. Whenever you spread the ball out to each player that shows up to the game, it goes a long way in developing team chemistry.. Les Maloudes QB Anthony Beauchamp Frezza had a rough outing, throwing the same number of touchdowns as he did INTs; at 2. This is extremely disappointing. If you ask me, or anyone on the Les Maloudes roster, they’ll surely tell you that they don’t feel comfortable with the direction the team is heading towards. With all the chaos going on, it is still Les Maloudes who sit with the first round bye. It’s almost as though they enjoy leaving the door open for others to come and steal that bye from them. They don’t seem threatened, which could be due to having Les Gros Coqs and Lightweight as the teams threatening their position. Conference A-West is by far and wide the weakest subdivision in all of Division 3, as the leader of the pact has a -67 point differential, which call me crazy, I find it not normal! On the flip side, EZW is involved in a 5 way tie in Conference B, as all 6 teams sit with 6 wins a piece. Definitely going to be a tight race, regardless wherever each team is seated. Each team knows they are making the playoffs, it comes down to which matchup you feel puts you in the best position to be successful. However as it stands, EZW plays Killa Bees first round. Sparks will be flying I’ll tell you that much! I’d pay Money to see that first round showdown no doubt!

Moving onto the second 50 burger of the week, Junkyard Dogs put everything on display, as QB Jason Rossie had himself a BEAST of a game! Rossie was chucking them up all of sunday night, as he finished the game with 7 Touchdowns, In that process, he got the superstar brothers involved by feeding Sean Semerjian for 3 tds, and brother Rory Semerjian for 2 tds! Anytime Rossie sees that his opponent cannot physically compete with the Semerjian brothers, he’s going to beat that drum all night long until the final whistle blows. The two combined for 180 yards on the night, along with Rory adding an INT to his already stellar performance. Looking at the box score and seeing Marc-Antoine Chaput finish with 100 yards and 3 tds, you would think the score would be closer than it finished with. Unfortunately, that was far from the case as JYD took advantage to put points on the board any chance they could have had. I had a chance to speak with Jason Rossie at the field this previous week, and it’s clear that this Gunslinger has no fear in his game. I can’t lie,I like hearing that from my QB. He knows what he can do with the weapons he has, and is aware that if he plays well, the team will follow. As a Teammate of Rossie, you automatically go into any game believing that you can dethrone whoever steps foot in front of you. Junkyard Dogs is going to need that confidence to be put on display for the rest of the season, as they face two inferior opponents to end their regular season schedule. Should they go 2-0 during this span, this might open the opportunity to jump into that first round bye spot, and get an extra week to heal up from any minor injuries the team is being faced with. On a final note, I know this might sound crazy, but if Mangoose win their final 2 matchups in blowout fashion, all while Killa Bees lose their final 2 games by getting blown out (HIGHLY unlikely) we might just see Nicolas Schaefer’s squad throw themselves into the playoffs. Like I said, highly unlikely, yet not impossible… Just saying!

Players of the week

QBs

Jeremie Mongeon Duby

Another Killer Performance from the Bees QB1, which is starting to become like second nature for the outstanding phenom. Mongeon Duby completed 13 of his 18 passes, for 235 yards and 8 Tds. He also completed 72% of his throws and finished with a 153.9 QBR. These kinds of performances really make me question if JMD is ready to move up into higher divisions to compete. I guess those questions shall be answered within the next 2 weeks! Nonetheless, great performance, Jeremie!

Jason Rossie

In my eyes, this was Jason Rossie’s best performance as QB1 for Junkyard dogs thus far. Rossie completed 17 out of 20 passes, for 7 Tds, an 85% completion percentage, along with a 158.3 QBR. What was even more impressive was the 0 underneath the interceptions column. As i mentioned often in my articles, if you TAKE CARE OF THAT FOOTBALL, GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN!! It’s strange, most people enjoy when a quarterback controls the tempo of a game, taking advantage of the short passing game and controlling the clock. However, with Rossie, I feel like he is most comfortable when he is just simply chucking it up for his jump ball specialists. Whenever JYD is at their best, it’s because Rossie is playing with confidence. Keep it up, Jason!

Jeremy White

What a season J dubs has had this season. He currently has 39 passing Tds on the year, and only 2 INTs to go along with it. Last Sunday was no different, as he gave nightmares to the Les Maloudes defense all night long with his arm and with his legs! Going 19/33, 165 yards passing, 45 on the ground, while finishing drives in the endzone 6 times! EZW is playing their style of football, when White is running around buying time for his WRs to get open. There’s just something about this offense that knows the play is never over with White at QB. Each receiver understands the scramble rules needed to keep the chains moving! Unless you got yourself a stud at rusher, goodluck stopping EZW in the playoffs! Good job, Jeremy!

Wrs

Sean Semerjian

Balling out when his team needs him most! As impressive as it was, I feel as though I need to get used to these kinds of performances when it comes to the 6’3 jump ball freak! 3 tds on 4 receptions, with 112 yards to add to it. What. A. Performance. Junkyard dogs need Semerjian to be the dominant force he is game in game out. When the Rossie/Sean Semerjian connection is clicking, you know the opposing team is in for a long night. Excellent work, Sean!

Justin Blanchard 4/6 84 yards 3 tds

Coming in clutch for his team’s first win of the season, Justin put on a jaw dropping performance as he put speed on display all night long. Blanchard caught 4 passes for 84 yards and 3 Touchdowns! I was able to catch one of his Tds, & man oh man, does Justin ever still have those wheels on him! He was flying all over the field making plays to secure this must needed dub that keeps Lightweight still in the playoff hunt. Way to go, Justin!

Scott Payne

Although it was done in a losing effort, performances such as the one Scott Payne had this week cannot go unnoticed. Hauling in TEN of his 11 targets, for 101 and FOUR Touchdowns!! I mean, Wowza! Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb! Although O’B is a very intelligent QB, I can’t even imagine how Past our Prime would have competed in any of their matches without the firepower Payne brought to each match this season. Congratulations, Scott!

Dbs

Daniel Mancini

Mr Reliable himself, having the kind of defensive performance that makes you wonder whether he has Darrelle Revis Coverage out there, or that he has butter fingers whenever he plays Defense. ( which doesn’t add up at all because he goes OFFFF on O). Either way, the bottom line is that Mancini was all over the place Saturday night on the defensive side of the ball. He finished the game with 1 tackle, and 6 Pass deflections… SIX!! Talk about being all over the field. Best part about it, he of course proved that he does have WR hands on Defence, finishing the game with a pick 6 to add to the lockdown performance he had. Impressive work, Dan!

David Dumas Goulet

Dumas Goulet is usually known for his offense, no doubt. With no INTs on the year, David decided Saturday night that it was going to be the night he shined on defense. Goulet was able to Step in front of a pass and return it to the house, which proved to be beneficial en route to helping the Killa Bees put on a smoke show. He was also able to score a TD on offense as well which is basically no news to anybody, he’s found the endzone in every game except 1 this year (vs Sheeesh). Needless to say, David is a key part to the Bees success this season. Bravo, David!

Vincent Benjamin

In a defensive showdown played between Sheesh and Touch It Catch it, Vincent Benjamin proved that he can be the one to make plays to get the gears rolling for his team. Whether he was making any one of his four tackles by diving at players, or stepping in front of throws to create turnovers, Benjamin had himself a game! Vincent was able to capitalize off a slightly under-thrown ball by Mallette on a corner route to Isiah Allard, as he made an adjustment in the air to control his body and make the pick. What’s even crazier, is that he pulled a Malcolm Butler at the goaline, stepping in front of a goal line slant to cause a pop fly which resulted in a goal line INT. Talk about making some game changing plays! Keep up the good work, Vincent!

Rushers

Matthew peacock

A huge reason why the expendables remained competitive and won their matchup Sunday night! Peacock finished the game with 4 sacks, causing havoc on QB Emile Plant all throughout the game. Expendables only allowed 18 points on Defence. That’s what happens when you get consistent rush play. Great Effort, Matthew!

Isiah allard

Speaking of consistent rush play, look no further than the legendary one himself, Mr Isiah Allard. It’s funny, due to the loss, after the game I heard voices saying “Wow Langburt was really out here dancing around, buying time in this pocket tonight”.I was confused because I said to myself if he was dancing around how come Sheesh didn’t put up more points? I checked the box score after the game and then saw Isiah Finished with 4 sacks, woah! That’s when I said to myself okayyyyy, so THAT’S why Sheesh was held to only 26 points despite creating 4 turnovers. Second half, Isiah said enough of that, & made sure Langburt felt his wrath. That’s the Isiah Allard effect for you, Ladies and gentleman! He is so good, we sometimes take the great performances for granted. It’s unfortunate, yet true! That’s what happens when you are considered the best rusher in FPF! Listen, I know Isiah pretty well. I can tell you that if he had 4 sacks this time around vs Sheesh, as crazy as it sounds, he’ll be looking to double that amount should they face off against one another come playoffs. Outstanding job, Isiah!

Francois hogue

Just the performance they needed from their longtime speedster rusher! Francois Hogue capitalized off playing the inexperienced youngins, accumilating 5 sacks in this game to help his team secure the W! Lightweight needs this kind of performance on a weekly basis! They’re a completely different team when Hogue is causing problems in the backfield. Hopefully this level of production can cause some momentum moving forward. Keep up the good work,

Power Rankings

Blessed (8-0): This is not a typo, they literally haven’t played again so I’m not moving them anywhere.
Silent Ticklers (6-2): Handing out beatdowns is what good teams do. Silent Ticklers is officially classified as not only a good team, but a great team.
Thor’s Hammer (6-2): Although it’s their bye week, but damn. Jeff Rosenblatt only has 1 INT on the season. I think we just might be looking at Division 3’s QB of the year!
Junkyard Dogs (6-2): Rossie needs to continue playing with confidence. When they do, they win… Big.
EZW (6-2): Jeremy White has his team in position to take command of this division. Is he ready to take on the big moment?
Killa Bees (5-3): 4 Game winning streak. Offense is putting up points, Defense is getting stops.. This team gives me Remember The Titans vibes…
Sheesh (5-3): I call that a statement win, Langburt calls it a regular Monday night. Either way, huge dub for this depleted Sheeesh roster.
Expendables (6-2): Gino needs to take care of the football. Back to back games with 3 picks isn’t healthy! Everything flies under the radar when you win, however it’s still important to address these issues!
Touch It Catch It (4-5): Another QB that needs to take better care of the football, Mr Fred Mallette! A roster with this much talent should not be shooting themselves in the foot this many times. Mallette knows it himself… he needs to be better, plain and simple. You should be winning the games you hold your opponent to under 30 points.
Mongoose (3-5): A tough loss to take, their playoff chances might just be slipping through their fingertips!
Past Our Prime (2-6) : Unfortunate to see this talent go to waste. The O’brien/Payne connection was one of the best we’ve seen this season!
Les Maloudes (3-5): Two tough upcoming matchups vs Sheesh & Junkyard Dogs. Prove me wrong and pull of the upset.
Les Gros Coqs (2-6): If the playoffs ended today, LGC would be playing vs Touch it Catch it. Dom Lefort did not play in the game they played vs each other earlier in the season. Interesting developing story right here..
Bearskins (2-6): Go listen to the first line of the song Breakeven by The Script. That’s the only way I can describe the Bearskins right now.
Speed Academy (2-5): Read the description of Bearskins above. That’s the only way I can describe Speed Academy right now.
Lightweight (1-6): I’m not kidding, go read the description of the Bearskins above. Sure, there’s plenty of ways to describe where Lightweight’s season is heading, but I prefer you take the scenic route.
Oompa Loompas (0-8): Don’t go listening to the Script. You guys have suffered enough. Unfortunately, the young athletes on this Oompa Loompas have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Chin up fellas, it’s only uphill from here on out!

Week 9 slate of games (Picks in bold)


Les Gros Coqs	vs	*Lightweight*
*Sheeeesh*	vs	Speed Academy

Well that’s a wrap from me, folks! I hope you have enjoyed me ranting about FPF and didn’t bore you guys to death. I hope you have all enjoyed your Easter Weekend with your loved ones. As always, please remain safe as we head towards the end of the year. STRETCH as much as you can on a daily basis so your body responds well to all the double headers & home stretch! Once again if you have any issues, or would like to include your input on any of the content i am covering, please feel free to reach out, I don’t bite i promise!

Have yourselves a great week Ladies & Gentlemen, till’ next time!