Here. We. Go.

Week 1 is officially in the books and I’m a bit behind on certain things FPF-related as I was away for most of the offseason (Christmas break and all), but I’ve caught up and the train is rolling once more.

Most of you already know me as I covered Division A/B last Spring as a writer, but I know not everyone plays Spring, so I’ll introduce myself rather quickly; Simon Dagenais, been around for too long, know pretty much every division and every team by now, I play QB in Division 3 and scorekeep Wednesday nights at Hebert.

I feel those few ligns were enough. Don’t be shy to stop by, say hi, complain; I’ll always use Moe Khan as a scapegoat for literally everything FPF, but then again, who doesn’t?

Let’s get started.

Week 1

Am I actually surprised by the accounts of week 1? Not really. Sure, the DK vs D-Boys game sucked, but then again D-Boys started 0-2 last season and we all know how that ended, so I won’t pay too much attention to the derails of week 1.

Thoughts of the Week

Feels good to be back writing again. It’s a whole different vibe from writing for FPF Jr and “league wides”.
I take shots at people; it’s what I do. Usually it’s well deserved, but never take me seriously. I always joke around.
You know Rich Humes might have spent too much time with Vinny Gualano when they officially have the same haircut.
JD Chevalier subbed one game for Braves last Spring in DivA and won. Subbed one game in Division 1 with Braves and won. I mean, do they actually need Jonathan Maheu at this point?
Rainmakers’ defence worries me.
Daniel Lazzara says he performs better when we aren’t cheering for him. Well, buddy, division dodging D1 + losing week 1 will drop you out of everyone’s radars completely. Oh, wait, that actually happened.
You Can’t Sit With Us might actually be one of the best teams in D2.
I hate to give Vinny Gualano credit, but I’m also an honest guy so…!
Looking over D2, I’m sorta shocked considering all the teams who lost. Then again, I do feel all the teams that did win deserved it. This will be a confusing year for me.
I said it on the podcast and I’ll say it again, D2 looks more interesting than D1. Unless major upsets occur, I guess I’ll be giving Kevin Wyeth his 10000^th trophy this season.
What’s with this whole 2.0 thing?
Although I still believe Braves to be Daniel Lazzara’s kryptonite, their week 1 outing really worried me.
I covered D2 a bit more this week; it’s how the cookie crumbled. Worry not, I’ll try to bounce back and forth between the two divisions constantly.
Am I on the #NR bandwagon? Most likely. I’ll wait to see how Cory Pecker fares this season (since Ryan Kastner isn’t their guy) before I start wearing dark grey to scorekeep.
Expect a lot of movement in my Power Rankings in the first few weeks as I get the feel of the division; it’s the beauty of it.
I really heard the greatest things this week on the sidelines. Apparently, if you drop a ball it’s because you aren’t good enough; has nothing to do with luck, timing or anything. Pure skills.
Over the years scorekeeping, I’ve received roster sheet on the most random things including a water bottle paper, the back of a pack of cigarettes, but this week’s Tony Khoury’s submission trumps it all: it’s written directly on his flag belt. I have no words.

Recaps

We P.O. vs S Club Legion: This could have been such a great measurement game for, well, me and my Power Rankings, but sadly S Club Legion were without their QB (apparently) for this game, so it kinda dilutes my thoughts on their performance, but this should not overshadow what We P.O. was able to accomplish; you play who’s in front of you and they did just that. I really hate giving Vinny Gualano praises, probably just as much as he hates giving me any, but here it goes: Good Job Vinny. It’s somewhat of a new team with pieces of the GnR core in there, but the new additions should really elevate this team to new heights; Alex Blanchet, Zack Jauniaux and Jamal Gittens will make this the fastest WR corps in the league and then you add Jordan McLaren and Jourdain Alexis to that mix? Unless there’s a MAJOR blow up amongst these guys, this roster is Nasty. Probably almost as much as their name. On the flip side, S Club Legion, when their QB will make his debut should be a very dominant team composed of multiple very successful tackle players and FPF veterans; I’m eager to see them at full strength.
Waste Yout vs You Can’t Sit With Us: Although Daniel Lazzara will try to find every excuses in the book to explain his week 1 performance, there are none valid; he had his guys (missing a few, sure, but it’s not like they played with 5) and played poorly. Waste Yout looked terrible in their opener and it also reflects how good You Can’t Sit With Us will be as a team this season. Liam Mahoney is a great QB and the team he’s got around him should allow him to elevate his game to contend for a D2 title this season. Sure, Papich’s absence is noteworthy, but there’s enough talent around Liam to really kind of forget about the two-way monster they do not have this time around. Waste Yout will bounce back, there’s no way that team goes 0-10, heck, there’s no way they don’t make the playoffs this season, but this outing is worrisome.
Monstars vs Braves: What a game. First off, I apologize I wasn’t there for the game myself so it’s all hearsay, but I’ll say this: for JD Chevalier to step in in Jonathan Maheu’s absence and put up 43 points on a team is pretty remarkable. Anthony Brisebois continues to impress even as he goes up divisions and this week’s performance just cements his D1 status. I sadly do not remember who said this, so I apologize that I cannot quote you, person, but I feel this reflects the Monstars the most: Monstars will continue to do Monstars things (Let’s score every drive and the game will be decided on the last drive whether we can score and win or stop them to secure the win. Nothing else matters). Rod Mashtoub will have a great season in D1 and his WR Corps will feast this season, my only worry is whether or not they’ll be able to stop opposing teams or will the pressure be on Rod’s shoulder day-in and day-out to put up 40+ or lose. Time will tell, but I’m very happy to see these guys in D1 and they do have the roster to compete this Winter; don’t sleep on Monstars.
Rainmakers vs MNX2.0: I’ve said it to bystanders and I won’t shy away from saying it out loud in my article; this game was NOT pretty to watch. To see balls linger in the air for so long in Division 1 and guys manage to still turn it into a TD without having to box out defenders is beyond me. Rainmakers’ defence was not good on Wednesday and they cannot play that way ever again if they want to compete in D1 this season. On the plus side, their offence looked like they usual do; pretty good. Considering Bobby Mikelberg wasn’t there, I’m confident Rainmakers will be able to put up points against pretty much everyone, but allowing a blown coverage TD with only 3 plays left from midfield is simply unacceptable. I’m not sold yet on MNX2.0, but they’ve got A LOT of talent to work with and will need a few weeks to get everyone adjusted to FPF before they can start making some real noise; this week’s win will go a long way in giving them extra time to get ready to really compete in D1 this Winter.
Served With Ice vs Wolverines: Coming off his first game in a long time (I mean, Spring 2012 was A LONG TIME ago), Myles Gibbon looked pretty rusty off the gates for Wolverines, but there’s a reason you’ve heard the name before and the South Alabama alum is only getting started; he’s probably one of the most talented QB in the division and as soon as he adjusts his playbook to FPF, he’ll be a serious threat to any team he faces. Wolverines struggled offensively in the first half (either due to too complicated plays or drops that shouldn’t happen), but their second half was much more convincing and I feel this might just be the breath of fresh air the team needed to really make a push in D2 this season. Served With Ice were only 7 and JD Chevalier quickly sidelined himself (possible injury?) which really takes a toll on the team. I mean, they still have Mikhael Davidson, but the one-two punch that JD+Mik create is probably the best in the division so losing half the punch really takes away from the whole concept? I’m not great with metaphors, but you guys get the picture. If SWI can have a full squad next week and Leandre Pichette is present, there’s no sleeping on this squad.
#NR vs Braves 2.0: Ryan Kastner replaced Cory Pecker on Wednesday night and, honestly, if he was their full time QB, #NR would be one of the dominant offence in the division. He might not have been perfect on the night, but man did it look easy. Oh, and he didn’t miss a single convert (5/5). #NR were missing a few big names such a Troy Trench and, well, Cory Pecker, but honestly it didn’t really show. Serge Pilon Jr really fills the gap brilliantly and this team is loaded from top to bottom. I’m not too sure what to say about Braves 2.0 in their first outing; we KNOW they’re better than that, but their offence REALLY struggled. Can I really go on expecting them to bounce back? It didn’t look like a fluke to me. I guess time will tell. Jonathan Maheu had a terrible offensive outing and didn’t look like himself whereas a lot of guys looked out of sync and possibly very rusty; next week’s matchup will not get easier and they might quickly slip down a trickery slope.

Biggest Offseason Acquisitions

Chris Milard to Montreal’s Finest: Although he did play Fall Season with them, I still consider this an acquisition for the Winter seasons and it’s a big one. Sure, his presence offensively is noticeable as he can just blow past any corners in a breeze and give that extra option to his QB, but his biggest impact will be as a rusher; Finest hasn’t had a truly talented rusher in a few seasons now and I believe Milard might actually be one of the, if not the best rusher in D1 right now.
Jourdain Alexis to D-Boys: This might not ring true to most, but after seeing him play week 1, there’s no more doubting his presence on this roster. Replacing Jordan McLaren as a corner is no easy feat, but he might just be the next best thing.
Simon Charbonneau-Campeau to Got-Skills: Got-Skills needed a true #1 receiver this season to really be a contender in division 1 and there’s only a handful of players who can play that role. Luckily, they found one of the best at it.
Jordan McLaren to Monstars: This is huge. Not only is Jordan McLaren a top player in D1, but he was also with a rival not so long ago. To be able to “steal him” from D-Boys shows that Monstars aren’t joking around this season.
Mikhael Davidson to Flag Moi L’Sac: Technically not a true acquisition as he was part of their roster last season, his presence as a full-time player may actually elevate FMS to a real contender as Alex Nadeau Piuze will officially have two go-to guys and might take some pressure off Sam Nadeau.
Justin McLean to You Can’t Sit With Us: He’s a truly talented player that most people don’t know about, but his biggest impact will be his physicality and his knack for the ball; there’s only a handful of guys in this league that will go all out for footballs like him.
Serge Pilon Jr to #NR: What a move. #NR needed some help on the defensive side of the ball and a snapper. They found a guy that can do both and is probably the best at it too.

Honorable Mentions

David Polynice to DK
Alex Hovington to Got-Skills
Jacques Void to Rainmakers
Anthony Vendrame to Monstars
The entire We P.O. roster?
The revamped Terror Squad

Power Rankings

Montreal’s Finest (1-0): This wouldn’t be a real Power Rankings if MTL Finest weren’t sitting at the top right now. They are the defending champs and are currently undefeated. Until any of those two things change, they’ll remain #1.
D-Boys (1-0): Is it cliche to put these guys at #2? Although their offence wasn’t quite “good” in Week 1, defence sure was. They’ve beat one of the early favorite in their opener and that’s enough for me, for now.
Braves (1-0): They didn’t even need their starting QB to beat an up and comer. I’m not sure I could say the same about any of the other 9 teams in this division.
Flag Moi L’Sac (0-1): I might have them a bit “too high”, but their only loss did come to MTL’s Finest so I won’t overact. I really like the addition of Davidson to full-time and it might give their offence the added presence it needed to really blow the top off.
DK (0-1): Losing by 2 points isn’t much, but a loss is a loss nonetheless. Defence was good, but offence wasn’t. D1 is no easy division and they’ll need to fix that ASAP. I’m curious to see how they bounce back in week 2.
Top Guns (1-0): I’m not sold on their roster just yet, but I sure am on their QB Paul Lapierre; he’s managed to do great things without star receivers and I feel this season will be not different. If guys continue to step up for him, Top Guns could take a handful of teams by surprise by season’s end.
MNX2.0 (1-0): They are 1-0, but their first outing wasn’t the prettiest. They have more than enough talent to make it in D1, it’s only a matter of time before it all clicks.
Got-Skills (0-1): I’ve overlooked them in the past and they took everyone by surprise and made the finale (lost by 2 points). I will not make that mistake twice. They might be a bit rusty, but they’ll find themselves sooner rather than later, you can count on that.
Monstars (0-1): Losing to a team without their starting QB won’t get you far in D1, but it’s just one week and there’s 0 reason to panic just yet. This roster is too good to flake out; watch them bounce back this week.
Rainmakers (0-1): The way they lost their week 1 is a real concern to me. They might have been without their #1 receiver, but their defence allowed way too many mistakes. It’s an uphill battle from here on out to get back into contention.

We P.O. (1-0): It hurts me to put them at #1, but they honestly deserve it. The roster is absolutely stacked, Vinny Gualano is a good QB and they’ve balled out in Week 1.
You Can’t Sit With Us (1-0): I almost had them at #1 due to how dominant their first outing was vs an early favorite, but they were slightly edged out. Nonetheless, a dominant 2^nd seed for now.
STL (1-0): There is no reason to doubt STL in their second season in D2; they were dominant last time around and will be once again this season.
#NR (1-0): They’d been even higher if Ryan Kastner was their full-time QB seeing how they played week 1, but I have all the faith in the world in Cory Pecker after seeing what they can do in the Fall Cup.
Clockwork (1-0): As long as Marco Masciotra is healthy, this team will remain a top contender and this season is no different. I’m sure I’ll get hate mail from Matt Kirouac for what I said, but I stand by it.
Terror Squad (0-1): Losing by a single point is brutal, but a loss is a loss. Nonetheless, Terror Squad looks completely revamped and it’s a real good look. This Winter’s edition of Terror Squad might rival with their W’13 edition; that’s how much I believe in their potential this season.
BYOB (1-0): After a very good first outing, BYOB is poised to have a great season, but I feel like I’ve said this before about this core so I’ll contain my excitement for now and see how they do in the upcoming weeks. There is plenty of potential.
Wolverines (1-0): It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, but they are 1-0 and that’s all that matters. Myles Gibbon will need a few more weeks before tearing up defences, but he’s getting there and he’s got the right guys around him to allow him to succeed. Don’t sleep on Wolverines this season.
Served With Ice (0-1): I’m pretty sure the outcome would’ve been different if JD Chevalier would’ve played the whole game on Wednesday night, but that’s the sort of thing that happens in FPF and they’re 0-1 now. They will bounce back.
S Club Legion (0-1): There’s too much talent on this team to flake out this season. We’ll see how they truly fare with their starting QB next week and we’ll go from there.
Waste Yout (0-1): Their week 1 outing was putrid to say the least. Unless they really turn things around in week 2, they’ll continue to fall on this list.
Gladiateurs (0-1): The same good ol’ Gladiateurs are back and we can expect them to put up crazy offensive numbers. The only worry: Can they stop anybody defensively? Francois Lebeau is a top tier QB in D2 and will continue to post ridiculous numbers, but even him can’t score 50 points every week.
CLR Forces (0-1): After last Winter’s season, I have my doubts about CLR Forces, but this revamped roster is looking promising. If they can manage to flip the script and return to their former glory, we might very well climb my Power Rankings sooner rather than later.
Braves 2.0 (0-1): I know they technically are the defending champs and that I cannot put too much emphasis on one bad night in week 1, but it was a VERY ugly loss. I know better than to place them dead last, but I feel like I kinda have to after seeing that game of theirs.

Players of the Week

Akeem Hoyte-Charles (Top Guns): I honestly didn’t know he could ball THIS hard in D1. 2 interceptions and 2 TDs in his first outing. I guess I’mma have to watch my words around him now huh.
Adi Sharma (DK): Solidifying his presence on defence with 2 interceptions in their opener, Adi Sharma has been a top tier defender for a while now and it appears he’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Pascal Tshilambo (MNX2.0): Kicking off his season with 2 TDs and 2 Interceptions is definitely news worthy. I’m actually impressed how well he performed.

Dylan Taylor (STL): 7 TDs and 239 passing yards in his first game back; Dylan Taylor means business this season and this first outing shows exactly that.
Jourdain Alexis (We P.O.): He might not be well known in D1-D2 just yet, but he will in no time and this 3 INT+1 picksix performance in Week 1 will go a long way doing just that.
Liam Mahoney (You Can’t Sit With Us): Some had doubts about Liam Mahoney as a QB in D2, well, I guess they won’t be talking any time soon as he posted 6 passing TD and even got himself a pick on defence to cement his two-way beast status.
Guillaume Ward (CLR Forces): It’s good to see Guillaume Ward back out there and his 95 receiving yards, 2 TD and 1 INT debut really shows why that is.
Raffi Bastajian (Wolverines): With 86 receiving yards, 3 TD and a pick on defence, he really went all out in his team’s opener this week. Quite the impressive feat.

Predictions

MNX2.0 vs Top Guns: Top Guns

Montreal’s Finest vs D-Boys: Montreal’s Finest

DK vs Flag Moi L’Sac: Flag Moi l’Sac

Braves vs Got-Skills: Braves

Rainmakers vs Monstars: Monstars

Clockwork vs STL: STL

#NR vs CLR Forces: #NR

Wolverines vs S Club Legion: S Club Legion

Terror Squad vs Gladiateurs: Terror Squad

We P.O. vs Served with Ice: We P.O.

You Can’t Sit With Us vs BYOB: You Can’t Sit With Us

Braves 2.0 vs Waste Yout: Waste Yout

That’s it for me this week. Hopefully this will trigger you just enough to drop me a message either via email ([email protected]), twitter (@DagenaisFPF) or in person. Remember, I didn’t do this to you, YOU did this to you. Until next time…! Tired Eagle is no funny Eagle; cutting up microphones and stuff. Geez this is gon’ be a long season.

Week 1: Will history repeat itself?