Week 1’s recap, weekly awards and a look ahead at Week 2’s action

All fun and games, until you lose.

Week 1 is in the books ladies and gentlemen (mostly, Gentlemen, but hey, FPF does have a very few amount of ladies too) and it’s been quite a week. In fact, Division 4 had me on the edge of my seat (or toes, since I can’t really sit on the sidelines) for most of the nights and the scores blew me away. I love it.

My preseason rankings went to, well, shits (Sorry, but yeah) and I’m basically working back up from scratch as most of my top ranked teams crumbled to some of the lower ranked ones and vice versa. This is why I love Division 4 and FPF in general; the possibility that any given week, a team that is favored may lose in excruciating fashion makes me want to come back every week and see who will be next.

After many upsets (Yes, I’m sticking by the story that I know all and these are upsets, not just poorly predicted games), I must say the D4 picture will remain tainted for a few weeks. Were these upsets, were too many players missing to paint a clear picture or does my extended knowledge of this fabulous world end right where the rankings begun? At least my #1 ranked team in D4 really looked like a clear #1, so I got that going for me, which is nice.

With a week officially in the books, we can finally bring back the official Players of the week segment and throw roses at those who deserve it. Let’s not forget, I did not do this to you, YOU did this to you. I’m just stating stats and facts.

Let’s get started.

Week 1

After an amazing first week, I must say, I expected a different picture. Nonetheless, many great things happened and rivalry is already spreading like wildfire. Watching old teammate fall to their former team or simply friends losing to friends is quite a delight. With week 2 approaching, matchups are beginning to mean much more and certain games could already have playoff implications.

Take no opponents lightly. Starting the season 0-1 isn’t drastic, but no one wants to sink 0-2; it’s a long way back.

Thoughts of the Week

What a week. So many upsets, so many things I didn’t expect AND a tie. Great week all in all.
I ranked Longhorns #1 preseason. Couldn’t have been more wrong. Tough start, but they’ll get back up; they’ve been around too long to stay down.
Crimson Tide decided Week 1 was the perfect time to blow up the scoreboard. In front of me. Well, technically, I flipped the scoreboard for them, but you get the picture…
At first glance, D4A looks much heavier offensively, but in fact, D4A averages 26.5 points scored per game where D4B averages 26.4 points scored per game. HUH !
I initially wanted to have 7 teams in my Power Rankings, because I felt 7 / 24 is more prestigious than 10 / 24. Sadly, I guess my OCD kicked in and 7 isn’t a “nice number and feels odd”. We all have our problems, I guess.
Division 4A had 4 QBs (Feder, Stachowski, Iadeluca and Mercille) posting QBR above 125 against 4B’s 2 (Pinsonneault and Dagenais). Better surrounding cast or better talent? Time will tell.
I feel like Week 1 had way too many players missing. I hope the thread won’t last. I hate to see teams that aren’t at their full potential.
I tip my hat off to James Nowakowski for his performance in his season opener; way to step it up, bud!
You guys can hate on TCO and Cougars, they’re the only teams playing on Wednesday week 2, so my article will be delayed for these 2. Go on, hate. Or don’t. I have no idea when you guys read this anyways.
PowerBall’s 1.5B$USD (Or 2.13B Can$ for us) is completely absurd. Even if the government takes 50% off the top, you’re still making over a billion dollars in Canadian money. I think I’d be generous enough to buy FPF its’ first ever Dome and have it all for us. Of course, it’d be the Dagenais Dome and it would be absolutely cursed, but I don’t care.
Saturday night was glorious. The return of Winter season makes me feel happier than most days, except Halloween, I love Halloween. And maybe Christmas. But you guys get it.
Much movement in the Power Rankings. Some could say I didn’t know squat preseason, others would say upsets occurred. Choose wisely.
This new D4 format really feels like I’m writing 2 divisions again. I’m not sure if I like it yet. (The writing 2 divisions. Avoiding a 48 teams division is pure bliss)
I’m just beginning to realize how massive the mid-season breakdown will be. Oh boy.
Not funny, Jonathan Brown. You really had to just tie, huh.
I saw a guy knocked over by Sunday night’s winds at Hebert. I felt like I was in a cartoon; it was awesome.
There’s no such thing as too much Lasagna.
I’ve never predicted this poorly before. What’s happening?! Is it because I write in English now? Is THAT the curse?
Hebert is actually heated. Thank God.

Players of the Week

Division 4A

Dean Demetriou (69ers): A 35 yrd TD pass along with 3 INTs and a pick-six. Demetriou does it all.
Josh Feder (Coyotes): 102 yards, 4 TDs and an Interception. Way to kick off the season, Josh.
Angelo Garofalo (Team Ethnik): Tough to imagine losing when you post 95 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, yet, it happened.
Anthony Beauchamps-Frezza (Les Maloudes): I spent the preseason article doubting his abilties and he comes off with a 40 points, 6 TDs, 0 interception performance. Way to shut me up.

Division 4B

Sami Beg (Crimson Tide): 104 receiving yards, 3 TDs and 2 picks. Sami Beg shows he means business week-in and week-out.
Nicolas Saro (Friends with Benedicts): Shows up as an unknown free agent and finishes the night with 125 yards receiving, 2 TDs and a sack. Welcome aboard.
Eddy Lee (Hooligans): 2 Interceptions including a pick-six and 3 passes deflected. Eddy Lee meant business.
Paul Santache (Smash Bros): Named in Fantasy Matchup and showed up big for his team with 110 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. Well done, Paul.

Recaps

Division 4A

Broccasion took the field against ZOO in the official FPF season opener and Kristian Cerantola didn’t disappoint. It’s really good to see him out there running around once again and well, running around was the name of the game Saturday night as he ran for 74 yards and a TD along with multiple first downs. Broccasion’s defense look quite deadly intercepting Frank Kaye 5 times and we can see the difference in ZOO’s team when Francois Raymond and Pat St-Amand are missing; the offense isn’t clicking and the lack of weapons is hurting them. Not the way they wanted to kick it off, but ZOO will bounce back.
TCO took on Coyotes in their opener and things didn’t quite go as expected for the team with the long-ass name. In fact, Rupcic struggled most of the night to find his receivers and finished with a tough 3:3 ratio against an high-octane offense in Sammy Feder’s Coyotes. Feder fed his brother as expected for over a hundred yards and 4 TDs and tested a few other targets to finish the night with an amazing 149.3 QB Rating (Division’s highest). Coyotes’ offense looked threatening and has always been the key to their success. Expect the thread to last.
BearSkins faced off against Marco in the Middle (Now known as David Hurley, Pet Detective; these guys….) and things couldn’t have gone worse for Neil Etinson. Last Spring was a major success for Etinson who had one of his best seasons, but he’s known for having roller-coaster games and this is one of those; completing less than 50% of his passes and finishing with a 1:3 ratio. His only TD pass came to a way-too-shifty Jacob Peterson who carved it up for him. Papich’s absence is felt and BearSkins will need to find a way to bounce back ASAP because FPF seasons aren’t THAT long.

Division 4B

Vnation kicked off their opener against a brand new team in War Pigs who were simply lost for most of the game. FPF is unforgiven and War Pigs learnt it the hard way. Vnation took the control of the game early with a score, which War Pigs answered rather quickly with a deep pass, but then things turned sour. The actual QB for War Pigs took under center and couldn’t get a single snap properly (either a bad snap or dropping the football). 2 safeties in the first half, Vnation pulled away and never looked back. War Pigs got groove very late in the game, but the game was already over. Tough way to open the season.
All Blacks took the field Saturday against Les Affreux (sporting new jerseys, FINALLY) and the game went down the stretch. Both teams showed athletism and talent, but Lapointe struggled a little under center (FPF is tough on first time QBs). Martin Jackson balled out for his QB and his team gaining so much YAC we’d think he tied his flags together. Patrice Clément also impressed with great sideline catches and it was enough to hold as Les Affreux got the ball back up by 5 after an excellent defensive stop; what they were known for.
Crimson Tide took the field with their nice white Alouettes jerseys and Chris Pinsonneault under center. Having them ranked really high, pressure was on Pinsonneault to impress and he did. Throwing 7 TDs to 1 interception is the way you want to kick off the season. Renegades had a tough time adjusting to Crimson Tide’s defense and simply couldn’t keep up with Sami Beg down the field or Doug Mckernan underneath. Pinsonneault carved Renegades opened and turned the game into a serious blowout winning 50-12.

Power Rankings

Division 4A

Les Maloudes: Ranked #1 last week and dominated. These guys aren’t going anywhere.
Jagerbomb: A great win to kickoff the season against the previously ranked #2 will earn you their seeding. Welcome atop the mountain.
David Hurley, Pet Detective: First off, amazing name. Second, these guys balled in their opener against a really high seed and are now, well, on the map as serious contenders.
69ers: A great first win like that will earn you stripes. Next stop: the second seed in the division. Can they pull it off twice?
Coyotes: Their offense is as prolific as ever and their defense made stops. It’s always been their key to success and Coyotes aren’t slowing down anytime soon.
Bruthers: These guys really impressed me last week and deserve their rank. Let’s see if they can retain now.
Recipe 4 Disaster: A sneaky win is still a win. Don’t take these guys lightly, unless you want a loss…
Eskimo Brothers: I underestimate these guys. With Stachowski under center, Eskimo Brothers are packed and ready for D4A.
The Fellowship of the Ring: I’m not yet ready to give up on these guys. One close loss isn’t that bad. Let’s make sure it’s not two in a row, though.
Broccasion: With Kristian Cerantola back and healthy, Broccasion are officially contenders.

Division 4B

Crimson Tide: Their opener was a serious statement. They notched the first seed. The schedule won’t get easier; can they keep up this kind of production?
Friends with Benedicts: The offense clicked with new faces and the defense made stops. The real matchup is next week.
Les Affreux: A great win against a loaded roster showed that Les Affreux can fight off the best.
Red Sharks: Luis Begin isn’t so injured after all and his squad are firing on all cylinders. Great way to knock out the previously #1 seed.
The U: Their opener was a clear statement that these guys belong. Welcome in the top 5.
Show me Your TDs: Losing by a close margin isn’t that awful. These guys kept it close and aren’t afraid to test their opponents. This roster is going places.
Smash Bros: Winning on the last drive is always a good feeling. They took down a strong squad and proved they belong.
All Black: Anthony Lapointe is learning the position, but we’re already seeing potential. These guys will get rolling soon enough.
Golden Flashes: Losing on the final drive hurts, but also means you guys were in there all along. 9-1 is still possible.
Bromigos: They were missing a QB last season and found one for this Winter. Their defense stepped up when the game was on the line and that shows character.

FlagPlus Fantasy Football

Last Week’s Winners

Kyle Lebofsky vs Francois Raymond : Kyle Lebofsky

Devin Daoust vs Alex Holowach : Alex Holowach

Simon Duchesne vs JC Mercille : Simon Duchesne

Louis-Philippe Paquette vs Laurent Ladouceur : Louis-Philippe Paquette

Julien Bellavance vs Maxime Côté : Maxime Côté

Rob Allen vs Zach Zwirn : Rob Allen

Chris Olson vs Jeff Rosenblatt : Jeff Rosenblatt

Paul Santache vs Jean-Christophe Ferland : Paul Santache

Division 4A

The Head to Head

Dean Demetriou (69ers) vs Jean-Felix Daloze (Jagerbomb) : With both players coming off their week 1’s performance, we can expect nothing less but one another to man up on the opposing player and try to reduce their effectiveness. Daloze will not be shutdown so easily, but Demetriou is a heck of a football player. Expect this to be THE matchup to watch this week.

Position Matchup

Maxime Giroux (The Fellowship of the Ring) vs Steve Sanner (Backyard Bullies): As both players emerged as their QB’s favorite target, expect these two receivers to go all-out and ball for their team once again. Who will end up with the biggest stats? Giroux is faster, but Sanner is spectacular.
Anthony Beauchamps-Frezza (Les Maloudes) vs Kristian Cerantola (Broccasion): I underestimated Beauchamps last week and he proved me wrong. On the other end, Cerantola is back to his former glory and this game is bound to be an offensive shoutout. Who will come out on top?
Jacob Peterson (BearSkins) vs Vladir Boursiquot (Team Ethnik) : The battle of the rusher. Peterson is known for his shiftiness and straight up speed whereas Boursiquot seems to rack up sacks every single season. Who will disrupt the opposing QB the most and end up with the advantage? Remember, it’s all about the stats, guys!

Division 4B

The Head to Head

Alexandre Chassé (J’s) vs Martin Jackson (Les Affreux): Two very quiet, but talented players will face off on Saturday in a very important matchup for both teams. Which will come out with the biggest stats at the end of the game?

Position Matchup

Kevin Lubin (Suicide Squad) vs Luis Begin (Red Sharks): Two of the only QBs with rushing TDs face off each other in their Week 2 matchup. Which will have the biggest impact on Saturday to go home with the W?
Neil Rubin (Keyport Lock) vs Charles Trembley (War Pigs): Two of the division’s top rushers after the first week are facing each other, how could I not feature this?!
Sami Beg (Crimson Tide) vs Nicolas Saro (Friends with Benedicts): Two of the three receivers who cracked the 100+ yards mark are facing off each other in their week 2 matchup. In one of the most anticipated games of the week, who will come up the biggest for his QB?

Previews

Division 4A

Recipe 4 Disaster vs David Hurley, Pet Detective: In a top 10 battle, these two teams will go at each other’s throat all night. In fact, the matchup Aridi v Bishara is bound to have game-changing repercussions. If Ryan Aridi can keep Matthew Bishara sitting in the pocket, his efficiency might decrease just enough for ball hawks like Jad Aridi and Kevin Boustany to really have a prolific night; so, yes, it’ll come down to whether Ryan Aridi steps up or not. On the other side of the ball, DHPD is way too stacked to be tossed around and look whimpy; loaded with talent and playmakers, I don’t see how R4D’s offense can put up more than 30 points on these guys. Can Bishara have another 5+ TD week?
Jagerbomb vs 69ers: Probably the game of the week in D4A. Jagerbomb just came off a huge win against a higher seeded team and took their place; what a nice way to start the season, right? Well, 69ers are hunting and they do look like grown men, so I guess they might be drinking all night. What a horrible play on words. Anyhow, Expect Duchesne to have another great night, but Demetriou is the kind of player you only meet once in Division 4 and he’s surprisingly efficient; heck, after 3 Picks in his opener, I doubt anyone will take him lightly from now on. If Duchesne can avoid the deep throws towards Demetriou and Daloze can keep finding holes in defenses, Jagerbomb’s got a shot at this.
Les Maloudes vs Broccasion: With Cerantola back under center, this team is confident and dangerous. Nonetheless, Les Maloudes proved why I ranked them #1 last week and played a heck of a ball game. I expect nothing less from them week-in and week-out. Lebofsky will have his hands full trying to cover Paquette and CErantola will need to find ways around Maloudes’ rusher if he wants to have another successful rushing week. Their offense simply isn’t the same when Cerantola can’t scramble and get first downs with his legs. With 5 picks last week, will Broccasion’s defense end Beauchamp-Frezza’s interception-free season?

Division 4B

The U vs Smash Bros: Two very talented squads relying heavily upon one man’s athletism will face off. Santache fighting against Lattimore. Expect both QBs to rely heavily upon their biggest playmaker regardless of the given coverage and expect these two guys to be making plays. Two teams that know how to score fast and efficiently. Having both moved up divisions, this game is bound to provoke a nice stats sheet at the end of the night. Plus, I’m thrilled to see how well one matches up against the other. After all, the talent these two teams displayed in the previous week can only transcend into week 2, right?
Friends with Benedicts vs Crimson Tide: The top 2 ranked teams are facing off against each other and this could predict the top seeds of the Power Rankings for the rest of the season in Division 4B. Both offenses displayed extreme efficiency and their defense made stops when the game mattered most. Stacked on both ends of the roster, these two teams matchup excessively well and it’ll take much more than pure speed to gain an advantage this time. Expect this game to go down the stretch and to be an offensive shoutout that could be decided by a single play. It’s bound to be exciting.
Mud Dogs vs All Black: Both teams lost their opener by less than a score and are looking to bounce back. Lapointe is still learning the pivot position, but we’ve already seen great potential and it’s only a matter of time before it really shows constantly whereas Mongeon-Duby has experience under his belt, but needed to shake off some rust in his opener. Two loaded roster will face and the matchup is quite interesting as to see who will emerge as their QB’s favorite target. Neither QBs will be perfect, but 26 points should suffice to bring the W home.

Picks of the week

Okay, so, this week didn’t go as planned. In fact, I was wrong, oh so wrong. Finishing the week with a 12 / 24 prediction (4/12 4A, 8/12 4B) is pretty shitty. Regardless of Yannick’s score (of 16/24, 7 in 4A and 9 in 4B), 50% is unacceptable. It’s basically saying I tossed a coin on every choice; I’m better than that.

Doston got lucky first week, but his streak will not last. I’ll steal his lucky coin.

May the prediction Gods help me and curse Doston.

Division 4A

Playground vs Coyotes: Coyotes

Recipe 4 Disaster vs David Hurley, Pet Detective: David Hurley, Pet Detective

Jagerbomb vs 69ers: 69ers

Team Ethnik vs BearSkins: BearSkins

Bruthers vs Frosty Bronsons: Bruthers

Eskimo Brothers vs Still Teamless: Eskimo Brothers

The Fellowship of the Ring vs Backyard Bullies: Backyard Bullies

Warhawks vs ZOO : Warhawks

Les Maloudes vs Broccasion: Les Maloudes

TOPSZN vs 5-Star : TOPSZN

No name vs D’s Nuts!: D’s Nuts!

Cougars vs Tony’s Championship’s Orphans: Tony’s Championship’s Orphans

Division 4B

Vnation vs Hooligans : Hooligans

Mean Machine vs Golden Flashes: Golden Flashes

J’s vs Les Affreux: Les Affreux

Suicide Squad vs Red Sharks: Red Sharks

Bromigos vs Balls Deep : Bromigos

Renegades vs Show me your TDs : Show me your TDs

Friends with Benedicts vs Crimson Tide: —-

A-Squad vs Longhorns: Longhorns

Sandlot Saints vs Local 89ers : Sandlot Saints

The U vs Smash Bros: Smash Bros

War Pigs vs Keyport Lock: Keyport Lock

Mud Dogs vs All Black: All Black

That sums it for this week’s article. It’s always a pleasure to write and hear back from you guys. After all, the content is meant 99% for you. I keep a percent for me; ranting here and there is fun after all. You can always reach me via twitter @DagenaisFPF or via email ([email protected]). I’ll be at Lachine every Saturday night scorekeeping so you can stop by and chat. Don’t hesitate. Until next time…!