Weekday Quarterback (D3) – Week 4

Super Bowl Sunday is only days away and while I know most of you are very excited about Sunday afternoon, there are most certainly some who are depressed with the idea of going two weeks without stepping on the field yourselves. While certain teams would have liked to carry the momentum from their previous game into this weekend, there a few teams who should be relishing the idea of getting a week to tweak their game plans or rest guys who are banged up. Last weekend taught us a lot, as we are beginning to see who might emerge as contenders for their respective conferences. While Conference A looks like it is going to be wide open until the final weekend, Conference B has three teams that look like they will be battling it out for the number one seed. Let’s get right to it with this week’s headlines.

Headlines

Monarchs get served…with ice

This was our ‘game of the week’ and it certainly lived up to its billing, as we were treated to a hard fought close game between two of Division 3’s heavyweights. The Monarchs looked to be in control after the first half with a 19-13 lead, but Jordan Panetta and his gang of playmakers, led by Vince Nardone and Pascal Tshilambo, came to play in the second half. The difference in this game was the two turnovers by the Monarchs in the second half, allowing Served with Ice to get more possessions and Panetta managed to put up 27 points with a little help from Tshilambo, who added an interception returned for a touchdown. It is hard to pinpoint anyone on either team who played poorly because the Monarchs still got great production from their stars, mainly Stephane Chartrand, who once again had over 100 yards receiving. You would have to figure that an experienced team like the Monarchs would be able to hold on to a second half lead, but the younger -and apparently hungrier- Served with Ice team was able to pull it out with a 40-31 victory. While I think Served with Ice has emerged as a top contender, I do not discount the Monarchs just yet. They have a few weeks to figure out what went wrong and you can bet that they will be back even stronger. If they plan on getting a rematch, they will need to make it all the way to the finals, and hope Served with Ice can do the same.

Snookers make crucial mistake that leads the Sandlot Saints first victory

This was one of the wildest games I have seen in FPF this season. The Sandlot Saints came into the weekend without a win and without most of their regular squad. Tim Kraemer had to throw together a few players and hope they could keep it tight against an improved Snookers team. Perhaps it was the magic power of the loaned Lower Canada College jerseys that helped put the Saints over the top. After the Snookers celebrated a game-tying touchdown on the final play of the game, with the score tied at 24, the Snookers were in a win-tie situation, with only the conversion remaining (so they thought). Cedrick Bishop picked off Vartan Demirdjan on the conversion attempt and returned it for one point and a victory. It is the first time that I have ever seen that happen. Hats off to the Saints who got their first victory and for the Snookers, this one might sting for a while.

Jon Young returns to the lineup as the Dirty Birds down the Trojans

If it were not for the Monarchs/Served with Ice game, we may have been watching the game of the week between these two teams. The Trojans seemed to be the ones flying high going into the weekend but thanks to the return of Jon Young, the Dirty Birds managed to avoid losing a second game in a row. Neither team was extremely explosive on offense but Jon Young definitely out performed Sean Avraam in this one. Young threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions while Avraam threw two touchdowns and two interceptions, both into the hands of Eric Bishara. Both teams looked strong defensively, but the Trojans were unable to get that one big play they were looking for from their defense. I think it’s quite clear that Avraam did not have his best game and in my opinion we will see him bounce back after the bye. They need a better performance from him against strong opponents and he has played in the league long enough to know what is expected of an elite Quarterback in big games. The Dirty Birds also got strong offensive performances from David Hurley who had 79 yards and a touchdown and from Gordan Hogan, who was his usual big play self, scoring two touchdowns. Both teams go into the bye week with a record of 3-1.

Rude Bwoys beat up on the winless Rangers to remain undefeated

While the Rangers continue to struggle, the Rude Bwoys seem to be flying under at a quiet 4-0. There is a plethora of FPF experience on the Rude Bwoys and a strong leadership group that consists of Gary Bloomfield, Eugene McLaren, Treldon James and Bryan Joseph, to name a few. To be fair, the Rude Bwoys have not faced their toughest competition yet, so we are about to find out what this team is really made of. The Rude Bwoys had their toughest test to date against the Darkhorses and managed to escape with a six point victory. I think it is fair to say that following their next game against the Misfits, they have four games making up the most difficult stretch of the season. They face off against the D-Boys, Dirty Birds, FOTC and the Warriors. At that point, they will have played nine games, and we will likely know where they stand. The jury is still out as to whether they are true championship contenders, but in a wide-open Conference A, the Rude Bwoys will definitely have a shot at taking the conference crown.

Quick Hits

– Will there ever be a tighter race for Quarterback of the year? There are many legitimate contenders right now. Who will it be? Danny Gentile, Robbie Robinson, Scott Kelly, Nathan Thompson? The next few weeks might weed out one or two of those candidates.

– The East division of Conference A, may be the most difficult to call right now. Rude Bwoys out to an early two game lead but don’t count out the Warriors just yet, who sit in third. They will come on strong in the second half of the season.

– After a slow start, GPK seems to have found their legs. Their offense scored 51 points against the Titans.

– Is VPC going to fly under the radar until playoff time again? An opening week loss to a very good SWAT team has somehow allowed them to go unnoticed. This quiet attitude reflects the leadership of Robbie Robinson, who is once again playing out of this world.

Stay tuned in a few weeks as I will once again release a new edition of the power rankings. Make sure to catch the WEPL this week with Moe Khan, Alex Porras and I, as we give a letter grade to a variety of teams in Division 3. Have a great bye week and enjoy the Super Bowl. Go Steelers.