What Really Matters – Week 8

What do you know about hope? Now compare hope to confidence…Reflect on that while I go do the weekly awards ….. Are you one of those people who thinks to yourself things like, “I hope we play well this week”, “I hope I pass this exam”, “hopefully I don’t throw a bad interception”, “I hope I get that promotion”. Or, as you were reading all those things, were you wondering what the hell I’m talking about?! Hoping for a certain outcome on something you have control over is to me, a sign of weakness. You either take control and do everything you can to maximize the potential for success, or you sit back and hope. You either have what it takes to constantly challenge yourself and allow yourself to grow as a person, or you let someone else take what’s yours. You’re either a team that shows up hoping you’ll win, or you’re the team showing up knowing you’ll win because you’re ready. The outcome is directly affected by the preparation. If last week you lost, and you haven’t made any changes or adjustment, just keep hoping because you’re foolish to think you’ll have a different outcome. At a certain point, when hoping realistically becomes false hope, that’s when you know you’re drowning, and you probably won’t survive.

I’m not a philosopher (a psychologist maybe??) and that rant probably made no sense. Ultimately, it comes downs to your teams’ level of competitiveness. Are you content with showing up throwing the ball around, having decent individual stats and not making playoffs? Or are you all about the team? Winning a championship even if it means sacrificing individual glory is a sign of a true successful team. Ultimately doing what is needed for the better of the team; or putting your individual pride aside for the team. Easier said then done especially when it comes to recreational sports. But if you want to win a championship at this level, you need to beat Montreals Finest. They have no reason to believe they won’t win every year. They are the perfect machine, one team one dream.

On a positive note we are almost near the finish line and almost every team is still in the mix. A couple have fallen too far behind and are now only showing up to get away from their wives but for the others, you may continue hoping ;). Or don’t, and take control of your future!

Division 1 Quick Highlights:

-Terror Squad had numerous chances to beat Finest this past week and couldn’t take advantage. Over and over again they came inches away from pulling away and possibly winning their second of the season. That’s the difference between good and great, the great teams get those inches. The final score of 34-21 does not real reflect the game. Terror squad was up at the half 14-13 and was able to make a defensive stop. After they were not able to capitalize due to a strong defensive stand by Finest, Kevin Wyeth and Brian Larivier decided they had seen enough. They connected 6 times for 4 TDs and 59 yards. This could have been a huge turning point for Terror Squad. Instead, they are now 1-7 and meeting up with DK who annihilated them 46-6 in their previous match-up.

– Demons bring home their second win and what could potentially be all they need come week 10. With Carmin Pollice absent, Paul Lapierre took over the reigns and led its team to victory. Sean Kennedy put the team on his back catching 6 balls for 105 yards and 3 TDs, a performance he won’t soon forget. The Rainmakers have now dropped four in a row! Cause for concern? I don’t think we should call in the SEALS just yet. They need to get back to their winning ways. You do not want to be the team going into the playoffs on a real cold streak.

-A big first half for Flag Moi L’Sac was the reason they found success against Express. Alex Nadeau Piuze is getting very comfortable on a flag field, maybe it is due to his exposure in Division 2. Whatever the reason is, this is great news for FML. Piuze only threw for 108 yards and 3 TDs, but he ran for 78 and 2 TDs. An effective dual threat quarterback in Division 1 is a rare commodity; it could be a game changer. Although they hold the head to head advantage, Express continues to share last place with Terror Squad. They are still in the race for a playoff spot but need to finish with more points than Demons since they do not have any advantage over them.

 

 Division One Awards:

My top three players (in no particular order) as of this week, in the lead for the award: Keep in mind I probably value things differently than you… The number of votes indicated next to the team is how many consecutive weeks this player has been on my list.

Quarterback of the Year:

-Rochdi Benadelkader (DK) 2 votes

-Kevin Wyeth (Montreals Finest) 3 votes

-Ryan Kastner (Rainmakers) 1 vote

 

 Receiver of the year:

-Patrick Jerome (Terror Squad) 3 votes

-Serge Pilon (DK) 1 vote

-Akked Moore (Montreals Finest) 1 vote

 

 Defensive Player of the Year:

-Ryan Aridi (DK) 3 votes

-Adi Sharma (DK) 1 vote

-Olivier Bourdage (Montreals Finest) 2 votes

 

 Two-Way Player of the Year:

-Serge Pilon (DK) 2 votes

-Kishon Thompson (Montreals Finest) 3 votes

-Patrick Jerome (Terror Squad) 3 votes

 

Division 2 Quick Highlights:

-Gladiateur take down Chernobyl Circus 51-24! After starting 1-2, they’ve now won 4 of their last 5 and have now clinched the playoffs. Chernobyl Circus is not as lucky, they too have 10 points overall but don’t have the same luxury of being in a diluted division. With two games to go, it’s not time for anyone to start slowing down. Francois Lebeau is doing quite the opposite of slowing down; he finished the game with 250 yards on 21 completions and 8 TDs. Nicolas Guimier was on the receiving end of 4 of those touchdowns, which doubled his season total to 8 touchdowns. Gladiateur have guaranteed themselves a playoff spot but should continue to pick up these wins for a better first round match-up.

-I didn’t think I would see the day Nathan Taylor would QB against Kevin Wyeth and win, but that day came this past Sunday when Flag Football Fantasy beat O.N.S. I don’t even know why I was surprised that Nathan was able to put up 33 points to beat O.N.S. Kevin Prempeh pulled his weight on both sides on the ball. His key interceptions gave FFF wings ONS was never able to clip off. Garrett Taylor was able to help out his brother with two amazing end zone catches which both came at key moments in the game. Going forward, the issues remain the same for O.N.S: defense, defense, defense, you don’t have one! To lose to FFF when Nathan is quarterbacking for the 3rd in god knows how many years, is awful to say the least. They need to figure it out! As for FFF they’ve been able to survive extremely well the absence of Benny Goodfriend. Nathan has shown some serious leadership in carrying the pressure and navigating the ship through some harsh waters.

-Off everyone’s radar but doing work, week in and week out… The Wolverines have often been the team people look past. It’s time some people start respecting the experience and chemistry these guys bring to the table! This past week they took out #NoRgard. I realize where #NoRegard is in the standing and I’m very well aware of the success they’ve had this season, but they are not as bad as it seems, and it’s for that reason Wolverines need to be given credit. With that in mind, it’s not time to call home to mama just yet. With two weeks remaining Wolverines have their plate full. Both games are conference rivals, one of which is trying to steal your ticket to the show. They have a chance to beat Clockwork next week and take over second seed in Conference A.

-Les Monsieur Chat took a serious blow to their chances of making playoffs last week when they lost to Legends. LMC was in it until the end but was unable to pull through. They now sit in last place and their hopes to the playoffs are extremely slim. They need Wolfpack and O.N.S to lose out. They also need TMT to lose against Cold Fusion, and last but not least they need to win their two remaining games. Realistic? No! But possible…I mean I’ve seen weirder things occur. This win for the Legends clinch them a spot in the playoffs, with two weeks remaining they still have a chance to lock up first place and a first round bye!

-TMT pulled through a huge win against Shakalooinz in what was my game of the week! This was important for their chances to stay alive and in the race. Again they had to carry on without their QB but Jamie Harry was able to do what was needed to secure the “W”. Huge opportunity this week to take over the 6th place with a win over O.N.S. This will be their first time meeting an extremely high caliber QB and I’m exited to see how they react. Your faith lies in your hands, what will you do with it? Luckily for Shakalooinz this loss did not affect them at all in terms of standings. Since The Commission lost and ultimately took themselves out of contention, the nine points Shakalooinz currently has is already good enough to make playoffs in Conference B.         

-If you haven’t already done so, I suggest everyone takes a look at Ryan Aridi’s game of the week between Clockwork and CLR Forces. It can be found on the Flagplusfootball Facebook page and/or through the Youtube channel. The game came down to the last play where Matt Kirouac certified another big win with a sac. If he wouldn’t have gotten the sack, Marco Masciotra had his hands on an interception to end the game regardless. CLR Forces fail to impress against a decent team who was missing one of their best players in Jamal Gittens. Are they just a product of their soft schedule and catching their opponents at a fortunate time? I guess it doesn’t really matter because they are second in Conference B, and are guaranteed a ticket to the dance. Rich Humes had a huge pick six if you haven’t watch the game. Rich is a player who gets very little press; he’s also a player I would want on any of my teams. When push came to shove and CLR Force’s defense made the stop needed, Frederic Dupuis was unable to be clutch.

Division Two Awards:

Again these are in no particular order. They are the top three contenders as things stand right now for each individual award. Keep in mind the players who play in Division one will not be recognized here. The number of votes indicated next to the team is how many consecutive weeks this player has been on my list.

Quarterback of the Year:

-Francois Lebeau (Gladiateur) 3 votes

-Cory Pecker (Legends) 2 votes

-Frederic Dupuis (CLR Forces) 1 vote

 

Receiver of the Year:

-Adam Bailey (Flag Football Fantasy) 3 votes

-David Polynice (Chernobyl Circus) 3 votes

-Chris Pinsonneault (O.N.S) 2 votes

 

Defender of the Year:

-Jordan McLaren (Cold Fusion) 3 votes

-Malu Boukassa (Chernobyl Circus) 1 vote

-Mike Cerfagini (Wolverines) 1 vote

 

Best Two Way player:

-Adam Bailey (Flag Football Fantasy) 3 votes

A decent two-way player in this division is extremely hard to identify through statistic. I wouldn’t want to be the guy picking this award, although dam Bailey seems to be running away with it right now.

Division 1 Freaks of the Week:

QB: N/A

WR: Sean Kennedy ~6 Receptions for 105 yards and 3 TDs~ Impressive numbers in division 1, welcome to the league of extraordinary Freakssss!

DB: N/A

R: Nicolas Arsenault-Hum ~4 Sacks 1 Tackle and 1 PD~ AND HE CAN RUSHHH… a freak up and down the field!

Division 2 Freak of the Week: *For players who do not play in division one

QB: Pascal Murray ~18/23 for 300 yards and 6 TDs~ Impressive QB rating of 140! Barely missed a throw, Mr. Murray you have proven time and time again that you belong on this list!

WR: Jeremy Anderson ~9 Receptions for 133 yards and 4 TDs~ Where did this come from?! Great game Jay, freak game is what your team needs!

DB: N/A

R: N/A

 The KISH Award for week 5:

N/A

*for the best two way player of the week.

All together this week was rough for individual statistics. Could this be a product of the fact that teams are now crunching to make playoffs? Who knows, the only thing that matters is where your teams sits week 10.

 My Picks Division 1:

Rainmakers (-4) VS Express

DK (-7.5) VS Terror Squad

D-Boys (+6.5) VS Montreals Finest

Demons (+4.5) VS Flag Moi L’Sac

 Last week I was 3 in 4 once again. That makes me 18 in 24 on the season. Getting better.

 My picks Division 2:

Clockwork (-4.5) VS Wolverines

O.N.S (-2.5) VS TMT

Les Monsieur Chats (+3.5) VS Wolfpack

Chernobyl Circus (-3.5) VS Usual Suspects

Shakaloinz (+3.5) VS Flag Football Fantasy

#NoRegard (+7.5) VS Cold Fusion

CLR Forces (+3.5) VS Served With Ice

Legends (-8.5) VS BC et Les McGonagals

Gladiateurs (-7) VS The Comission

Last week I was 7 and 2, which makes me 37 in 54 on the season.

Power Rankings Div 1:

In the brackets is where you’ll find my pre-season forecast of each team. I will not be re-adjusting…we’ll just have to see how the cookie crumbles. As we sit now, I’m pretty close to being prediction Guru.

1- *Montreal’s Finest 7-0…(9-1 for 1st overall)

2-* D-Boys 5-2… (7-3 for 2nd overall)

3- *Flag Moi L’Sac 5-2… (5-5 for 4th overall)

4- *DK 4-3… (4-6 for 5th overall)

5- Rainmakers 3-4… (4-6 for 6th overall)

6- Demons 2-5… (2-8 for 8th overall)

……..

7- Terror Squad 1-6… (3-7 for 7th overall)

8- Express 1-6… (6-4 for 3rd overall)

*Clinched playoff

**Clinched a first round bye

^Mathematically out

Power Rankings Div 2:

Enough about where I think you will be when the season ends. Here is where you are currently sitting. Notice this isn’t what necessarily shows up on the site considering the H2H match up advantages some teams hold.

 Conference A:

1- *Cold Fusion 7-1…14 PTS

2- *Clockwork 6-2…12PTS

3- Chernobyl Circus…10PTS

4- Wolverines 5-3… 10PTS

5- O.N.S 4-4… 8 PTS11

6- Wolfpack 4-4…8PTS

…….. OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

7- TMT 3-5…6PTS

8-Usual Suspects 2-5-1… 5PTS

9-Les Monsieur Chats 2-6…4PTS

Conference B:

1- *Legends 6-2…12PTS

2- *CLR Forces 5-2-1…11PTS

3- *Gladiateurs 5-3…10PTS

4- *Flag Football Fantasy 5-3…10PTS

5- *Served With Ice 5-3…10PTS

6- *Shakalooinz 4-3-1…9PTS

……..

7- ^The Commission 1-6-1… 3PTS

8- ^#NoRegard 1-7…2 PTS

9- ^BC et Les McGonagals 0-8…0PTS

*Clinched playoff

**Clinched a first round bye

^Mathematically out

 Game of the Week:

Rainmakers VS Express

This game is crucial for both teams. Rainmakers are currently on a four game losing streak after starting the season 3-0. Express is 1-6 and absolutely needs to win to give themselves a chance to make playoffs.

Last time they met Rainmakers took it 34-27. Ryan Kastner was perfect on the night and Patrick Chenard wasn’t. Pat threw two interceptions and only lost by one score. Rainmakers defense is rarely the reason why they win games but in this particular case it was. Charles-Antoine Sinotte had 7 receptions for 104 yards and 3 TDs.

Key Math-ups:

Charles-Antoine Sinotte VS Nicolas Arsenault-Hum

Patrick Chenard VS Ryan Kastner

Simon Charbonneau Campeau VS Rainmaker’s defense

Grades from last week:

Rainmakers:

QB: 94.9%

Offense: 83%

Defense: 81%

Overall: 86.3

Express:

QB: 68%

Offense: 58%

Defense: 84%

Overall: 70%

Rainmakers hold an advantage in every category except defensively. I am of the school of thought that believes a solid defense can’t pull a lot more weight then any other one of those grades. Last game they played Kastner was perfect and they only won by one score. I believe if Patrick Chenard can slow the game down and not turn the ball over, his defense will adjust and keep them in the game. Can they hang around long enough to steal a win? I think so… Rainmakers are in the eye of the tornado and I don’t foresee them coming out this week. There is nothing-tougher then beating a team twice in one season, unless that team is brainless and doesn’t care. I don’t believe that the case with Express. Although I believe the absence of David Polynice is a massive set back, Express should be too desperate to let this one slip.

Makes your adjustment to what you saw last game. I guarantee you they are not coming into this week with a brand new playbook. You on the other hand have the ability to change up coverages and match-ups. The pressure is getting to the Rainmakers and I think the pot is about to pop.

My prediction: Express 28 Rainmakers 26

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. Once again good luck to everyone! Don’t forget to check out the podcast by G.M Kolethras and I, Thursday night around 10:15! Follow me @VinceNardone for very little action on twitter or stop me at the field to chat. Till next time… Get better, make adjustments, learn and move forward.