Categories: Division 4

2nd-and-Short (Div 4) – Week 8

Three weeks. That’s all that’s left to play before the playoffs begin. Of course, that’s on paper. In reality, the playoffs begin now for those teams in the division who have yet to clinch a postseason berth—so in other words, just about the entire division.

If you thought that game against a middle of the pack team was going to be easy this week, think again—rest assured they’ll be giving you they’re all with everything on the line. 

 

Recap

You Need a Calendar to Know the Date; You Don’t Need A Callendar to Win a Game

After a 2-3 start to the season and coming off a 45-27 loss to Fruit Loops, hopes of a playoff run for T.C.O. looked rather bleak at midseason.

Following a win over Healthy Scratches on Saturday, not only are T.C.O. in the drivers’ seat to make the postseason, they also showed they’re not to be underestimated.

The first half was marked by and two long touchdown passes from T.C.O. QB Matt Bondoux to receiver Akeem Hoyte-Charles, but big runs from Healthy Scratches QB Cedric Langevin set up short touchdown passes to three different receivers to give his side a 20-12 advantage at the half.

But an ankle sprain by my fellow media member and defensive play-caller Brent Callendar early in the second half proved to be the catalyst of a T.C.O. comeback.  

William Hurst wound up replacing Callendar as play-caller, and his injury proved to be a blessing in disguise as T.C.O. didn’t give up a single point in the second half, while two more touchdowns by Bondoux sealed a 24-20 win for the team.

 

32 X 2 + 5 = 69(ers)  

The 69ers are 5-2 after beating the Mustangs 32-25 on Saturday in a battle that came down to the wire.

Mistakes were everywhere in this one, with a first half marked by drops and blown coverages by both teams resulting in a 19-19 score at halftime. Both defences adjusted in the second half, each registering stop after stop until the game’s final minutes.

That’s when each team’s offence was finally able to manage a scoring drive, first by the 69ers before Mustangs answered back on the ensuing drive to make it 25-25 with just five plays left.

The game looked headed for a tie after 69ers failed to gain so much as a first down on the first three plays, but on 4th and 5 in their own territory 69ers QB Shea Harbour called a gusty hook n’ go to receiver Matthew Labranche, who came down with it over the defender’s head in the corner of the endzone to make it 32-25 after the convert.

With only one play left Mustangs QB Simon Vallée threw up a hail mary, but it landed incomplete to bring one of the wildest games of the week to an end.

 

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

Fun Boys haven’t had the best of seasons, but you can bet they had some fun in a 38-24 beatdown of the slumping Project Mayhem on Sunday.

Though Mayhem was able to go score for score with Fun Boys at first, with the game tied at 18-18 at halftime, Fun Boys QB Scott Mironowicz quickly pulled his team ahead in the second half with some big runs and safe passes on offence, while the Fun Boys defence was able to force numerous errant throws by Normand Bellemare on the other side.

It all made for Fun Boys’ most complete performance of the season—four of five receivers finished with a score, Mironowicz added two more rushing touchdowns on the ground, and defensively the team was a rock, holding Mayhem to just six points in the second half despite not recording a single interception.

More importantly, it’s a win that put Fun Boys right back in the race to the playoffs in the West subdivision.

 

Top 10

  1. Sea Assassins (7-0): All that was really missing for them this season was a statement win. They don’t need one anymore.
  2. La Sauce (7-0): Thomas Ferland-Dionne is also a bad, bad man.
  3. Broccasion (6-1): After seeing how much the Cerantola brothers dominated this past week, I’m now convinced their talent lies in their name.
  4. Predators (6-1): It’s hard to lose when your starting quarterback throws six touchdowns to zero interceptions. 
  5. Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan (6-1): It’s not the loss that’s concerning—it’s how big a loss it was.
  6. The Replacements (5-2): A combined 88 points in back-to-back weeks has The Replacements growing into an offensive powerhouse at exactly the right time.     
  7. The Family (5-2): Another dominating win has me already looking ahead to their Week 10 game versus The Replacements.  
  8. Coyotes (6-1): They continue to take care of business, and this time didn’t need Josh Feder to do so.  
  9. Lynx (4-2-1): They bounced back in a big way this week, but needed a comeback win to do it.
  10. 69ers (5-2): 69ers enter my Top 10 for the first time this season, but they’ve more than earned it coming off two big wins.

 

Fantasy Football

Another week of FPF, another week where I stand far ahead of Simon Dagenais in the standings (in Div 3 as well as Div 4). It’s a beautiful world.

The results from this week’s matchups:

Peeze (171.9) vs Domon (213.7): Mat Domon

Simon (241.93) vs GM (172.33): Simon Dagenais

Eagle (166.53) vs Justin (180.40): Justin Blanchard

Brent (140.57) vs Roger (131.30): Brent Callendar

 

The standings:

1. Justin (3-1, +84.53)

2. GM (3-1, +33.50)

3. Eagle (2-2, +89.17)

4. Mat (2-2, 1.57)

5. Simon (2-2, -79.77)

6. Brent (2-2, -82.27)

7. Roger (1-3, -6.83)

8. Peeze (1-3, -39.90)

 

This week marks the first round of the fantasy football playoffs. Here are the matchups:

Justin (1) vs. Brent (6)

GM (2) vs. Simon (5)

Eagle (3) vs. Mat (4)

 

Head to http://flagplusfootball.com/news.php?article_id=831 for a reminder of everyone’s team.

 

Picks of the Week

17-9 on the week brings me to 101-74 on the season, while Simon Dagenais’ 19-6 week puts him at 114-61. I have three weeks to right the ship. If Dragons were somehow able to win three games up to this point with Simon as quarterback, I still believe there’s a chance I can win this thing.

Team Ethnik vs. Banana Republicans

Playground vs. Fools of the Country

Healthy Scratches vs. Smokin’ Aces

Lynx vs. X-Men

57 vs. Channel 4 News Team

Eskimo Brothers vs. Monstars

KGP Lite vs. Jaggerbomb

The Junks vs. Ball Busters

Backyard Bullies vs. Flying Comics

Broccasion vs. Les Maloudes

La Sauce vs. Pickle Fiasco

Coyotes vs. Predators

Dragons vs. Project Mayhem

T.C.O. vs. The Family

Gotham Knights vs. Outlaws

ZOO vs. BearSkins

Turf Toe Inc. vs. Kingdom

69ers vs. Lockdown

Quack Attack vs. Fruit Loops

Trapstars vs. Les Prédateurs

Angry Beavers vs. Mustangs

Six Fast Guys Plus Ryan vs. Les Affreux (N/A)

Primetime vs. Two and a Half Dans

Fun Boys vs. Knights

Sea Assassins vs. Checkmate

Longhorns vs. The Replacements

 

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That’s it for today. As usual, you can reach me by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @JBlanchFPF. Be sure to check out this week’s Division 4 podcast with fantasy football cellar dwellers Peeze “When I say My Article is Coming Soon I Really Mean A Week Later” and Brent “Hey Mat Domon, Can I Borrow Your Cane?” Callendar when it comes out on http://www.theunclehood.com/flag-plus-football/division-4/. See you at the fields!