Division 4B Semi-Finals Tonight: Who will make it through to the Finals?
Welcome back to the last installment of Division 4 articles before the Finals. A couple of upsets happened in the quarterfinals, which sets up some rather unexpected matchups in both divisions. With now only 4 remaining teams per division, I will be able to go into more detail for each team. Because these articles are lengthy and take a while, I am making one for each division. Let’s get on to it, 4B.
Division 4B Quarter-Finals
Les Renards Vifs defeat Ball Don’t Lie fairly easily despite Jacob Salvail‘s inefficiency. Rusher William Castonguay‘s safety was the crucial play of the game.
Killer Rays struggle offensively but are able to get through thanks to Curtis Ryan‘s 2 interceptions on Dak to the Future‘s QB Justin Gauthier. Tyler Gurberg goes off again for 142 yards and 2TDs, but the rest of the roster barely got involved offensively.
4th & Schlong survive Pocket Rockets after a late push from the latter. A failed 2 point conversion on the last play of the game ends the team’s season despite Gab Champagne‘s insane performance of 110 yards, 5TDs and 1 interception. 4th and Schlong’s defense stepped up with 3 interceptions.
The Penetrators overwhelm X-Men thanks to QB Justin Goodman‘s best game of the season. Matthew Caponi was the main weapon with 87 yards and 2TDs. Nicholas Fon dominated both sides of the ball with 3TDs and a pick. Luca Chirocosta was instrumental to the win with 4 huge sacks.
Division 4B Squad Breakdowns
Let’s breakdown every remaining team’s squads and grade them on 4 different categories: QB play, Receiving Core, Coverage Defense, and Rushing Defense.
QB PLAY
Killer Rays: Tylar Bianchi 89
Bianchi plays an efficient game which relies heavily on Tyler Gurberg. He doesn’t get sacked often and rarely throws picks but his over reliance on his star receiver can cost him at times.
4th & Schlong: George Koutsoukos 86
Koutsoukos is also efficient and is an excellent game manager willing to throw to any receiver. His tendency to get sacked at times brings his rating down a little bit and so does his inexperience.
Les Renards Vifs: Jacob Salvail 95
The QB of the year in 4B, Salvail is an offensive dynamo with his high-powered offense and ability to extend plays. He’ll hit the receiver who’s open and won’t hesitate to make higher risk plays as he often converts them.
The Penetrators: Justin Goodman 83
Goodman plays a bit of a funky game, as do most left-handed quarterbacks, but his experience and intelligence make him a winner. He might throw more picks than the others but he’s clutch and usually makes the right plays when the game is on the line.
Receiving Core
Killer Rays: 94
Tylar Bianchi and Tyler Gurberg‘s connection is the best in all of 4B. Killer Rays’ offense revolves around these 2 players but the team has very solid supporting pieces offensively in Curtis Ryan, Aidan Lariviere, Donovan Hinds and Chris Genio.
4th & Schlong: 87
Justin Lerner has emerged as a star receiver in these playoffs with 163 yards and 4 TDs in 2 games. Alexandre Dessureault and Philippe Trudel are dynamic options, while Daron Migdesyan, Michael Caparelli, Nick and John Madimenos bring reliability to the squad.
Les Renards Vifs: 93
Jacob Salvail does play a huge role offensively, but he can do so because of his very solid receiving crew. 10 different players have at least 2TDs. All 5 of William Castonguay, Mathieu Robitaille, Philippe Saint-Laurent, Arthur Salvail and Louis-David Bernier-Cloutier combined volume with efficiency.
The Penetrators: 87
Mathew Caponi, Nicholas Fon and Tyrone Hamilton are some of the best in all of 4B, but the squad unfortunately lacks depth other than these 3.
Coverage Defense
Killer Rays: 90
The team had 18 interceptions and 19PDs in the regular season and 2 interceptions and 2PDs in 1 playoff game. Curtis Ryan has taken a step defensively this season, but the most promising stat is that they have depth defensively with 5 different players having at least 2INTs.
4th & Schlong: 92
The team had 14INTs and 27PDs in the regular season. They’ve been more efficient defensively so far in the playoffs with 6INTs and 6PDs in 2 playoff games. Daron Migdesyan and Michael Caparelli stands out defensively but the squad is full of cerebral players who are able to affect the play when the opposing team has the ball.
Les Renards Vifs: 81
I’ve had my concerns about Les Renards Vifs’ defense throughout the season due to their low defensive numbers: 8INTs and 19PDs in the regular season. In their sole playoff game, they failed to get an interception and only got 1PD. The team lacks a defensive star and that might cost them if Jacob Salvail has an off game.
The Penetrators: 95
This is the clear best defensive team in 4B and they only solidified it in their win against X-Men. They had 22INTs and 32PDs in the regular season, Mathew Caponi is a star, and Mass Chiricosta, Justin Goodman and Jeremy Naimer all had at least 3INTs.
Rushing Defense
Killer Rays: 87
Jared Arany has recorded 10 sacks this season in 7 games. He’s one of the most reliable rushers in 4B and gets sacks. He doesn’t influence opposing QBs throws as much as other rushers though as he’s failed to deflect a pass this season.
4th & Schlong: 81
The team doesn’t have a clear number one rusher and 3 different players have gotten 2 sacks. Alexandre Dessureault seems to be the best option as he got 2 sacks in the one playoff game he’s played.
Les Renards Vifs: 89
Despite their lack of interceptions, the team has gotten some great rushing defense production with 15 total sacks. Rushing by committee is a good idea to keep your players fresh and it has worked for them. William Castonguay registered 3 sacks in their sole playoff game.
The Penetrators: 97
97 may seem high, but one look at Nicholas Fon’s defensive stats this season will have you convinced. He racked up 15 sacks, 10PDs and a pick from the rusher position, and I will dare say it: he should have won defensive player of the year over Emerson Peterkin. He is the most impactful defensive player in all of 4B. The team strategically didn’t have him rush versus X-Men and he’s the only player who picked off Noah Swaminadhan this season.
Let’s now sum it up to get an overall rating for each team. I will weigh offense and defense at 50% each. QB play will be valued at 30%, Receiving Core will be valued at 20%, Coverage Defense will be valued at 30% and Rushing Defense will be valued at 20%.
Matchup #1: Killer Rays vs. 4th & Schlong
Killer Rays
Offense: 91
Defense: 88.8
Overall: 89.9
4th & Schlong
Offense: 86.4
Defense: 87.6
Overall: 87
Killer Rays seem to have the edge here, and it makes sense considering the team they’ve beaten and with how dominant they have been offensively. Their defense is also very solid and I believe they will make it hard for George Koutsoukos. Let’s make it clear, I think Killer Rays is the better team and will come out on top, but as we’ve learned this season, no game is a guaranteed win. Despite the lack of experience at the QB position, 4th and Schlong have lots of experience with their other players. They will surely have a gameplan for Tyler Gurberg, and as I’ve been calling for throughout the season (and even past seasons), Aidan Lariviere and Curtis Ryan will need to step up.
Score prediction: 39-33 Killer Rays
Matchup #2: Les Renards Vifs vs. The Penetrators
Les Renards Vifs
Offense: 94.2
Defense: 84.2
Overall: 89.2
The Penetrators
Offense: 84.6
Defense: 95.8
Overall: 90.2
Now this is one insane battle between the best offense and the best defense. Les Renards Vifs seem to have been favorites throughout the season but that defense is going to have to step up in this one. I wonder if Nicholas Fon will be rushing Jacob Salvail or will they go with Luca Chiricosta and keep Fon in coverage. Jacob Salvail struggled the last time around versus this defense, as it was the case for almost every QB who faced them. The question will be whether Justin Goodman will be able to find the endzone enough times to make his team pull through. Converts may play a huge factor in this one.
Score prediction: 35-29 The Penetrators
There you guys have it for the Semi-Finals Preview in 4B.
Good luck tonight!