Division B: Flag Football National Team: Who made the squad?

The three-day Canadian Senior Flag Football National Championship tournament wrapped up yesterday. Teams from Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and of course Quebec, all took part. Numerous players from FlagPlus Football, made up several of the teams both female and male.

The five versus five tournament was filled with exciting plays, tons of All-Stars, and some future Olympians. Instagram has been littered with highlights since the opening day on Friday. It was a great way to not just show off the talent in this province as well as the country, but to also show support to the growing popularity of the flag football. I think it was a win for all parities involved.

The tournament had me thinking, what would that look like in Division B? Instead of wondering, I decided to create one.

Before I start, I want to be clear, this isn’t an All-Star team. Like most teams, you need depth, so I will have more than just three Receivers, one Quarterback, and two Defensive Backs. The tournament allowed for a maximum of teams of 12. I am going one extra and making it 13.

The tournament showed that you need speed, playmakers, and some length. You also needed players who were quick thinkers who could adjust on the fly.  

When making the roster, the only rule I have is that the players must play in Division B. If you have subbed in Div. A that is fine, but you cannot have played in more than three games.

Here we go…

Quarterbacks:

Will Power (FINS UP)

Rocco Christiano (Poseidon’s Kiss)

You can never have enough Quarterbacks, right? I am going with two QBs in Christiano and Power, that aren’t afraid to air the ball out, are accurate throwers of the football, see the field extremely well, and have no problem using their athleticism to extend plays and chew up yards with their legs.

Both players are at the helm of two offenses that can rack up the points and take control of the game. In a tournament where ball control and points are at a premium, what more could you ask for?

Another reason to have these two dynamic players on the roster, is because each has proven to be impact players at both Receiver and Defensive Back as well.

Receivers:

Rhami Aboud (Never Overtime)

James Langshaw (FINS UP)

Juwan Edghill (Poseidon’s Kiss)

This group of pass-catchers gives the team some size and speed to go against some of the Defensive Backs they would be seeing in this tournament. All three players can turn a five-yard hook or a quick slant into a house call, while also having the ability to beat man coverage on deep routes.

The Receivers also give the team a productive mix of possession and deep-threat Receivers, which is key for any offense.

In the redzone, Edghill, has the length to wreak havoc on jump balls and throws in both the back and corners of the endzone, while the duo of Aboud and Langshaw, can shred defenses with their route running, quickness out of their breaks, and penchant for making clutch catches.  

Snapper:

Maximilien Sadori (FINS UP)

Every flag football team needs a tough big-bodied Receiver who has sure hands, uses his size to create space, make clutch catches, and survive the contact that usually takes place in redzone. I decided to pick a player who excels at all those things.

Operating as a short yardage specialist, Sadori, has made clutch catches for years, and serves as the security blanket and ultimate redzone threat for his Quarterback Will Power.

Don’t let his size fool you, the two-time All-Star is a lot faster than he appears. When Sadori gets into the open field, he has enough agility and quickness to break tackles and rack up yards after the catch.

Defensive Backs:

Simon Duchesne (FINS UP)

Jeremy Rooney (Idaho Udapimps)

Mack Dessources (Never Overtime)

Bakari Barrett (Run It Once)

Tysen Otis Copeland (Silent Ticklers)

If defense wins championships, this unit has the size, speed, and toughness to not only stop the opposition from scoring, but to take the ball away as well.

The aggression that Dessources, Rooney, and Duchesne play with makes it hard for Receivers to not only get separation, but also win battles for contested passes.

Both Barrett and Otis-Copeland give the secondary length and speed to not only cover players deep and get their hands in passing lanes, but also to fight for jump balls in the redzone. Going up against Receivers like Rory Semerjian, AJ Gomes, Marvin Steinberg, James Drysdale, Jaylan Greaves, and others who can seemingly jump to moon, you will need some defenders who can get up as well.

It might sound crazy to not include Dessources among the Receivers on this team, given that he leads all Division B players in targets, catches, yards, and touchdowns, but having both played with and against him, for as good as he is as a pass-catcher, he is even more valuable playing Defensive Back. Simply put, the former McGill Redbird is a tone-setter defensively.

Rusher:

Thomas Coutu (Mangoose)

Hinsley Adams (FINS UP)

Just like Quarterbacks, you can never have enough Rushers.

Both players have combined to be named All-Star 10 times. Although he has transitioned away from playing Rusher the last few seasons, Adams has recorded 260 sacks in his career, while Coutu is just 10 behind with 250. When you dig a little deeper, you will see that the duo has totaled 144 pass deflections, to go along with 21 interceptions.

Numbers aside, both players have speed for days, and can stop on a dime, while hunting Quarterbacks. Coutu brings a bit more length, while Adams’ ability to take away angles and cutback lanes, are hard to replicate.

Getting sacks is a bonus. If you can get one or more, great. Forcing Quarterbacks to get rid of the ball early and throw before they are ready is what being a Rusher is all about. These two players have shown they can do all three things exceptionally well.  

This is my Division B roster. It is bigger than most, but you can never have too much depth. A lot of the different players I named to the team would be able to win their one-on-one matches, which also factored into the equation.

I think this squad would be more than capable of giving a few teams in the tournament not just a run for their money, but also deliver an upset or two in the process.

Since I was limited to only 13 guys, there were a lot of worthy players left off the team. Playmakers like Ashton Thibeault, Carl Bernola, Hakim Kasbi-Filiatrault, and Marc-Andre Reeves among others, just missed the cut.

Let me know what you think. Who would you put on your roster?