A Trip to The Chip on The Line!!!

And then there were 8. Four teams in D1 and four in D2. I caught the action on Monday night at Marie-Vic and boy was I glad I did! A few more one-sided games than expected but great games just the same. The intensity in the air so thick it would be comparable to that of a humid day in Cuba. Let’s jump into the recaps!

To say Friends with Danny’s offense was out of sync on Monday would be an understatement. They just never seemed to be on the same page. It was almost as if it was the first time they had ever played together. I was shook, as they say. Credit needs to be given to Les Bleue Dry. They started off the game with a 40 bomb TD to none other than Dufresne and did not look back. Their second touchdown of the game was a pick 6 by Desjardins who read the play like a book. He shot to the left flat and tip toed down the sideline. Even though it was early at this point, it sucked all the air out of Friends with Danny. It was just not their day and unfortunately it happened to be during a playoff game. Les Bleue Dry won the game 40-12. There is not that much of a gap between both teams, but one team executed their game plan to perfection and the other didn’t. Juneau had himself a day going 11 of 14 and throwing 5 TD passes. Les Bleue Dry had 4 interceptions on defense with all 4 of them going to a different player. Talk about a team win.

Idaho Udapimps took down Bandits D’Ahuntsic 38-20. QB Brady Ohanessian was dominate on both sides of the ball. He threw for 5 touchdowns and had 2 interceptions on defense. Christian Pedroza balled out to with 7 receptions, 78 yards, 3 touchdowns and a pick on defense. Unfortunately, he injured himself in the second half. I played in the game and want to thank both Bandits D’Ahuntsic and Big Fat Bats for helping Christian out. Big Fat Bats were warming up for their game and players from their squad and Bandits D’Ahuntsic came over to check on him. So thank you to both teams! That’s what FPF is about. Idaho Udapimps controlled the game from start to finish. Their communication on defense allowed them to always be at the right place at the right time. Oriola Poirier did not play in the game due to injury, which is of course a big loss for Bandits D’Ahuntsic. Not the outcome they were hoping for but still a solid season from Bandits D’Ahuntsic. Hope to see them back soon. The boys in pink keep dancing.

Prime Time shut out Studz r us 31-0 and are heading to the semi-finals. If I am being completely honest, it was evident from the first snap that Prime Time were in a league of their own. Studz r us were fighting and clawing for every yard. Philippe Boyer had 2 pick 6’s. One nicer than the next. Louis-David Lamarre only needed to complete 7 passes for Prime Time. Philippe Gélinas completed 12 passes but it seemed like every one of them was contested by Prime Time’s defense. They had 5 picks on the night. It was one of those things where you hold you breath when the ball is in the air. Prime Time did exactly what they needed to do. Their next match up against Les Renards Vifs will be a much tougher task.

Speaking of Les Renards Vifs, they advanced to the semi-finals via forfeit. Glory Boyz did not show up for the game. I believe most of their players were out of town on vacation. Tough to see a team’s season end this way. I’ll never understand how stuff like this happens so I’ll let it be. Les Renards Vifs took advantage of the field space and had a little scrimmage against one another. Was really nice to see and the boys looked like toddlers on Christmas morning. Way to make lemonade out of lemons boys!

Julien Proulx’s 4 TDs were good enough to send Born in the 80’s to the next round. They beat The Penetrators 38-26. Born in the 80’s defense held strong and forced a 4 and out to start the second half. I think that’s where this game turned. It was all smooth sailing after that for them. Winning this way, getting production for their secondary guys on offense, is exactly what they doctor ordered for Born in the 80’s. They may not be as top heavy as teams thought. The way they are built were make them a tough out for anyone moving forward. What also impressed me about this game is that Nicholas Fon for The Penetrators was held to only one catch for 11 yards. The 80’s boys did their homework.

What a game between X-Men and DNE! I did not want this one to end. At no point did any team take a two possession lead. Score for score, score for score. Lemme tell you there was a lot of yapping going on from X-Men as flags were flying left and right against them. From what I saw, the calls all seemed to be spot on. All this just added to the intensity of the game. A huge play in the game came late in the game when QB for X-Men Daniel Devine bought time and found Noah Swaminadhan for a 13 yard TD. On 4th down, no less! DNE got the ball back down 34-33 with 5 plays left and almost completed their second upset in as many games. Credit X-Men for staying focused after being pushed to the brink of elimination. Man this game was a good one. It fit all the criteria’s of a playoff game. X-Men are a very young and passionate group of guys. Lord knows how I was at that age. My one piece of advice to them would be to keep the cool under all and any circumstances. Penalties are too costly to take when your season is on the line. Trust me I’ve been there before.

West Island Boys made plays when it matter most. The beat Every Inch Counts 36-24 in a game that saw big boy plays made on both sides. Daron Migdesyan had a beautiful touchdown grab that Mathew Yanakoulias fit right in between 2 defenders. The highlight of the night goes to Skylar Bayliff though who had 8 catches, 117 yards, and 4 TDs. He made a ridiculous catch down the middle of the field also between 2 defenders using 3 fingers. He was so pumped after the play he came and high fived our Idaho Udapimps players watching the game. I felt like a little kid at an NFL game getting to props my all-time favorite player. As if the West Island Boys needed any more juice in their step. That felt like the dagger, and Mike Collard let Every Inch Counts know all about it. Zach Stacey was great at buying time which allowed him to complete 18 of his 23 passes. A great all around performance from West Island Boys that has them heading to the semi-finals.

Big Fat Bats played as gritty, hard-nosed, and team-oriented game as you could have imagined. This game was slow with both teams inching the ball forward. This felt like an old heavyweight battle from start to finish. Bandits stayed around just long enough for the game to be competitive until they got hit with a haymaker. Big Fat Bats bent but didn’t break throughout the entire game. They made big defensive plays in the redzone. To hold Émile Skaf to 88 passing yards is incredible. The game was chippy with flags being thrown against both teams. A level of passion and overaggressiveness that should be expected in the playoffs. If you told me that their WR1 AJ Zeppetelli had 0 receptions, I would’ve thought they lose by at least 3 possessions. Maybe they are a deeper team than I initially gave them credit for. A gem of a performance by Big Fat Bats.

Semi-Finals Viewing Guide

D1

1. X-Men vs 5. Born in the 80’s

Two of the division’s best teams. One team, a young squad that has taken the league by storm and already has a championship under their belt. The other, an experienced team led by their veterans. So who has the edge? X-Men are the favorite and their speed could cause Born in the 80’s some problems. The key matchup in this game will be Abelard rushing Devine. There is absolutely no doubt about that. Devine has this uncanny ability to not only escape sacks but to toy with his rushers. Abelard will need to contain him. It will not be about producing sacks, it’ll be about to everything else as a rusher that does not appear on the stat sheet. For being a young and smaller team, they way X-Men play defense is a treat to watch. Their mechanics are those of players that have been playing flag for years. De Andrade can’t afford to be hesitant. If he sees a throw he can make he’ll need to make it then and there. Anything thrown late or floated will be picked off. Something tells me he has his boys ready for whatever X-Men will throw at them. Gimme experience over youth in this one, and yes I’m calling the upset.

Prediction: Born in the 80’s win 32-31

2. Prime Time vs 3. Les Renards Vifs

Two very athletic teams battling it out for the honour of playing for the championship. Are Les Renards Vifs gonna come out rusty after not playing in 2 weeks? I don’t think so. They’re mini practice during that forfeit could do them some good. Prime Time are coming off an impressive win and I expect that feeling to spill over to this game. I expect a very even first half. Converts will be important as they always are. Where I think this game turns around is after a turnover. Not just a punt, a turnover on downs, but an interception. Right now it’s hard to think that pick will be thrown by Jacob Salvail. He just doesn’t throw them. Louis-David Lamarre doesn’t throw many either. So who will be the first to break, or will we even see an interception? Both teams have ballers and both teams play great defense. I think Prime Time slightly has the better defense. I just can’t get myself to pick against Salvail and company though. They execute at an extremely high level and the energy of this team is great.

Prediction: Les Renards Vifs win 40-32

D2

7. Idaho Udapimps VS 13. Les Bleue Dry

I am very excited for this one. Two offenses that have defenses scratching their heads. Two quarterbacks that have been playing backyard-type football in recent games. This could very well the first team to get a stop wins. It’s hard to give the edge to a team in this game. The best player on both sides right now has to be Guillaume Dufresne. If Idaho Udapimps allow him to get his way this game will be over early. A defensive game plan is a must for the boys in pink. They have not played a team like Les Bleue Dry this year. When an opportunity presents itself to make a play on defense it needs to be made. My suggestion would be that both defenses play for picks. Forget knocking a ball down or making a nice tackle. An extra possession in this game will be more valuable than gold. The “other guys” will be key to keep an eye on. There is not weak link on either side. Both teams have depth and they will need to use that to their advantage.

Since I am playoff eligible to play for Idaho Udapimps, I won’t predict a winner, but will predict this game goes to overtime!

10. West Island Boys vs 12. Big Fat Bats

Two teams I picked against last week. I won’t make the same mistake this week. Well, I actually don’t have a choice. We all know about the big time players on each team. They of course will be huge. The difference in this game with be the mental game. What do I mean by that? Plays and mistakes will be made by both teams. There will be yelling, trash talk and intensity from both sides. I can’t stress enough the importance of staying calm and clear-headed will be tonight. From the games I’ve seen, Zach Stacey is the definition of zen. No moment seems to big for him. Even with a rusher in his face, he calmly rolls out and makes the throw he wants. In crucial times during the season his team has relied on him to make the right play and he has delivered almost every time. If there was one game I could watch tonight it would be this one. Who cracks under pressure? Who stays calm and in charge? The answers will determine the winner. Joe Morgese, I am picking against you guys again… Prove me wrong!

Prediction: West Island Boys win 27-26

Playoff Record: 10-5

A spot to the championship game on the line…. What else needs to be said? Until we meet again,

Stay Blessed