Another FPF Junior Season is Underway!

Another FPF Junior season is underway! It was good to see so many familiar faces returning to the league. It was even more exciting to see all the new teams and players that joined FPF Junior. Ever since the inaugural winter 2016 season of FPF Junior when the league had 12 teams spread over three divisions, the league has been growing. This season, it has taken its biggest step yet. FPF Junior is now divided into two divisions: it is split into the D and G leagues. The D league is for players who want to sign up as individuals while the G league is geared towards pre-set teams. I am thrilled about this split. In past seasons, I heard many coaches, players and parents complain about parity in the league. When pre-set and draft teams played in the same division, we unfortunately saw quite a few lopsided results. We hope that by separating the teams into these two divisions, we will see more evenly matched games.

For all those of you who are wondering who this person writing the articles is, I am Alexi Dubois. I score keep on Saturday in Loyola and on Sunday mornings in Lachine. I have been involved with FPF Junior since the very first game. I started off as a player and I played three seasons. I still play in the league, except in the adult divisions. If you have any questions about how the league runs or joining the adult divisions, let me know.

I will be writing weekly articles about the games and highlights of the league. The articles will take various formats, but I will do my best to cover as many teams and players as I can throughout the season. At any point, if you have any questions or comments about the articles, feel  free to let me know on the sidelines or by email at [email protected].

This is definitely the longest introduction I will right this season, you are all here to read about the games so lets cut right to the chase.

 

Week 1 Games of the Week:

Sophomore D

Panthers (21) vs Bulls (25):

The Bulls kicked off their season on a strong note with a 25-21 over the Panthers. The Bulls victory was made even more impressive by the fact that the Panthers are a team with lots of experienced players. The Bulls on the other hand are full of new players to the league but, they did not let that inexperience hamper them.

The Bulls did just enough to secure the win. Quarterback Ariel Bitton completed over 60% of his passes. Ariel Bitton did a great job of buying extra time in the pocket with his legs and he was not scared to tuck the ball and run when the situation required. He totaled 19 rushing yards and also scored one rushing touchdown. His go-to receiver was definitely Marc-Olivier Bourgault, who caught six passes for 76 yards and a score. This game was very close with just a few plays to go before the half. The Bulls ran a trick play which saw the ball handed off to Jordy Melnik who, instead of running with it, completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to give his team a convincing lead going into the second half. Jordy Melnik was also a defensive leader with a crucial interception to go along with his six tackles and one defended pass. The Bills defence did just enough to eek out a victory. Ben Abecassis and his three tackles, 1 PD and one interception were a key part of the Bills secondary.

As for the Panthers, they may have lost this game, but they definitely have a promising season ahead of them. Their roster is packed with athletic playmakers. With the talent they have, you can be sure they will not have to wait very long for their first win.

Quarterback Antoine Richard nearly did enough in this first game to earn a win. He completed just as many passes as the Bull’s QB and passed for even more yards. One of the keys to his success was the trust he placed in his receivers. Despite this being the first time he is playing with many on this team, Antoine Richard spread the ball to four different receivers, three of whom had multiple receptions. Jeremy Racicot led the charge in terms of receiving yards with 29 while the experienced Zachary Nelson led his team in receptions with four.

Perhaps the most impressive player of the game from either team was the Panthers’ rusher Jeremy Racicot. He terrorized the opposing quarterback and pressured him on just about every play. For his efforts, he was rewarded with a phenomenal five sacks. Without Jeremy Racicot’s fantastic performance, this game would not have been as close. Rusher is an extremely difficult position to play and Jeremy Racicot managed more sacks in this game then in all of last season. While he played a key role, there were other Panthers that contributed on defence. Antoine Richard kept his team in the game when he jumped a route to intercept the Bulls. He returned that pick for six.

Midget G

North Shore (18) vs Dusters (20):

The Dusters have been around FPF Junior for what seems like an eternity. However, this was the group’s first year in Midget and I was intrigued to see how the team would fair against the tougher competition. Clearly, the group rose to the challenge. A walk off touchdown by Matthew Eiley lifted them to a hard fought 20-18 win over North Shore.

The Dusters have never been the most athletic team in their division, they don’t win games with dazzling speed or silky moves. However, they have an offensive system which consistently manages to put points on the board and a defence that can slow down just about anyone. Quarterback Adam Malinoff has learnt to scramble a bit less over the years and his receivers have learnt how to extend their routes and find the hole in the opposing defence because they know their quarterback will eventually find them. That is exactly what happened on Sunday. Malinoff passed for 125 yards and three touchdowns. The only blemish on his record was an interception. No one had a better game than Matthew Eiley. He caught three passes for two scores and 61 yards. He saved his most impressive reception for the end. On the last play of the game he caught a 20-yard Hail Mary pass at the back of the end zone to give his team a narrow victory. On the defensive side of things, I was impressed to see the Duster’s pick off their opponents twice. The Dusters were clearly showing who was playing deep and who was short before the snap. I would have though North Shore would have picked apart the Dusters predictable defence, but they struggled. North Shore’s struggles were in large part due to the strong play of Andrew Backler and Matthew Eiley, both of whom managed a pick.

North Shore had a first half to forget. They didn’t find the end zone once and only managed 25 yards of offence. Things turned around in a hurry in the second half when the experienced and uber talented Kaelen Trepanier entered the game. He quickly began carving up the Duster’s secondary and he exposed their vulnerability to the deep ball. Trepanier’s first score came after marching down the field and completing a touchdown pass to Carter Soles. On his next possession, Trepanier wasted no time. He aired it out on the first play dropped a perfect pass into the path of Trenton Sheppard who hauled it in for the score. With less than five plays to go in the game, Trepanier had the ball on his own 10-yard line. While his coaches may have preferred that he march down the field and chew time off the clock, North Shore’s quarterback saw his chance and he took it. He fired another deep bomb down the left sideline that was hauled in by Carter Soles to give North Shore their first lead of the game.

While I am sure North Shore’s defenders left with a bitter taste in their mouth, that final play was not indicative of how well they played during the rest of the game. In reality, North Shore’s defence did a fantastic job of slowing down the most experienced offence in the division. That effort was led by rusher Marco Gentile. He limited the Dusters’ quarterback to only five yards per rush and also pressured him on countless more occasions. He was rewarded with three sacks. The other showstopper on defence was Carter Soles. He led the team in tackles with seven and also managed North Shore’s only interception.   

North Shore played a good game and a great second half. If they can learn from their early mistakes and build on their second half showing, the wins are going to start rolling in very soon.

 

Week 2 Games to Watch:

Mosquito:

Flight School 1 (1-0) vs Flight School 2 (1-0): To those of you who are familiar with FPF Junior, it comes as no surprise that both the Flight School teams are undefeated. In week two, we will be treated to an early heavy weight duel between these two star studded team. FS 1 soared to victory in week 1 and put up 54 points in the process. On the other hand, FS 2 beat a very well coached Gladiators team. It is anyone’s guess who will come out on top so be sure to tune in Sunday morning.

Bantam:

LCC Lions (2-0) vs Flight School Bantam (1-0): My main disappointment with this match is that I will not be able to watch it. It will be played at Stade Hebert while I’m in Lachine. The Lions put up nearly 90 points in their two week one wins while only conceding 34 points. Those are very impressive numbers; however they will be put to the test this week when they face Flight School. FS will put that impressive record to the test. In week one, FS pitched a perfect game defensively and scored at will against their opponents. This game will be a closely fought affair, but push come to shove, I have to side with the experience of Flight School.

Midget

Flight School Midget (1-0) vs Raiders (1-0)

I know, I know, one more Flight School team featured in the games to watch but this match will have it all. Great quarterbacks, elite athletes and fantastic coaching. The Raiders are fresh off a championship win in the spring and this is Flight School’s first venture into Midget. Both of these teams were convincing in week 1, but the real test is now. The winner of this game will be considered the early favorites to win it all.

 

That concludes the first week of action in FPF Junior. While an eight-week season might seem short, there is a long road ahead. From the point of view of an observer, my favorite part of the season is watching teams progress. If you take a second and take a snapshot of where you are as a player and where your team is now, you will be surprised to see where you windup by the time the playoffs roll around. Good luck to everyone and all the teams, I hope you enjoyed the article and have a great season!