Bombsquad’s Breakdown (Div A) – Week 6

Welcome trail hands! Nice of you to stop by the FlagPlus Football saloon, pardner. I’m just gonna warn ya though. I reckon you should keep your eyes peeled because a shootout can break out here at any moment! Why I remember back in week six of the two-o-eleven season…. (Cue flashback music)

Countdown to detonation.

3. Facing down in the dusty streets once again is Carmine “The Kid” Pollice and Kevin Wyeth Earp. And Wyeth Earp, after exercising his demons earlier this season, has now made lightening strike twice as DA Finest take down the Mercenaries 36-32. These games are truly fun to watch and always seem to end up being an old style shootout. The only turnovers in this game were on downs. Pollice tossed 5 TD’s, while utilizing 6 receivers and gave Jacques Void a monster day with 7 catches for 125 yards and 2 of the said TD’s. Wyeth Earp used only 4 receivers, all of which scored a TD, which is interesting because Kishon Thompson left the game at halftime with a pulled hamstring. Fortunately it was enough on this day as the defence also stepped up. Great game on both sides and hope to see these teams meet again.

2. The Rainmakers pour it on the One Night Stands- who were once again without QB Craig O’Brien, 42-18. Ryan Kastner used all the weapons at his disposal against the depleted One Nighters. Ryan Brewster did what he could but unfortunately that means 10 completions on 27 tries for 98 yards. You are not going to win many games with numbers like that. Kastner tossed 5 TD’s to Brewster’s 3 and had no interceptions.  When you score 5 touchdowns and add a pick-6, taking on a team missing their starting QB, chances are you will have success. Which the Rainmakers did. We’ll see what happens once O.N.S. can field a full squad.

1. The Triple Sixers take down the monarchy as they defeat the Kingz 44-34. Karim Chaoual continues to shine as he tosses for 258 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Kingz put up a valiant effort. This team just seems to be struggling to find a win. Francois and Marc-Andre Lebeau carried the team on offense with Nicolas Guimier helping out as well. But this team did not have a solution for Pat Jerome downfield as he torched the Kingz for 7 catches, 152 yards and 4 TD’S! Someone must be able to stop this lethal combo. The Kingz better pull it together soon or they could miss the playoffs. Meanwhile the Triple Sixers sit atop the division. Wow.

This week our Golden Boy and SHOWSTOPPA are one in the same and it has to be Pat Jerome who was a monster to the Kingz defence and offence. His 7 tackles on D and 152 yards and 4 TD’s on O was definitely the difference in this game. Great job Pat!

This week I would like to discuss the parity in Div A. I would have loved to see what the Vegas odds would have been at the start of the season that the Triple Sixers would be sitting atop Division A. I am sure they would be at least 40-1. Yet here we are.

Many players have developed over the years and we may be seeing a changing of the guard of some sorts. We all watch Karim Chaoual and many say he is a two trick pony. But if everyone knows this, why are they still winning? More importantly, how are these players still posting huge numbers? You have to be impressed that a quarterback can go into a game, with the other team knowing where he is going to go and yet he still manages to get these players the ball. With the combination of play calling and the skills of J-F Marcotte and Pat Jerome, not only does this team shine, they are in first place.

After many a debate about Ryan Kastner in the winter, and I mean many a debate, it seems it is very possible that Kastner has found his A game and is up there with the other big names in FlagPlus. This season has seen some new faces with the Rainmakers and all I can say is I did not see any adjustment period. Just like Carmine Pollice, Kastner seems able to plug in any new talent and use it right away. Tim Kraemer, Shane Williams, it doesn’t make a difference. His confidence seems to be at an all time high and his team now sits in second thanks to that ability and the chemistry this team has built as a unit.

The biggest surprise to me has to be the Kingz, who got their first win of the season against DA Finest in the first week and have since stumbled down the path. This team has many of the components from earlier seasons. Yet they just can’t seem to get out of the starting blocks. Many people have been debating what this team’s issues are. Like the masses, I am not sure. I will throw this out there though. Is it possible that the other teams in Division A have just been growing in talent and ability while the Kingz have maintained the same core for so many years and the other teams have just passed them by? Could it just be that the competition is just getting tougher and tougher? I guess only time will tell.

Picks of the week. Please, no groaning.

We start on Thursday where the Mercenaries face off against the One Night Stands. Where oh where is Craig O’Brien when they need him?  Although in this case I’m not sure it will make a difference. Carmine Pollice and company are less than pleased with the result of their last game and will be looking to take it out on someone. I know O.N.S. has a bitter taste in their mouths after the last two weeks and this season for that matter, but they will really need to step up in this one. That being said, I will still take the Mercenaries.

Next we see the Kingz taking on the Rainmakers. Two teams heading in different directions. Although the Kingz are struggling, they seem to always put up a good fight and stay in the game. The Rainmakers are on fire right now, but the last time these two teams met, it was a one point affair. I will give the edge to the Rainmakers who seem to be closing out games this year but I wouldn’t be surprised by a Kingz victory.

Finally, the Triple Sixers head into the OK Corral and take on Wyeth Earp and DA Finest. This should be another shootout of epic proportions. The last time these two teams met, DA Finest were without Wyeth, Binette and myself. I do not predict anything except a completely different game than the first these teams played. I am sure it will be back and forth until the last play. Sunday night after the Boucherville tourney, be at Catalogna for the fireworks!

Week six in the books,

Playoffs are coming around,

Still time to get in,

Some victories and you are bound.

Don’t let the big names,

Drag you to the ground,

Play the best you can,

And your victory shall be the only sound!

That’s it for me here pardner. Hope you had fun sitting for a spell. I reckon I’ll be back next week. You can always use this new email dohickey and catch me at [email protected] with tips on cattle wrestling and trail recipes but until then another week has been defused.