Championship Recap and Dubois Awards in FPF Jr

The FPF Junior Season is all wrapped up. That means this will be my last FPF Junior article of the season. This article will take a slightly different format than usual. I will use my audio segments to recap the playoffs and most importantly, the championship games and instead of doing a game of the week as my written segment, I will present the Dubois awards.

In FPF Junior, we have two sets of awards. The first are the official awards handed out by FPF commissioner Robert Campana in collaboration with the coaches. Those trophies for MVP and MIP (most improved player) have already been given out. Those awards come with a shiny trophy and international recognition (OK, league wide recognition).

The other awards are what I have affectionately dubbed the Dubois Awards. These are my unofficial division by division awards for best quarterback, defender, receiver, rusher and two-way player. Sadly, these awards do not come with fame or a shiny trophy but rather with the satisfaction of knowing that your great season did not go unnoticed. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the Dubois Awards for the Freshman division.

Spring 2021 Dubois Awards

Freshman

Quarterback of the Year: Matthew Cooper (Cougars)

Stats: 83 completions, 62.9 completion percentage, 1096 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, 4 INTs, 8 sacks, 116.0 QB rating

The Cougars quarterback was outstanding this year. While most might be drawn to his flashy yardage total or his remarkable 27 touchdowns, there is another stat that grabbed my eye. Matthew Cooper only threw four interceptions all year. Ball protection is crucial or a quarterback and that is an area where Cooper excelled.

Receiver of the Year: Isabel Jamgotchian (APH 1)

Stats: 30 receptions, 60 targets, 614 receiving yards, 16 receiving TDs

There were no other receivers that were anywhere close to Isabel Jamgotchian in the Freshman division. When APH needed a big play, they consistently looked towards Jamgotchian. She beat defenders with both speed and size on her way to one of the best seasons I have seen from a receiver in my time covering FPF Junior.

Defender of the Year: Gabriel Marinelli (Huskies)

Stats: 11 tackles, 11 INTs, 12 PDs, 6 defensive TDs

Gabriel Marinelli was a turnover machine for the Huskies this season. While 11 interceptions is impressive enough on its own, what really set Marinelli apart from the rest is the fact that he returned six of his interceptions for scores. In a division where points are difficult to come by, pick-sixes are even more valuable.

Rusher of the Year: Hayden McNicol (APH 1)

Stats: 4 tackles, 11 sacks, 2 PDs

Most people do not realize how important a good rusher is. Hayden McNicol delivered much more than 11 sacks. While that stat line is impressive, McNicol also accounted for countless more pressures and hurried throws by opposing quarterbacks.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Jeremy St-Vil (Cougars)

Stats: 21 receptions, 30 targets, 423 receiving yards, 8 TDs, 16 tackles, 6 INTs, 6 PDs, 3 defensive TDs, 2 sacks

In week 1, I talked to the Cougars’ coach and he described Jeremy St-Vil as one of the shiftiest players he has ever seen. Well after a season of games, I definitely agree with that analysis. On offence, that shiftiness creates a ton of yards after the catch and defensively it permits him to break onto balls other players would have no hope of intercepting.

Sophomore

Quarterback of the Year: George Koutsoukos (Musketeers)

Stats: 99 completions, 62.7 completion percentage, 1331 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, 4 INTs, 14 sacks, 118.4 QB rating

What more can be said about George Koutsoukos? He was simply perfect this season. He put up video game numbers on his way to leading his team to a championship. I saw him complete an across the body touchdown throw from midfield on championship weekend. Simply put, Koutsoukos is completing passes no other QB in this division would dream of attempting

Receiver of the Year: Joseph Jonathan Baazov (APH 2)

Stats: 20 receptions, 40 targets, 450 receiving yards, 11 receiving TDs

Despite only playing seven games Joseph Jonathan Baazov was an unstoppable force in the Sophomore division. His blend of height and speed made him a matchup nightmare for opposing defences and APH exploited that mismatch all season long.

Defender of the Year: Denis Moreau (Panthers)

Stats: 19 tackles, 9 INTs, 4 PDs, 2 defensive TDs    

While the Panthers might not have had the season they hoped for, Denis Moreau was a constant bright spot on this roster. What I liked about his performance was that he had both a ton of picks and tackles. That means apart from ball hawking, he was also limiting yards after the catch.

Rusher of the Year: Frida Llaguno (Musketeers)

Stats: 4 tackles, 16 sacks, 2 PDs,

With 16 sacks Frida Llaguno was in contention for defender of the year as well as rusher of the year. She limited the time and space of every quarterback she faced and on top of her 16 sacks, she caused countless more incompletions and turnovers by hurrying the quarterback.

Two-Way Player of the Year: Matteo Tamboriello (APH 2)

Stats: 14 receptions, 23 targets, 267 receiving yards, 7 TDs, 22 tackles, 8 INTs, 9 PDs

Matteo Tamboriello could do it all for APH 2 when they needed someone to step up big on offence or defence they always looked Tamboriello’s way first. He impressed me with his versatility on defence where he managed to both cause turnovers and limit yards after the catch.

Playoff Recaps

Freshman 1 Division

Freshman 2 Division

Sophomore 1 Division

Sophomore 2 Division

With that, the FPF Junior season is over. It has been an absolute pleasure writing about you all and I hope to see you all again when the season kicks off in the fall. Stay tuned to your emails for information about the upcoming season.

I cannot leave you before asking you, one last time, for any feedback that you might have on the articles. I was trying a new format this year so I would love to hear from you about whether you think we should keep this audio format going forwards or try something else. I can be reached by email at [email protected]