Division 5B Midseason Report

This division has been extremely competitive and the playing field is far more level than in most divisions, in my opinion.

Without much of an intro due to the content below, here are my thoughts on the first part of the season. I tried to stay up to date and accommodate the games on both Saturday and Sunday night, so my apologies if things are a bit confusing. The BYE Week can really screw things up – I blame Montreal winters, because it’s way too easy to blame those.

 

Conference A

Takeover (4-1-1)

Grade – A-

In an especially tight Conference, they’ve managed to stay on top and I believe that they will stay there. The toughest part of their schedule is out of the way and they’ve looked good against good teams. They’ve beaten the Punishers, Ducks and Finners to name a few and as long as they don’t slip up, they should finish undefeated. Hopefully that doesn’t add too much pressure. Ian Einheiber has been fantastic to start the season sitting at 3rd in total yards and 2nd in touchdowns. William Power is enjoying life as the number 1 wide receiver and is currently 2nd in the league in touchdown catches. I strongly believe that Einheiber will have to distribute the ball a little bit more for long term success, however their formula seems to be working so far.

Players to watch: Ian Einheiber, William Power, Julien Wilson

Predicted Record – 9-0-1

 

Affreux (4-2)

Grade – B+

It looks as though Affreux fell victim to the surging Black Knights last week, but before that they we’re enjoying a stellar season. This team has been impressive not because they continuously blow other teams out, but due to their ability to win the close games. Those games came against worthy opponents as well, but they seemed to hit a wall against the extremely athletic Black Knights. Mathieu Domon is enjoying a very strong season without anything too flashy and has relied mostly upon Martin Jackson and Mathieu Dubois for the most part. Jackson is leading the two with almost 300 yards and 9 TDs. Not quite in the top 5, but nothing to dismiss either. Defensively, Jackson also leads the way but they need more people to step up. They have given up 64 points over their last two games and that will need to improve on that side of the ball to make it far come playoff time.

Players to watch: Martin Jackson, Mathieu Dubois

Predicted Record – 8-2

 

Punishers (4-2)

Grade – C+

They primarily get the grade above due to the fact that I expected them to do well, however I am still impressed with the way in which they made adjustments after a rough first game and then went on a 4 game winning streak. The close loss to the Ducks last week should act as another piece of motivation to get this team set up for the second half of the season. Theyre a tough minded team that emulate the character and personality of their leaders of Adamo Iadeluca and Anthony Siggia. Junior Spera has been excellent as a secondary option this season as well and while he may not be the fastest guy on the field, he’s been difficult for teams to cover. Anthony Siggia has balled on both sides of the ball as per usual and his 386 yards on offense currently sit him in 2nd place. He also has 6 interceptions which leads the league, no big deal. He’s clearly a huge part of this team, however their success so far is due to other guys stepping up to the plate when called upon and they will be difficult to play against moving forward for just about everybody.

Players to watch: Anthony Siggia, Junior Spera, Marco Ardonato, Adamo Iadeluca

Predicted Record – 7-3

 

Black Knights (3-3)

Grade – C-

I knew that these guys had to put it together at some point and it finally looks like they are turning it around. After an 0-2 start, they have won 3 in a row and surprised teams like Mogadishu Pirates and Affreux. Stephane Larosiliere has thrown 17 TDs and only 2 interceptions in those last 3 games compared to 6 TDs and 3 Interceptions in his first two. He’s also doing it by mixing it up and sharing the ball as this team has multiple weapons that can hurt their opponent. Emile Plante and Dynell Pierre are probably the most dangerous of those weapons, however it truly is a team effort with these guys. When they are on their game, it can be tough to move the ball against the Black Knights and they often dare you to throw it deep but have the guys back there to pick the ball off, as they have done 8 times in 6 games. Overall, their inconsistency is somewhat of a concern, but when they are on their game, they can compete with anybody.

Players to watch: Dynell Pierre, Stephane Larosiliere, Darryl Dorcely

Predicted Record – 7-3

 

Mogadishu Pirates (4-2)

Grade – B-

This team sits in the crowded middle of the pack and it’s probably where they should be after the up and down first half of the season. Joseph Kano has played average and has three primary receivers in Alex Lutfy, Tim Horner and Justin Peress. Lutfy is probably the standout of the group but he has only played 3 games. They’ve lost to some of the tougher, more experienced teams but have shown that they can beat up on a few other teams. They’ll need to find consistency moving forward and have tough tests in the upcoming weeks against Affreux and Finners which should set the tone for the season.

Players to watch: Alex Lutfy, Justin Peress, Joseph Kano

Predicted Record – 6-4

 

Spartans (4-2)

Grade – C

The James D’Andrea to Andrew Grant connection is carrying this team so far and D’Andrea has put together a solid season so far. Grant actually sits 4th in receiving yards and has done well on both sides of the ball, adding 2 interceptions and 3 sacks to his numbers. The team overall is a group of athletic players, but the reason they have lost a few games are due to costly incompletion on big plays and the inability to convert on 3rd and 4th downs. They’ll need to get to the drawing board and come up with plays that they are comfortable running in key situations to get over that hump. They have an extremely difficult schedule coming up, playing Sterdam, Punishers and then the undefeated Falcons back to back to back and it will give them a chance to test their weapons against the league’s best.

Players to watch: Andrew Grant, James D’Andrea, James Colley

Predicted Record – 6-4

 

Sterdam (4-2)

Grade – C+

Sterdam is lucky to have one of the better dual threat QBs in the division with Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe throwing for over 600 yards and rushing for almost 300. He’s thrown 17 TDs to 4 interceptions and rushed for 3 more on the ground in 5 games. He has done a great job spreading the ball around, however it could be a blessing and a curse that only one of his receivers have double digit catches. Interestingly enough, they have never scored less than 20 points but have also never given up less than 20 points, so they rely heavily on the big play and also tend to give them up. Their best bet is to tighten things up on defense and perhaps try a bend but don’t break mentality to force opposing teams to make mistakes on longer drives. Sidney should continue to distribute the ball evenly but not shy aware from going to his favorite targets in important situations and let his teammates make plays.

Players to watch: Sidney Tremblay-Lacombe, William Tremblay-Lacombe, Gabriel Poisson

Predicted Record – 6-4

 

Dawson’s Caf’s Finest (2-3-1)

Grade – D+

Can the highlight of a season so far be a tie? I would argue that this is the case with these guys. Aside from the Punishers who, well, punished these guys, they tied a very strong opponent in Takeover and in my opinion, their best game of the season. They have beaten who they should have but stumbled against strong opponents which puts them at exactly .500 so far. Matt Sellas has been decent, but I wonder if George Spano would take this team to the next level. He’s been Sellas’ go to player in the redzone because of his size and Adamo Petruccelli has been his target on early downs. While they have been alright on defense, this team seems to put out a different effort each week and you never know which version you’ll get. They have a difficult schedule to close out the season and will need to stay around the .500 mark to make the playoffs in an otherwise extremely competitive Conference.

Players to watch: George Spano, Gabriel Bardetti, Adamo Petruccelli

Predicted Record – 5-4-1

 

Ducks (2-2-1)

Grade – D

The Ducks are a team that knows their identity and doesn’t try to do anything too fancy to win games. They are a group of guys who know eachother well and know how to get their best game. Besides a tough stretch against Affreux and Takeover, they’ve shown that their defense can keep them in most games including their latest one against the Punishers where they came out on top. Between Zachary Frenkiel and Brandon Feiden, they have too many turnovers between the two to be successful in the long run and no real second threat after Yoni Loeub. The combination of Loeub and Aaron Blauer has been strong on defense, though, and they will need to keep teams to under 20 points to give themselves a chance to win. They have the knowledge of the game and the chemistry to be better than they’ve shown so far this season but they’ll need to put it together against tougher opponents down the stretch.

Players to watch: Yoni Loeub, Zachary Frenkiel, Aaron Blauer

Predicted Record – 4-5-1

 

Moss City (3-2-1)

Grade – B

A team made up primarily of newcomers to FPF, they have shown that they can compete with everybody in the Division. You can argue that they have beaten their toughest opponents and faltered against easier teams and overall they have simply been extremely unpredictable in the first half of the season. They have had impressive wins against Sterdam and Black Knights and Arno Desjardins has looked good but not great. He has solid numbers but nothing that jumps off the page and his best receiver has been Bruno Provencher who has 204 yards and 4 TDs. Benoit Vanier has been their rock on defense but they will need more guys to step up to be successful long term. They are just figuring out the league and have done very well so far. It wouldn’t surprise me to only see this team get better and better as the season continues.

Players to watch: Benoit Vanier, Bruno Provencher, Arno Desjardins

Predicted Record – 5-4-1

 

Haterzzz Gonna Hate (2-4-1)

Grade – D-

After two tough games to start the season with a tie against the Ducks and a 3 point loss to the Punishers, it seems as though they completely imploaded against Takeover. It showed a lot of pride when they turned things around the week after and won a close one against Le Speakeasy. They gave a great effort the following week against the Falcons and lost only by 5 against an undefeated team. Their last game was tough as they gave up big play after big play and as much as they have their fair share of weapons on offense, their D let them down. Dave Emond has been excellent on offense, while Pierre-Alexandre Tache has been their leader on both sides of the ball. Moving forward, they will need more balance and less communication errors on defense to have success.

Players to watch: Pierre-Alexandre Tache, Dave Emond

Predicted Record – 3-6-1

 

Straight Outta Breath (1-4-1)

Grade – D

Aside from their first game of the season, Straight Outta Breath seem to lose their stride towards the end of games. Almost as if they were… I don’t even need to say it. They have been a solid, well rounded team that can’t seem to finish games. They’ve played really good opponents to date and are a better team than their record shows, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the win/loss column. The worst part about it is that their schedule does not get any easier as they match up against Affreux, Takeover and Super Saiyans over the next three weeks. Max Marini has a strong arm but tries to do a little too much and his 12 interceptions lead the league. Mickey Marini has easily been one of the lone bright spots on offense, sitting 3rd in Division 5B in total yards and tied for second with 11 touchdowns. Taking into consideration their schedule coming up, I can only see them playing the role of spoiler down the stretch.

Players to watch: Max Marini, Mickey Marini, Eric  Paquette

Predicted Record – 2-7-1

 

Finners (1-4)

Grade – D-

It’s simple. When Tristan Grenon is back there at QB for the Finners, they have a chance. They have not looked competitive without him and unfortunately he’s only been able to get them 1 win. Overall, all 3 of their QBs combined have only 44 completions in 5 games which will never get the job done. Vincent Martin-Raymond has played very well on both sides of the ball, however this team just has not shown that they have enough weapons to compete with the top dogs.

Players to watch: Vincent Martin-Raymond, Tristan Grenon

Predicted Record – 2-8

 

Le Speakeasy  (1-5)

Grade – D-

It has been far from easy for Le Speakeasy. Besides an awesome game against Mogadishu Pirates, Vincent Richard has struggled. He threw half of his TDs for the season in that one game and has thrown for 6 TDs and 8 interceptions in all of his other games combined. You’ll never do too much in FPF if your QB is not on his game and that would be the first thing to fix for these guys. They’ve also been handled pretty easily in most of their games and have the second worst +/- in the Conference, definitely not a recipe for success. I don’t anticipate this team doing much damage from here on out.

Players to watch: Vincent Richard, Felix Richard, Laurent-Philippe St-Onge

Predicted Record – 1-9

 

 

Conference B

Falcons (6-1)

Grade – A

This team is on fire, plain and simple. Pat Lefebvre leads the league in all major QB categories and does not look to be slowing down. The one knock on him can be his 8 interceptions. Looking back on his game this week, it seems like his interceptions got to him and accounted for two pick 6’s against and they just recently got their first loss of the season against Super Saiyans – a very capable opponent. Prior to that though, they looked impossible to beat. Raphael Ducas-Lapalme and Stephane Turmel are one of the best one-two punches in the league and Dominic Couture has probably been the defensive MVP to date with a league leading 40 tackles, 4 interceptions and 6 knockdowns. They have all of the tools to make a long run in the playoffs, but did Super Saiyans just give the recipe on how to beat them? We shall see.

Players to watch: Raphael Ducas-Lapalme, Pat Lefebvre, Dominic Couture, Stephane Turmel

Predicted Record – 9-1

 

Wrecking Crew (6-0)

Grade – A-

My favorite part about writing these articles, as I have mentioned, is getting to meet the guys I get to write about. I’ve recently met Stephen Harripersaud and I have to say, it’s great to see such a nice guy have such an amazing start to the season. He has thrown for over 1,000 yards with 28 TDs and only 4 interceptions and is leading the undefeated Wrecking Crew. After writing the article, they have just won their 6th game and look unstoppable and now move into first place in the Conference. Stephen tends to favor Kevin Kousaie and Josh Levine who both play slightly different roles. Josh is their home run hitter, averaging almost 15 yards per catch and has 10 TDs already, while Kevin is more of the check down receiver to get Stephen out of a jam. Josh is easily in the running for two way player of the year as well, compiling 20 tackles and an interception. So far, they have yet to show a weakness and if they can keep it up, they should get a chance at the finals in Brossard.

Players to watch: Stephen Harripersaud, Josh Levine

Predicted Record – 9-1

 

Retired All Stars (4-2)

Grade – B+

Coming off a tough loss against Team Y.S., their season has been going relatively well until this past week. Their only other loss was against top ranked Wrecking crew and their formula of having a dual threat QB and extremely tough defense has been working out. McRodly Jean-Marie has not had to do too much offensively, however the 10 interceptions are too much if this team is to be taken seriously. His primary target of Dave Gordy Lang is complimented nicely by Max Philogene and Fabricio Rivera-Mendoza and all three account for 45 of his 51 completions. Defensively, Kevin Legoute is the stand out with 17 tackles and 4 interceptions, including one that was brought to the house. I think their loss this weekend to team Y.S. is their only loss of the season due to the remainder of the schedule and the experience as a group should help come playoff time.

Players to watch: Dave Gordy Lang, McRodly Jean-Marie, Kevin Legoute

Predicted Record – 9-1

 

Super Saiyans (4-2)

Grade – B-

This is a team that I know fairly well having played with a few of these guys and it’s great to see the jump from division 6 has been favorable for Jordan Allard. For the most part, he is making smart decisions with the ball and has a group of sure handed receivers to throw to. He’d probably like a few of his interceptions back as 7 is a bit high, however after starting the year 1-2 they have won 3 straight now including a huge win against the previously undefeated Falcons. I’ve been surprised that Derrick Fontana has not done more on offense, but their trio of Jared Gallant, Gianni Johnston and Troy Rothdram have proven to be an excellent group. Jordan Allard also leads these guys defensively and Jonathan McQueen steps up whenever called upon and has provided the team with an excellent 1-2 punch. This team will rise and fall with Jordan Allard. No pressure.

Players to watch: Jordan Allard, Gianni Johnston, Jared Gallant

Predicted Record – 7-3

 

Green Lantern Corps (3-3)

Grade – C

This is another team that moved up from Division 6 and they have been having almost as much success as the Super Saiyans. Hai Minh Luong has one of the more creative arms in all of FPF but you can’t knock the guy that keeps getting it done. 16-2 TD to INT ration is awesome and he tends to keep his throws short and let his playmakers do the work. Speaking of playmakers, Jerson Previllon is one of the best in the division with a stat line of 25-267-11 and 13 tackles and 2 interceptions on defense. Aside from Jerson, Hai Minh spreads the ball to his other receivers fairly evenly, where 2 guys have 10 catches and 2 others have 9 through 5 games. Their losses come against relatively strong opponents and it will be interesting to see how they close out the year against Retired All Stars, Super Saiyans and Takeover in the next 3 weeks. It’s gut check time.

Players to watch: Hai Minh Luong, Jerson Previllion

Predicted Record – 5-5

 

Funboys (4-2)

Grade – C-

They have to be feeling good about themselves after beating Green Lantern Corps last night and sitting at 4-2 gives them the edge towards the playoffs against all of the teams battling around .500. Scott Mironowicz is a very good dual threat QB, however for this team to be even more successful, I think he needs to take more shots throwing the ball and improve on his completion percentage. He doesn’t necessarily have a favorite receiver, but when you only throw for about 100 yards per game, it can be difficult to get a receiver going. This team’s strength is their defense and have held opposing teams to about 20 points per game. This will be their threshold moving forward. Simply put, if their offense can put up 4 TDs, they should win most games.

Players to watch: James Acker, Scott Mironowicz, Derrick Eason

Predicted Record – 6-4

 

The Process (4-2)

Grade – B+

The middle of the pack is extremely crowded in Conference B and this is another team that sits 4-2. They have just come off a game where Daniel Sananes completed 13 passes for 151 yards and 5 TDs. He took shots when and where he wanted and converted most of the time. That’s kind of how his season has gone as a whole as he has an 11.2 yard/pass ratio and has thrown for 26 TDs. His two main threats have been DonnDre Borden and Noah Groper who combine for about half of his completions. Defensively, DonnBre Borden has been all over the field amassing 4 interceptions, while Ariel Librati leads the team in tackles. The two games that they have lost were against very strong opponents, and if they learn from their mistakes in those two games, nobody should be sleeping on these guys.

Players to watch: DonnDre Borden, Daniel Sananes, Noah Groper

Predicted Record – 8-2

 

TDs and Beer (4-2)

Grade – C-

This team has been somewhat unpredictable this season. Games that they should have won, they have lost. They have kept it close against weaker teams but also beaten solid teams – they are responsible for one of the Super Saiyans losses. One may question what they are doing in their spare time and wonder if they are always showing up focused and ready to go. Definitely kidding, but in all seriousness, they can either bring it or leave it at home each week. This past weekend, they narrowly escaped with a victory against a team with only 1 win, which tells me that they can play down to their opponent or rise to the occasion when necessary. Avery Lalla is one of the best young QBs in our league, but he needs to play more consistently. They definitely have the weapons to be successful, though, as the trio of Brandon Keiller, Myles Keiller and Michael Khazaka have been dominant. Khazaka has 10 knockdowns and 3 interceptions to date. Moving forward, they can’t take anybody too lightly if they expect to have success.

Players to watch: Brandon Keiller, Myles Keiller, Avery Lalla

Predicted Record – 7-3

 

Blue Team (3-2-1)

Grade – D+

The team with the least creative name in all of FPF are just a little bit more creative on the field. They don’t attempt anything fancy, however when they stick to their game plan they are able to compete with anybody in this division. David Horwood and Alexandre Raymond have been studs for these guys, and Alexandre Deslauriers has been respectable at QB. Alexandre Raymond had just come off the bench against the Browns de Boucherville this week, I wonder if there is a QB controversy brewing as he went 10 for 15 with 5 TDs. He’s one of their better receivers, but could this be the move that the Blue Team needs? I look forward to finding out.

Players to watch: Alexandre Raymond, David Horwood

Predicted Record – 6-3-1

 

Team Y.S. (3-3)

Grade – B-

I’ll be honest, after the two weeks of the season, this was one of the teams that I was most excited about. They all have football backgrounds but they are relatively new to FPF and Rayan Mehzoudi looked like he was going to run away with QB of the year. He has a stud top wide receiver in Nykolas Pierre-Masse who I have had the pleasure of having on the article and both have had an amazing first half. The issue was that they have seemed to struggle against teams who may not have the same kind of talent, but their lack of experience has shown through. I fully expect them to do damage in the rest of the season and be competitive come playoff time, however I think that will all depend on how much knowledge they can soak up between now and the end of March.

Players to watch: Rayan Mehzoudi, Nykolas Pierre-Masse, Anthony Sotomayor

Predicted Record – 6-4

 

Balls Deep (1-4-1)

Grade – C-

Did their last game just potentially eliminate them from Playoff contention? I believe so. They now sit 2 games back and it will be extremely difficult for them to catch up seeing as they have to play Wrecking Crew and Black Knights. Most teams ahead of them already have 4 wins, which is the most that they can accumulate, so it will be next to impossible for them to qualify. That being said, everybody enjoys playing the role of spoiler and they have the chance to alter the fates of both teams I just mentioned. It’s somewhat of a shame, because when you look at the numbers, they have played well. In losses against Falcons, Punishers and TDs and Beer, they lost by a combined 9 points and they have also tied Blue Team. If those games went slightly differently, the standings would be flipped in all kinds of ways. Justin Weir has been excellent, throwing 25 TDs to 7 interceptions and his leading target, Brendhan Birch, has managed a very good season with 306 yards and 6 TDs. This is a team that with a few slight adjustments can really compete in future seasons.

Players to watch: Brandhan Birch, Justin Weir, Jonathan Weir

Predicted Record – 2-7-1

 

Loyola Warriors (0-5)

Grade – D+

I’ve heard from the grapevine that these guys have not quite enjoyed my criticism to date. To that, I can tell you two things. Firstly, this team is a group of very good athletes from the games that I have seen, they simply need to learn the game a bit more and they will be successful. Secondly, as being a Loyola alumni myself, I feel as though I get a pass at taking a few shots at these guys. Ultimately, as I mentioned, they are winless not because a lack of talent, but lack of experience. More and more, especially in the lower divisions, experience trumps talent every time. I fully expect these guys to come back next season and be much better than this one. LT4.

Players to watch: Adam Naccache, Stephen Harty

Predicted Record – 1-9

 

Tip Top Shape (0-5)

Grade – C-

This team, right off the bat, is much better than their record shows. They have easily had the hardest schedule in all of Division 5. The teams that they have played are a combined 26-11 and a lot of their games have been close. David De Andrade has had a decent season, but his 10 interceptions haven’t helped. He has a group of very capable receivers, however the stat that jumps out at me is that Henry Dam, his number 1 guy, has 27 catches for 258 yards but not 1 TD. I wonder if there season would have gone any differently if he got in the endzone even just 2-3 times. Their defensive corps is very much a team effort, however they would need to get better on that side of the ball to be more competitive. The lowest amount of points that they have given up in a game is 20, which isn’t great. Overall, if they had an easier schedule and a few tweaks, this is a .500 team. Luck hasn’t gone their way this year, though.

Players to watch: David De Andrade, Henry Dam, Max Caroca

Predicted Record – 2-8

 

Browns de Boucherville (0-6)

Grade – D-

It’s never fun to be winless, however that can be the case when you’re new to the league. I take nothing away from these guys, however they have been outmatched both in skill and experience in most of their games this year. Alexandre Fafard has had a rough introduction to the league, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns and besides Joey Potvin, his receivers haven’t really picked up the slack. They will have to take the lessons that they have learned this year and apply them next season. I’ve seen teams in the past experience the opposite of a sophomore slump and I think these guys have that in them.

Players to watch: Joey Potvin, Alexandre Fafard

Predicted Record – 0-10