Division B: Semi-Finals Preview

Welcome to the Semi-Finals round of the FlagPlus Football Division B playoffs. We are down to the final four teams, Shake & Bake, Mangoose, Udaho Idapimps, and Run It Once. They will do battle Monday night at Stade de Soccer, to determine who will be going head-to-head for the championship next weekend.

Let’s break down each matchup:

(1) Mangoose versus (6) Shake & Bake

Previous Meeting: Mangoose (32-31) Week 2

The first meeting was a tale of two halves as Shake & Bake stormed out to a (19-6) first half lead, on touchdowns by Mickael Forest, Jerome Hovington, and Denis Martel. The only mistake the team was made was not converting on a 4^th down attempt during their second possession of the game.

The only positive for Mangoose in the first 20 minutes of the game, was a 28-yard touchdown by Receiver Marvin Steinberg. The halftime break couldn’t have come soner, as the team needed to stop the bleeding and regroup.

The three-minute break worked like magic, as Mangoose came out an entirely different team. Quarterback Nic Schaefer, who went 8 for 21 in the first half, found his rhythm, as he went 7 of 11, and helped move the offense up and down the field. His first two passes of the second half would go for touchdowns, on the way to outscoring their opponents (26-12).

Arguably the biggest reason for the team’s comeback win was the performance of Steinberg. The 11-time All-Star was simply outstanding, as he hauled in four touchdowns including the winning score, and 112 yards, 84 of which came in the second half. He would also add a pair of pass deflections as a Defensive Back.

Shake & Bake would have a chance to escape with the win on the final play of the game. After Snapper Victor Boutin scored a 15-yard TD on a pass from QB Marc-Andre Reeves, the team elected to go for the 2-point conversion and the victory, instead of going for one and forcing overtime. The decision didn’t work as the attempt was unsuccessful.

In tomorrow’s rematch, I expect another tight affair. The questions coming out of the previous meeting are obvious. Can Shake & Bake play an entire game this time around? Will Mangoose wait until the second half to show up? How will the Shake & Bake defense try to slow down Marvin Steinberg, the reigning Receiver of the Year in Division B? Will Quarterback of the Year Marc-Andre Reeves be able to continue silencing the critics, and lead his team to a Div. B championship?

Coming into Monday, Shake & Bake are one of the hottest teams in the division, as they have won four in a row and five out of their last six contests. After looking like the best team in Div. B through the first half of the year going (5-0), Mangoose, has stumbled after the midway point, going (3-3). Which squad will continue their recent trend?

Surprisingly quiet in the first meeting, the duo of Thomas Coutu and Simon Anctil, will need to make more of an impact than the 63 combined yards they had in Week 2. These two players are core members of the team who make a difference on both sides of the ball. Coutu, who was recently named Two-Way Player of the Year, will need to also influence the game as a Rusher. The veteran who is looking for his first championship, led all Division B players with 14 sacks.

Shake & Bake has a dangerous receiving duo of their own in Felix Boutet and the aforementioned Hovington. The former has broken out this season, putting his name among the top players at the position in FPF, capping off a spectacular regular season by winning Receiver of the Year in the 5 v 5 Competitive Division.

The latter has been on a tear recently as well. In addition to being named Two-Way Player of the Year in the Co-Ed 1 Division, Hovington, has led the Shake & Bake offense with eight touchdowns over his last four games. The question of course for a Mangoose defense led by Hakim Kasbi-Filiatrault, Gabriel Drapeau-Zgoralski, Coutu, and Anctil, is how can they slow down that duo?

Much like the first meeting, I expect this game to go down to the wire. Unlike last time, I think both teams will play an entire game. The tiebreaker for me is momentum. Shake & Bake has simply been the better team as of late, so I am going with them.

Prediction: Shake & Bake (41-38)

(2) Run It Once versus (4) Udaho Idapimps

Previous Meeting: Run It Once (32-20) Week 3

Run It Once showed early why they would finish the season as the best defense in Division B, as the unit intercepted Udaho Idapimps Quarterback Brady Ohanessian a season-high three times. The trio of Sanders Armand, Bakari Barrett, and Jaylan Greaves would each intercept the gunslinger.

On offense, Run It Once QB Jeff Rosenblatt, was terrific, throwing five touchdown passes and only one INT. The connection between Receiver Noah Groper and Rosenblatt was superb, as the duo combined for four TDs, with three of them coming in the redzone.

This is a matchup of size versus speed. With a roster that includes Manu Allard-Roy, Sam Anastasopoulos, Marc-André Lapointe, Asthon Thibeault, Jeremy Rooney, Danick Coulombe, and Alexis Marcotte, Udaho Idapimps does not lack talent. The one thing they are missing however is length, as only Coulombe is over 6 feet tall. What the unit does have a lot of is toughness and speed. They are without a doubt the most physical team in Division B.

When looking at Run It Once, length is not a problem Not only is Quarterback Jeff Rosenblatt well over the six-foot mark, but most of his weapons are too, in Sanders Armand, Jaylan Greaves, Paul Lapierre, and Ahmed Boubacar. While Defensive Player of the Year Bakari Barrett, and teammate Felix Clairmont might fall just short of the marker, their wingspan and leaping ability more than make up for it.

Don’t let the size fool you. Run It Once has speed to burn as well. Not only can players in Armand, Boubacar, Greaves, Barrett, and Clairemont turn on the jets, Groper, has a gear that very few players in FPF can match. Trying to cover him on underneath and corner routes is next to impossible. Need more proof? Groper just won Receiver of the Year in Division D, as he finished with 52 catches for 675 yards and 25 touchdowns. Wow.   

Which Quarterback can make a big play when his team really needs it? Over the last few seasons, Ohanessian has slowly been climbing the QB rankings, and has begun to enter the elite status conversation. He seems to thrive when the game is on the line, and not only elevates his game, but does the same for those in his huddle. He does however occasionally fall in love with the deep ball, especially down the left sideline to Coulombe, who missed the first meting. Look for Run It Once to take that away early.

For Rosenblatt, he continually tries to get the monkey off his back, as he seeks his first championship while playing the most important position in the game. Each year, the veteran builds strong rosters, only to see them fall short in the post-season, usually due to turnovers off the arm of the QB. This year feels a little different. Rosenblatt has cut down on the interceptions, throwing only four this year. He also looks more confident throwing the football and picking his spots offensively.

This game has a ton of storylines. Can Rosenblatt get himself and his team over the hump? Udaho Idapimps (they were called Idaho Udapimps) won the Division C championship last year with a thrilling (42-41) victory over Backfield Penetration. One year later, most of that team is gone, as only Ohanessian and Coulombe remain. This past Winter Season, they had a chance to add another trophy in Division 2, but they got hammered (48-20) by the Silent Ticklers in the Divisional Round. Can this version of the team avenge that loss? Who will win the size versus speed matchup? Defense wins championships. Run It Once has the number ranked unit, will they be able to decide the game once again? Will we see a crucial mistake made in crunch time?

This will be an exciting contest. Run It Once is the better team and has the superior defense. As long as their offense can avoid back-breaking turnovers, I think they will win the game.

Prediction: Run It Once (35-28)

Picks

Run It Once vs Udaho Idapimps – Run It Once

Shake & Bake vs Mangoose – Shake & Bake (My pick for Game of the Week and Upset Special)

Best of luck to all four teams. Tomorrow night should be fun. Congrats to all the players who were named an All-Star. I know a few players felt like they were snubbed. Use that as motivation tomorrow night and next week. Don’t forget, Finals will take place next Saturday and Sunday (August 23rd and 24th) in Brossard.

This week will be the final podcast of the season. For those of you that win on Monday, if you want to come on and talk about your team, why they will win the championship, or how I was either wrong for not picking you guys, or right for choosing the winning side, reach out to either myself, Quaysie Gordon-Maule, or our Producer Alireza Naziri, and we will make it happen. We are looking for one person per team, and want to do a head-to-head to format. We will be recording the episode this coming Wednesday (August 20th) from 6PM to 8PM. Let us know.

If you liked the article, hated it, or simply felt like I left something out, please feel free to contact me at [email protected], or on the FPF Facebook page.