Final Four [times two] | Div 1 & 2 Semis

Last Four Standing– Div 1&2

 

Demons upset the Rainmakers in an uncontested quarter finals.

 

            I’d like to start off by congratulating the four teams from each division for their victory this weekend. With every winner comes a loser and therefore I would like to thank those teams who fought hard but fell short. At this point of the season every game is explosive and entertaining. The only time you may find yourself in a situation of less entertainment while your alongside these games is if you end up hurt and lying on your back. I was unfortunately unable to even watch my own game this past week. I’ve heard enough about each game to sit here and comment on your deception and/or success. If you’ve never been this far before, brace yourself for the rush that every flag player gets addicted to and returns for. I realize this may sound like a fable but believe me, the excitement alone from the hype of the finals will carry you on a cloud all the way to the games’ first whistle. Whether you’ve played your opponent before or not, this game will be like no other. The buildup you will create on your own between your two ears will be strong enough to make the butterflies in your stomachs turn into birds. Do you think you’re ready? I hope you are. Don’t let the chance go by without doing everything you can to end up in the finals.

Recap:

– I warned Cold Fusion not to sleep on Les Monsieur Chats. Upset number one of the division 2 playoffs came down to LMC beating CF 18-15 in a defensive action packed game. It only took three scores to overcome the first place team. Nicolas Centomo looked poised in the pocket. On numerous occasions he opted to throw the ball out of bounds instead of forcing a throw into coverage. Alexandre Branco had one interception on the season and it came all the way back in week one against Clockwork…his second on the season could not of came at a better time. During CF’s last drive of the game Branco jumped to pick off the Justin Lavallee throw and barely got two feet down to solidify the victory. A team effort nonetheless is what got LMC to the semi’s.

– If the game plan was to shut down Adam Bailey and stop Nathan Taylor from running on offense, well the plan failed. If the backup plan was to put up 50 and hope Nathan can’t keep up, plan B was a success. Legends won 46-36 against Flag Football Fantasy. Bryan Fuchs intercepted Nathan’s second throw of the game and it seemed like FF was never able to recover from there. Legends had control of the game for the majority of the time; a two score lead on almost every possession is where you want to be against such a powerful defense. If you didn’t know who Cory Pecker was before this game, now you do. Corey threw five touchdowns and picked off Nathan twice, one of which he brought back to the house. He also rushed for 30 yards and picked up another score on his feet. Stepping up when the heat is on is a clutch quality you are born with, it is not something you can hope to gain by listening to music before a game. I’m proud of my guys for stepping up when I went down.

-Gladiateurs started off their game soft. If it wasn’t for a dominant second half I would have had another right prediction. The Glads put up 27 points in the second half for a come from behind win of 40 to 37 against CLR Forces. Francois Lebeau showed off his chemistry. He threw for 30 yards to six different receivers and connected on touchdowns with four of them. Although CLR did everything defensively to merit a better faith, this one came down to extra points. I mentioned it last week that Gladiateurs seems to have the extra points down to simple math, well they proved that to be true again this week.

– ONS beating Chernobyl Circus by 20 points was unexpected to say the least. Who said ONS had a horrible defense? Oh, that’s right I did. Still believe that to be true but they defiantly stepped up this week. Alex Murraine had his hands full all night with David Polynice but was able to bottle him up just enough to not allow any true damage. Seems like Kevin Wyeth answered Patrick Chenard’s Facebook question on the field. Just when you think you have a beat on Kev’s arm he uses his feet to score points. I think that might be one of the most frustrating thing I’ve ever encountered in flag. Brian Lariviere used his Finest’s chemistry with Kevin to score three touchdowns and never allow CC to gain any hope in coming back.

– I don’t know how many people in a 100 would have voted for Demons against Rainmakers. Funny thing is, they don’t care what we think. Demons closed up the half with a 22-7 lead. Unfortunately for Rainmakers, they were never able to dig themselves out of that hole. Final score: 42-32 for the team who seems to have this whole thing planned out. Carmine was near perfect on the night going 21/29 for 240 yards and 5 TDs. The back breaker was Robbie Robinson’s 6 yard rush for six points. Rainmakers have to make adjustments to their roster going forward. I admire their will, but season after season they fall just short.

– D-Boys took one bite out of DK and went home to plan for Finest. DK’s inability to close the half with a score was the begging of their failure to succeed. D-Boys’ defense proved to be on top of their abilities by picking off Rochdi twice of fourth down. No excuses here boy, DK was just not the better team on this night. I truly hope D-Boys will give Finest the challenge they’ve been looking for.

 

Clutch Freaks:

When it’s do or die, real players show up. The guys that will show up on this list in the next couple of weeks are the kind of guys you want to build teams with.

           

Cory Pecker (Legends) -4 Tackles 2 interceptions 1 TD-

 

The KISH Award:

N/A

 

My Picks:

Last week I was 0 for 2 in division 1 and 2 in 4 in division 2. This is a product of my own team losing in division one and Demons stepping up big in the playoffs.

 

Game Time:

D-Boys VS Montreal’s Finest

Montreals Finest do not lose. They haven’t lost in over 35 games straight. How confident can you possibly be when all you ever do is win? D-Boys may not have the same winning record but they certainly have the confidence. MF beat D-Boys twice already this year and they’re looking for the hat trick. The only thing D-Boys have working in their favour is the time off Finest has had before this game. Kevin Wyeth does WHAT he wishes, WHEN he wishes it and at the rate he WANTS it to be done at. I just can’t imagine a scenario where D-Boys comes out on top. They have a lot of talent on the team, but they will always be a mismatch on the field for D-Boys and Kevin will burn you on it. On the other side, D-Boys don’t create any mismatches against Finest’s defense which in my mind causes a serious problem. It means that on every single play you have to be perfect, and no one is foolish enough to think they’re perfect… well I’d like to believe that to be true.

Advantage to:

QB: MF

Receivers: MF

Coverage: MF

Rusher: DBS

3-1 Montreal’s Finest

 

Key players:

Montreal’s Finest: Kevin Wyeth, Kishon Thompson, Akked Moore

D-Boys: Marco Masciotra, Jamal Gittens, The Lanni brothers

 

My Prediction: 38-28 Montreal’s Finest

 

 

Flag Moi L’Sac VS Demons

This is another hat trick waiting to happen. FML has taken Demons down twice already this year. They also outscored them 76 to 51 in those games. This is not a pretty match up for Demons. FML has a dominating defense who is not afraid to get gritty, and don’t be fooled by the size of these guys because they have way more speed then you can imagine. The only knock I have against FML’s offense is the predictability of their plays. It’s kind of like a clock, you can get a feel for what they’re doing if you’re paying attention. Demons have proven everyone wrong on multiple occasion and this might be another one. Although I strongly urge myself to not think like that I wouldn’t count them out so quickly. Yes I know FML only needed five guys to beat the Demons last time, but we can’t keep clinging on to the past… FML’s experience together is what gives them the edge in this one. I feel like Demons have been looking for something to build on all year but just never found the right ingredients for their sauce.

 

Advantage to:

QB: FML

Receivers: Demons

Coverage: FML

Rusher: FML

3-1 Flag Moi L’Sac

 

Key players:

Flag Moi L’Sac: Alex Nadeau Piuze, JP St-Pierre, Viktor Amede-Soltendieck

Demons: Carmine Pollice, Rob Robinson, Vinny Gualano

 

My Prediction: 32-30 FML

 

Legends VS Gladiateurs

This is one of the teams who gave the Legends a run for their money during the regular season. Although at the time they were missing parts and Glads were firing on all cylinders, I believe we can expect more of the same in terms of competition in this game. With Alex Nadeau-Piuze turning into a two way beast, Legends will have their hands full. Hopefully I will be healthy enough by then to play, otherwise my team will have to step up again like they did last week. But don’t count me out just yet, I’ve played through worst. I’m not going to tell the Gladiateurs what to do to beat my team, they’ve been around the block, I’m sure they can try to figure it out themselves. One thing is certain both teams are loaded with talent and flag experience. The team who will be closest to perfect will prevail.

 

Advantage to:

QB: Glads

Receivers: Legends

Coverage: Legends

Rusher: Legends

Legends 3-1

 

Key Players:

Gladiateurs: Francois Lebeau, Alex Nadeau-Piuze, Alex Lever

Legends: Cory Pecker, Dave Chitayat, Bryan Fuchs

 

My Prediction: Legends 38-34

 

            O.N.S VS Les Monsieur Chats

 

The scouting report has been the same all year on O.N.S, except for now. Game plan changes when all of a sudden the team you’re playing against can play defense. Problem remains the same for ONS. The match up against speed and size is not a good one, especially when the size is the speed. The combination of David Centomo, JC Mercille, Patrick Jerome, Sebastien Deschamps, Jacques Void and the revolving slot (which I think should be Alexandre Branco) which beats almost every single one-on-one battle on the field. This means ONS can’t play man or they’ll get torched. Bad thing is, Nicolas Centomo is no dummy, and he’ll torch your zone all day. So back to the same game play as always for ONS, put up 50 and hope Kevin Wyeth can be perfect once again.

 

Advantage to:

QB: ONS

Receivers: LMC

Coverage: LMC

Rusher: LMC

Advantage Les Monsieurs Chats 3-1

 

Key Players:

ONS: Kevin Wyeth, Chris Pinsonneault, Scott Payne

LMC: The Centomos, Sherbrooke U connection, Patrick Jerome

 

My Prediction: 46-44 Les Monsieur Chats

 

Thanks again for taking the time to read my article. Good luck to everyone who is now in the best part of the season. If you missed the weekly podcast which I was unable to make it to, you can find in on Youtube with a simple FlagPlus Football search. Follow me @VinceNardone for very little action on twitter or stop me at the field to chat. Till next time… Win or be left with the unbearable wait for the summer season!