Fourth-and-Goal (Div C) – Week 1

 

You can quote me on this now: Division C is the best division in the league. Forget the Wyeth’s and the Pollice’s; this is where it’s at. Spring 2012, Division C.

 

This is the division where anything and everything is up for grabs. What other division has all that C offers? You’ve got the team of friends. You’ve got the lower division teams moving up to see if they can run with deeper talent. You’ve got higher division teams looking to rekindle some past success. You’ve got mercenary squads getting together for the sole purpose of winning a championship.

And…

There’s your team. We’ll see how you fare in a couple of weeks.

 

Now that the weekly filler is out of the way, let’s take an ACTUAL look at the division.

 

 

Champions Bested

 

Mongoose, fresh off of their championship win, stumbled out of the gate in their week 1 matchup with Hall of Famers. The re-tooled Hall of Famers (looking like a hybrid with the stronger players from the former Discount Double Check) put on a show with two pick-sixes in an addition to the four passing TDs. Going from Gaudet to Chevalier and finally to Lachapelle, Mongoose had no answers. The silver lining is that Mongoose showed promise with the re-addition of Jason Lachapelle, but it was too little too late. Perhaps in the coming weeks we’ll see another dual QB (Gaudet and Lachapelle) like we saw two Spring seasons ago?

 

KGP Reunite

 

Well, they were never really apart per-se. However, the returns of Olivier Saleh and Aaron Esterson might be bringing back the KGP glory days. Each proved their worth upon their return; Saleh with a 3 touchdown outing, and Esterson picking off two of Eugene McLaren’s passes. Rude Bwoys have yet another solid-on-paper roster, but will need to work on minimizing those drops and adjusting to their opposition. The additions of Brian Martin (sub) and Joel Watson (full-time) will definitely be worth watching, though. Can Gary Bloomfield bring this squad back to their former glory in the meantime?

 

Division D Alums

 

All you D teams aspiring to move up: look no further than the example of Le Zoo and French Toast Mafia FFC. Le Zoo jumped from D to Division 4 to Division C successfully. The same can be said of French Toast Mafia FFC (who were formerly Crème de la Crème FFC {who were formerly Chili Con Carne FFC [who were formerly Widow Makers]}) who successfully have gone from 5 to D to 4 to C. Both teams were serious playoff contenders in Division 4. However, this week, Le Zoo were able thrive against a struggling FFC squad. However, expect experience to pull through in the coming weeks for both squads.

 

 

Power Rankings

 

Remember, we’re week one. As such, most of it boils down to this: if you had a win, you were considered. Of course, things will change in the coming weeks, but for now, here are my thoughts on your top 10.

 

1: Prestige World Wide – Strong QB, solid corps, perfect Week 1 outing. Time will tell if they can keep this up from week to week.

2: Daron Basmadjian Fan Club – If the rumors of the acquisition of Jordan McLaren are true, the DBFC might just be able to book themselves a third-straight Division C finals appearance.

3: The Incredibles – HUGE huge pickups in Daniele Gentile and Vince Nardone, and with the return of Jacob Peterson in the upcoming weeks, things should be at their best.

4: KGP Champs – If week 1 is a sign of things to come, KGP will be finding themselves in the limelight a lot more. Cutler may be able to take a load off of his shoulders.

5: Sphinx – It’s difficult to talk about what Sphinx do well, because they seem to be just in the habit of winning; it’s part of their team dynamic.

6: Eagles – They’ve been known for running the play action to perfection. However, as of late, it’s their defense who are becoming notorious for coming up with turnovers.

7: Hall of Famers – Have strengthened themselves, and have even added the interception island of Jamie Ojeaha. Look out.

8: Formerly Teamless – From having almost defaulted a season, to a roster with this depth is huge. We’ll see if they can stay in tandem.

9: Real Deal – A QB venture for Mathieu Thuot. With the experience that Thuot, Collette and Patry bring, things should fall into place nicely.

10: Le Zoo – It’s funny how it’s never one large thing that is the cause of Le Zoo’s success, but rather a ton of small contributing factors. Don’t expect them to roll over for anyone this season.

 

 

Quick Picks

 

Aside from my own game this week, there are a few picks here that Simon and I differ on. We’ll keep a running tally on how the two of us compare in the coming weeks.

 

X-Men vs. Mustangs du Gridiron: X-Men

Pap n’ Co vs. Broccasion: Broccasion

Flight of the Concords vs. The Incredibles: The Incredibles

Predators vs. Favre Dollar Footlongs: Predators

Hall of Famers vs. Formerly Teamless: N/A

Le Zoo vs. Sphinx: Sphinx

Like our TDs vs Mongoose: Mongoose

Jewish Cucumbers vs Prestige World Wide: Prestige World Wide

Rude Bwoys vs Eagles: Rude Bwoys

Silent Assassins vs KGP Champs: KGP Champs

Real Deal vs Daron Basmadjian Fan Club: Daron Basmadjian Fan Club

Ninja Turtles vs The Commission: The Commission

Monstars vs Pump & Ditch: Pump & Ditch

French Toast Mafia FFC vs Patriotes: Patriotes

 

 

That’s it for me for this week. I can be reached at [email protected] for anything and everything.