Heating Up As Playoff’s Approach

What’s up Div 4 were back to our regularly scheduled programming after two long weeks of report cards. It takes little more effort for us writers but the community loves them so I hope you all enjoyed my mid-season report card segments. A lot has happened over the last two weeks so let’s dive right in!

Headlines and Highlights over the last 2 Weeks 

Golden Eagles makes a switch at QB attempting to push for a playoff spot!

Earlier this week, Golden Eagles put the word out they were looking for a replacement QB. Not by injury but due to ‘poor play’ by their standards. Kevin Lubin hasn’t had the start of the season he expected but I’m not sure if throwing him to the wolves is the solution. With only 3 games left on the season I’m not sure what they will really accomplish even if they win their next 3 games and make playoffs. If their new quarterback has not played a game for Golden Eagles yet this season, he will not be eligible for playoffs. It will be interesting to see what happens as the Golden Eagles take the field this week. This is NOT a headline I thought I would be writing about. 

Only 2 teams remain undefeated after Martine et Le flag take their fist L of the season 

Martine et Le Flag entered last week 5-0 against Kiss My Inlaws who happened to also be undefeated. In the end there can only be one winner and that day the winners were not Martine et Le Flag. They’ve still done a lot of good things this season and am confident they will bounce back and close out the seasons strong. On the other hand, The R.E.E.T and Kiss My Inlaws both reach 7-0. Only 3 more wins for each of these teams to confirm my undefeated mid-season prediction, and I really think they can do it. Both quarterbacks have been leading their offence super efficiently in different ways. Iggy stands in the pocket and drops dimes all over the field to his receivers and only took off running twice all season. Santino has also been dropping bombs to his wideouts throwing for 32 touchdowns but is also one of the fastest men in the division running for 250 and an added score.  We might be looking at two undefeated teams clash each-other in this years finals. 

Vultures dust off their shaky start,  go undefeated in the last 3 weeks 

Scoring 50+ points in back to back weeks, Vultures have moved to 3-2 with loads of confidence. Phil Roberts has been getting it done as of late and is figuring out the best way to use his weapons. The last thing that Phil can look to improve as regular season games start to run out is to always keep his feet moving. He’s authentic enough to evade most rushers so theres no reason for him to be one of the most sacked Qb’s in the division. Their offence can be close to unstoppable if Roberts can buy a little more time for these receivers. But when in doubt, throw it to the net. Another thing I mentioned just last week was that we needed to see more from James Drysdale and he delivered. Scoring 2 TD’s on O and a pick 6 on D. Now thats how you get involved!! This team has only lost 2 games so far and wouldn’t be surprised if they squeezed into the top 8 and got a week 1 bye week in the postseason. 

Group B in danger of having 3 of 4 teams miss the playoffs??

As it stands right now in week 9 Mengoose, In n’ out, and top G’s all have 1 win and find themselves in the bottom 8. In N’ Out are unfortunately in the worst spot to make it out of the bottom 8. Despite their head to head win against Top G’s, they have already reached 6 losses and have given up the most points against as a team in the whole division. Top G’s offence has been the more successful of the 3 but still have struggled all season. Their season ends with Still C.R.A and Blue Dreamers so they will need to split these games if they want to get close to a position where they can make the playoffs. The last team here has the most likely chance to masker the playoffs IF they can beat division rival Top G’s this week. Mengoose might only have one win but they also have 1 tie which puts them above fellow division members. A win against Top G’s might leave them in a must win situation in the last week of the regular season where they face In N’ Out who might be 1-8 at this point. Mengoose can finish the season 3-6-1 and that just might be able to be that 24th team that makes the post-season. 

Spotlight Matchup Previews 

Loup du Nord (2-3)  Vs. Les Jets Plien (1-6)

Phil Orcel was absent last game for Loup du Nord but it didn’t matter as they comfortably won3-18 vs Top G’s. Joseph Rokhendy was all over the place catching 73 yards and a TD and added an INT the other way. This is an important match-up for both teams as Loup du Nord have a lot to prove as they continue their bounce back from 0-3. Les Jets Plien on the other hand have one last chance to make a playoff push and a loss here will put those hopes to bed. They still have Blue Branleurs and Martine et Le Flag to close out their season so this win can give them some confidence moving forward. William Nkaye and Remi Lussier need to be the best players on the field or they won’t be able to compete with these teams remaining. They have only scored 30 points once this season, 4 TD’s a game is a must moving forward. I expect Loup du Nord to use their speed and agility to get open and beat Les Jets Plien DB’s. If Phil Orcel is under center for Loup du Nord I predict a solid 32-15 win for Loud du Nord to make it to 3-3.

MOFOS (3-3) Vs. Team Ethnik (2-4)

2-4 is not where Team Ethnik wants to be at this point of the season but their playoff push has to start this week. They play a young athletic team in MOFOS which has been a matchup issue for them so far. They need this win so they can be one win closer to .500 and take what could be an important head to head win against MOFOS. Their last win came two weeks ago against Friend with Danny where they outscored their opponent 19-6 in the second half. Closing out games has been an issue for them as they have gone abut half their games scoring 1 TD or less in the second half. If Team Ethnik can keep their foot on the gas throughout their games they can find themselves in the post-season, a loss this weeks might take away any chance at making it to the first round. Their opponent, MOFOS, played their last game in week 7 where Rakim Charles took the helm at QB. Unsure if his services will be called upon once more it makes me hard to gauge how this game can go. If he’s there, I expect MOFOS to put up NUMBERS on this defence and sail to a win. He has already played in 2 games so far so he only needs to show up to 3 of the last 4 to make himself eligible. Win or lose this week MOFOS are in a good position to make the playoffs and now it comes down to how high they will be seeded, and who will be their QB after week 12. Regardless of the QB situation at hand, Im choosing MOFOS to come away with a win in tight one, 31-26. 

Top 5 receivers of Div. 4 

I have been waiting to do a top 5 list this season for a little while now but wanted enough games to be played in order to get a better idea of consistent production. This top 5 list is in order and allow me to breakdown how I selected a top 5 with so many good receivers in a large division. Obviously were looking at STATS!, not just total stats but stats in accordance to how many games played. Due to bye weeks and perhaps missed games it’s almost impossible to all have the same amount of games played at this point of the season. Another thing i’m looking at is how these players can put a team on their back and carry them to victory, after all Henry Russell once said “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing”

1. Dante Sparagna- The R.E.E.T 

Season total: 7 games 27 receptions on 43 targets,  378 yards and 14 TD’s 

My #1 receiver in Div 4 at this point of the season is clearly Dante Sparagna. He leads the division in total touchdowns with 14 and is well on his way to 20 averaging exactly 2 scores a game. His team also sits at 7-0 so its clear that his production is vital to their success. Dante might not have the height you expect when looking at these numbers but he’s got some of the stickiest hands iv’e ever seen and is quick after the catch to pickup extra yards and first downs. His connection with his brother Santino is probably the best in the division. Dante knows where he has to be for Santino to find him and Santino’s trust in him makes allows them to connect on plays you thought were locked down. His stats are truly stunning when you notice The R.E.E.T have anther wideout who has also eclipsed 10 TD’s, meaning there is no stat padding going on here. 

2. Nick Groppini- Blue Dreamers

Season total: 5 games 37 receptions  on 52 targets, 447 yards and 12 TD’s

Nick Groppini’s stats are absolutely insane when you realize he has only played 5 games so far this season. He leads the division in total receiving yards and averages 90 yards per game and over 2 TD’s this season. His size and speed give almost everyone a mismatch on defence. Man to man is just not a good option against him. Groppini has been the Blue Dreamers best offensive weapon and potentially the divisions biggest deep threat. Almost half of Groppini’s touchdowns have come off of 20+ yard receptions. The Blue Dreamers are 3-4 but have both games that Groppini was absent. Its clear that this team is much better when he appears on the field. If Groppini doesn’t miss any more games for Blue dreamers he can firmly be in the race for receiver of the year. 

3. Jerome Hovington- Kiss My Inlaws

Season total: 7 games 30 receptions on 37 targets, 355 yards and 10 TD’s

For his first season in FPF,  his season in div 4 has been a stellar one. Kiss My Inlaws are 7-0 and as their QB tells me “ His guys just don’t drop balls”. Hovington has caught over 80% of the balls thrown his way and has already reached double digit TD numbers which places him in the top 5 receivers in scoring . His numbers might not be the highest on this list but his contribution to this team is loo large to ignore. He’s first in team receiving yards and has also scored the most points for the team on extra points. He will have a chance to continue his offensive production in the post season as this team is well on their way to being in the top 8. 

4. Jordan Allard- Friends with Danny

Season total: 7 games 27 receptions on 35 targets,  436 yards and 11 TD’s

Although Friends with Danny have a losing record, Jordan Allard has had too good of a season to not talk about. His 436 yards, 11 TD’s are good enough to land him at #2 in yards and #3 in TD’s amount all receivers. He leads the team in all categories and has played one game less then most teammates.His ability to get downfield and win jump balls can sway momentum their way. Friends with Danny sit a 3-5 and with Allard’s contribution they shouldn’t have an issue finding themselves in the post season. 

5. Justin Blanchard- Hot Sauce Sports

Season total: 6 games 26 receptions 34 targets, 308 yards and 11 TD’s

Last but not least my #5 receiver in Div 4 is Justin Blanchard. Not only top 5 in TD”s int he division, his ability to find open zones for his Quarter Back is bar none. His presence towards the end of the game is tough to overcome in close games. It might be hard to believe but Justin has also dropped a few touchdowns late in games so this HSS squad could have a few more wins and few extra touchdowns for Justin. They are having a good season and I know that Justins leadership matched with his skills are still a force to be reckon with. 

Thanks for tuning in, for more FPF news have a listen to calling the audible where Peeze, Moe and Iggy talk about every division. See ya next week!