Newbies and Veterans. Who stood out in week 1?

2015 is here and with it, another season of Flag Plus Football.

With a new year comes a lot of change. That has been definitely been the case not just in FPF, but in football as a whole.

For the first time in 4 years my 49ers will be without Jim Harbaugh. (I know I’m certainly not the only 9er fan that thinks this is a HUGE mistake)

The powers that be here at FPF have unveiled a new and really impressive website for the enjoyment of YOU the players.

Florida State and Jameis Winston finally lost a game.

Yours truly is back in the family writing fulltime for FPF.

The Colts finally woke up and realized what everybody else had already realized about Trent Richardson over a year ago.

Last year’s Div. 6 champs The Heisman’s are gone.

Much to the surprise of hundreds, if not thousands of football fans everywhere, Tony Romo didn’t crush the Cowboys and their players’ and fans’ hopes and dreams with a season ending, soul crushing INT…Karma took care of that for him. (Picture the city of Detroit and Lions’ fans everywhere smiling in approval.)

The most important change of all, after consisting of only 10 teams last year, Division 6 has more than doubled in size to 22 teams this season.

Let the good times roll…

Before we get started, let me just give everybody a quick rundown of what to expect from not only Div. 6, but from my articles my articles as well.

Division 6. Don’t let the number fool you, there is some really good football played here by some quality football players.

This Division has a huge mix of football players. From guys who are super competitive players, to guys who have never played flag football before, to guys who just want to play on a team with a bunch of friends, to guys who play in a higher Division, but want a chance to play a different position like quarterback, D6 is full of players who just have a passion for the game. What more can you ask for?

As far as what to expect from my article, I will keep it simple, informative, but most importantly, fun.

Every week I will have a power ranking. I will rank the top 11 teams in D6. Why 11 and not 10 you might be asking? Besides the point that I like to be different, I also thought that it made sense in a 22 team division, to split the ranking system right down the middle. If you don’t find your team amongst the top 11, prove me wrong and do something about it.

I will also include a top 5 performer or performance of the week. The object of this is pretty self-explanatory. If a person or team puts on a clinic so to speak, they’ll find themselves in the top 5.  The name of this section is High Five. Yes most people usually only go with 3, but like I said, I am different. More importantly, going with an extra two choices, also allows more players and teams to get the spotlight.

The flip side of that naturally, will be a section that focuses on teams and players who under preform.  This will be called Step It Up.  Since this is Div. 6, and there are some teams who are trying to execute the difficult task of playing in this league for the first time, as well as some who are trying to do that while also making the even tougher transition from tackle to flag. Believe me, from personal experience the transition from tackle football to flag is NOT an easy one. Having to go from catching the ball- especially over the middle, and then lowering your shoulder or delivering a hard stiff arm to someone’s face, which becomes second nature, to running away and /or deking out a defender isn’t as easy as it sounds. The same is true for players on the defensive side of the ball who are forced to go from tackling ball carries to de-flagging. With that said, I will keep this list to just three people/teams.

Just to be clear, this is not meant to insult anybody, it is simply to let people know that their games are being watched, and the progress or in some cases lack thereof, is also being looked at. Think of it like this, it’ll be similar to NFL Countdown’s C’Mon Man! But without Berman, Johnson, Jackson, Carter, and Ditka…and ESPN too.

Last but not least, predictions. I will try my best not to look like a complete fool (easier said than done) as I try to drop some analysis and guess work as to who will win, who will lose, and why.

Week 1 is officially in the books, and what a week it was.  We got to see a couple of games go down to the wire, and we also got to see a couple of teams who still looked like they were in pre-season form.

 

Top 11

1. Woofpack – When you drop nearly 60 points on somebody, and have a defense that is able to make an opposing QB throw for as many completions as interceptions, you definitely know you’re doing something right. And oh yeah, they did shut their opponents out too.

Led by FPF vet Terry Tam, the Woofpack surely look like a team to be reckoned with going forward. 

 

2. N.W.O – Just like I said last year when I briefly wrote for this Division, this is a team I like. They got the black and white jerseys, and one of their players looks like a shorter version of Syxx. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they jumped one of their opponents in the parking lot before a game this year. (kidding, of course!) I honestly urge you guys -the readers and fans, to pressure President Campana N.W.O style into investing some of the FPF fortune into speakers so that every time they scored a TD, the old WCW New World Order music would play. I for one think that would be just too sweet! See what I did right there?

In all seriousness though, I had a chance to see these guys in action last night. Firstly, they did pitch a shut-out. Secondly, they have an aggressive Offense that is built off of the running game (yes, I’m serious) and an equally aggressive and play making Defense lead by their QB Michael Sanchez.

 

3. Balls Deep – Yes I am aware that Balls Deep gave up a point, and I am also aware that I’m contradicting myself by not placing Wax ON Wax Off in this spot based on their 38-0 win over Orange Crush, but there’s a method to my madness. Let me explain…

Yes the men of wax did deliver a goose egg to the Orange Crush, but a lot of that had to do with the shaky play of O.C’s Offense. Dropped passes, late throws, missing open receivers. Basically, there was no chemistry or flow to the offense.

Balls Deep’s Offense on the other hand looked sharp. The only real mistake they seemed to make was an INT return they allowed on a convert to give Beast Mode their only point of the contest. Aided by FPF 6 year veteran Marc Belhomme who has been through many wars, B.D has a chance to go deep in the playoffs this year.

 

4. Wax On Wax Off – I pretty much explained my reasoning in the previous paragraph. At the end of the day, shutout is a shutout.

I will give credit where credit is due, and give props to W.O.W.O QB Jordan Bellemare. While the tightness on the spiral of his deep balls need work, his accuracy on corner routes, back of the end zone jump balls, and fade patterns certainly do not. Bellemare basically threw those routes for TDs all night long, and Orange Crush had no answer for it.

 

5. L.A’ s Finest – Yes, beating the wheels off of the Mountain Goats was nice, but my decision to place them here is based on two things. First off, just like the Goats, the Finest are also a relatively green team. The difference is, the men from L.A’s QB, Andrew Grant, had an impressive outing going 13 for 18 for nearly 200 yards and 4 TDs. Yes he did make one mistake, but nobody is perfect. If Grant can continue to be this efficient, his team will rise in the rankings.

The other reason is none other than WR/DB Theo Bekelis. I’ve played against his Wolverines team before. (most recently last spring season) He is a play maker on both sides of the ball. The numbers he put up in his D6 debut were impressive. He is definitely a player to keep an eye on.

 

6. The Pocketwatch – Arguably one of, if not the most talented team in the entire Division. This team has experience and fire power (paging Sergio Sicoli and Phil Angers) to go all the way. Starting the season by dominating last year’s runner up was definitely a good start.

 

7. The Mean Machine – An aggressive D that was able to force 4 picks, leaves a former D-Linemen like myself with a smile on my face. If they can continue to get solid QB play out of Daniel Goloff, their 7th place ranking will only be temporarily.

 

8. Obamacare – A rookie team with a rookie QB that calls smart plays and has what appears to be a good rusher…watch out D6…

 

9. Flagrant Fouls – Led on Offense by two former Channel 4 News Team WRs (Castiel and Freedman) F.F is sure to test teams via the deep ball. If their Defense can match the potential of their Offense (so far so good) they’ll be in business.

 

10. The Sun Bros – A really solid FPF debut. The combo of QB Justin Lerner and WR Emmanuel Sarikakis has undoubtedly caught my attention. Their Defense has some play makers as well. Interesting…

 

11. The Minge – I wanted to go with Jean Guy in this spot, but I am giving the benefit of the doubt to veteran Matthew Young and his team this week. Will they be able to get back on track against another tough test in Flagrant Fouls, or will we see a repeat of championship loss hangover. The Minge surely have the talent, but will that be enough?

 

High Five

– Terry Tam (Woofpack) . He only completed 9 of 17 passes for 157 yards, but when 5 of those 9 completions go touchdowns, you rest your case.

– Wax On Wax Off DB/WR Danny D’Amour. 3 catches for 82 yards is great, but having all three grabs go for touchdowns is even better.

D’Amour was no slouch on the defensive end either, as he got his hands on numerous passes by Orange Crush QB Nick Gagne, one of which he picked off.

– Michael Sanchez. The N.W.O QB/DB was all over the field. He hurt TMNB with his rushing, passing, and hard-nosed defense. It was a lot of fun watching him play Wednesday night. Hopefully he keeps it up as the season goes along.

– To the defenses of the N.W.O, Wax On Wax Off, and Woofpack, because once again, a shutout is a shutout. Sorry Balls Deep, a point is a point.

– Jordan Bellemare Wax On Wax Off QB. Bellemare looked pretty good in his debut as an FPF signal caller connecting on 14 of 23 passes for 144 for 6 TDs.
Having the luxury of playing with his dad Normand Bellemare who has played the pivot position in the past and put up more than respectable numbers, is something that will only help Jordan and the team. 

 

Step It Up

– Goon Squad Quarterback Massimo Cicchini went 5 of 20 passing for 37 yards with 5 picks. Same amount of pics as completions. Adjusting to the flag game isn’t easy, your best bet is to dumb it down, call simple plays in the huddle and take what the defence gives you. Remember, you have four chances to gain ten yards; use them wisely!

– The Orange Crush Offense. QB Nick Gagne in particular. I watched your game, your WRs did drop more than a few passes. There were some throws however that were either late, over thrown, behind the target, or had no business being thrown in the first place. Gagne has had some success in the past, back to basics in week 2!

 

One mistake that I find a lot of teams make, especially in the lower Divisions, is that they try to go for the homerun throws on nearly every down, instead of sitting back and taking what the defense gives them. I know that approach may sound boring to some, but it’s one of the smartest and easiest things to in not just in FPF, but in football in general.

Too many times I saw receivers being sent on deep routes into Cover 2 and 3 zones, and the end result almost every time was an INT. Trust me, Orange Crush and Goon Squad were definitely not the only teams to do that in Week 1, it’s just that they were the teams that did it the most. This is something that needs to be fixed ASAP.

Hooks, slants, curl, crossing, and out routes can be your friend too. OC, you guys have arguably the fastest player in all of FPF on your roster (Andrew Denis Lynch), get him the ball in space! Same for your other quick WRs, and let them do their thing. Step it up Orange Crush, we saw your potential last Spring.

 

Predictions

It’s a little too early to start dissecting teams in full, but as the season goes on, I will be able to give more analysis and feedback to teams.

 

Team Fourth and Twenty vs Pardon My Swag – Pardon My Swag

Beast Mode  vs TMNB – Beast Mode

Orange Crush vs The Mean Machine – The Mean Machine

Balls Deep vs The Sun Bros – Balls Deep

Tigerz vs Diablos – Diablos

Woofpack vs Mountain Goats – Woofpack

The Minge vs Flagrant Fouls – Flagrant Fouls

L.A’s Finest vs The Pocketwatch – The Pocketwatch (My pick for game of the week.)

Goon Squad vs Wax On Wax Off – Wax On Wax Off

Obamacare vs Smokin Axolotls – Obamacare

N.W.O vs Jean Guy – N.W.O

 

So that’s it for this article number 1.  I’m excited to be covering Division 6 for you guys.  This should be a really fun season.

 I will be checking my e-mail and twitter regularly for feedback and suggestions from you guys, so if you loved the article, hated it, or simply felt I left something out, don’t be shy. You can shoot me a tweet at @BADNEWS51, or do it the semi old fashioned way and e-mail me at [email protected]

Don’t forget ( I got you Peeze) to listen to the Super Flag Bros Division 6 podcast on Thursday nights at 6:45 at www.theunclemikeshow.com The show is hosted by Peeze Della Reeze and David Della Rocca. Feel free to tweet either one or both of them at @ PeezeFPF and @DavesRepublic.

 As I mentioned near the top of the article, last year’s D6 champs The Heismans are gone, meaning that a brand new champ will be crowned.  All 22 teams have a shot at greatness. Like I said, change is here.