Ottawa Championship Finals Recap

Hey what’s up everybody? I am Brent ‘Bad News’ Bodkin, and I’m back once again to give you the 411 on FlagPlus Football in the nation’s capital.
WOW is all I have to say. The Barracudas and the word wow should now go hand-in-hand after the colossal upset they pulled off this past Sunday night. What the Barracudas accomplished is on the same level as the 05’ Red Sox beating the Yankees, or the 08’ Giants knocking off the Patriots in Super Bowl 42.
Before I get into the highlights, I have to man up and admit that I was wrong. As you know, in last week’s article, I predicted that if the Tailgators were to knock off the Sharks in the semi-final, that they would make short work of the ‘Cudas in the final on their way to making it back-to-back championships. Well, I was WRONG. Yeah I know it doesn’t happen that much, but this is one of those rare cases. So to the champs, you guys proved me wrong, kudos!
Now on to the game…
The Tailgators and the Barracudas came into this looking impressive after their semi-final victories over the Sharks and the Heavy Hitters respectively in the semi-final matchups. With the win or go home scenario that surrounded this affair, you had the feeling that the first team to blink was going to go home empty handed.
As impressive as he has been since taking over at quarterback in week 8 for an injured Craig Matthews, The magic of  ‘Gators’ back-up signal-caller Phil Seguin appeared to run out as he struggled mightily in the most important game of the season completing only 8 of 19 passes for 81 yards.
My choice for player of the game is ‘Cudas’ pivot Tom Patrick (who was also selected as Playoff MVP by FPF). Patrick was the difference maker in this one. His ability to spread around the ball and eat valuable time in the pocket is what enabled his team to come away with the championship. While Seguin struggled to find his rhythm in this one, Patrick was able to take control, and strike at exactly the right time.   After two abysmal outings against the ‘Gators in the regular season, Patrick saved his best performance for when it mattered most as he completed 12 of 26 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground. As always, Patrick chipped in on the other side of the ball, as he collected one interception, five tackles, and a batted down pass.

The Barracudas turned in a great performance and truly showed the depth of their roster. A special nod goes to sure-handed snapper Kevin Schleyer. Every time Patrick was flustered by an excellent Tailgators rush, Schleyer was able to find a crease in the ‘Gators zone and give Patrick the check-down he needed to avoid throwing those picks he did last time they met.

Sorry to those who were also looking for an upset in the D2 final, it just didn’t happen. Although a heart-warming victory by the underdog Federal Express didn’t take place Sunday night, those in attendance were still treated to a great defensive showdown.

The game came down to turnovers. Express’ pivot Francois Bordeleau committed four of them bvia the INT. His most crucial came when he threw a pass that was picked off by W.G defender Allan Byers who ran it back for the touchdown and totally swung the momentum back to the Wise Guys who never looked back.

What was disappointing in this one was the play of both quarterbacks. Last week I talked about how both pivots would play a crucial part in their teams’ success. The only success that was had was had by W.G’s defense that picked off Bordeleau four times. Wise Guys’ QB Thomas Solarik wasn’t any better, as he threw for a season low five yards on 2 for 17 passing. The only difference is that Solarik’s two completions went for touchdowns. In all fairness to both QB’s, but mostly Boredeleau, there were a ton of dropped passes in this game, including some open in the endzone, props to both QBs for keeping thier heads up despite the lack of help received.

My pick for player of the game in this one goes to John Haig. Yes his team fell short in the end, but without his four sacks, and the constant pressure that he provided all game long on Solarik, I have a feeling that this would have been a blowout. The league awarded the MVP award to Wise Guys Jeff Lalonde, who contributed on both sides of the ball.

Honestly, when you break down the stats, you have to ask yourself how in the world W.G walked away with this one. The answer is quite simple. Turnovers. In most games, if you turn the ball over more than your opponent, you are more then likely to lose the game. Case in point Wise Guys 19 – Federal Express 12.

With the Ottawa winter season now in the books, congrats once again go out to the Wise Guys and the Barracudas on their championship wins. To the other teams that fell short, next year begins right now.

Well that’s it for my Championship review. I really had a lot of fun writing these articles over the last 12 weeks. I hope you guys enjoyed them as much I did writing them. I look forward to catching-up with guys again next season.  In the meantime, have a beer or two and enjoy the upcoming NFL Draft. Take care, be safe, and I’ll see you soon.

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PEACE!!!