Recap and preview of Division 4’s Final Four

From 8 to 4.

This is not a special edition, although it’s my sole article of the week. I figured writing two very small ones weren’t as appealing as one “medium size” article. Plus, I’ve received good critic since taking over GM’s job, so that’s what happens when you flatter me to much!

Div4 had some seriously good games on Tuesday; upsets on top of upsets on top of upsets. I’ll call them upsets because I went 0/4 in my predictions. Not necessarily because I know best, but since I’m the voice of the media, I call favorites; it is what it is. And yes, I am the voice of the media; don’t listen to Moe Khan or even GM Kolethras they don’t even know.

I’d love to sit here and pretend this Final Four is better than the March Madness we witnessed a few weeks ago, but let’s not fool ourselves; it was a great March Madness. That being said, I’m THRILLED about Division 4 and the Semi-Finales we’re about to witness in a few days. I wasn’t expecting any of these teams to make it all the way here (okay, maybe 69ers, but I had my doubts). They’ve all proved me wrong, pulled off the “upset” and made me look like an idiot; I really like my job right now.

Many writers / media analysts take pride in saying “Yooo, I’m the best; I know eeeer’thing” , well, as some of you have figured out by now, I’m not like the majority. I take pride in saying I was wrong because it shows D4 isn’t that league where the same teams wins over and over again forever. I’m happy it went down this way and the next 3 games will be amazing nonetheless. Might even be better now!

Week 15 – Semi-Finales

My weekly thoughts :

All top seeds in Conference A fell; I didn’t see that coming, at all.
Conference B still has 2 of the top seeds alive; I did see that coming, but I wasn’t expecting these two.
I guess I’m great at predicting regular season games only…!
Maybe I predict the future after all, if we consider I went 0/4! You don’t want me to predict you.
I’m still shocked Backyard Bullies are in the Semi-Finales. I’m very happy for them nonetheless and they’ve deserved it.
Coyotes vs 69ers was a heck of a thriller.
The year of the pass-rush or the year of the QB? Hmmm…
I’m happy Coyotes and the Dans made it all this way and took down their respective past opponents. Nothing to be ashamed of nor is it a letdown.
Marco in the Middle really rose to the occasion and I’m glad they did; they took down very strong teams to get to the final 8.
6 Fast; I’d say I’m proud you made the top 8 as predicted, but I’m not. It’s a bummer. A great, heck, fantastic season for the offense and a nice playoff run, but they got out-played.

Recap

Recipe 4 Disaster took down 6Fast Guys Plus Ryan in a shocker last Tuesday night. Although Frédéric Viens managed to complete 82.1% of his passes, Ryan Aridi really managed to get under his skin early on and Viens didn’t look oh-so comfortable as he usually did. His stats are impressive, but they don’t say the whole story. R4D played great defense against a very explosive 6Fast offense and Aridi was the shining star in the matchup last week. Garant/Boustany also created an interesting matchup on both sides of the ball, but it wasn’t as imperative as Aridi/Viens. Applebaum looked amazing against a pretty strong defense and he had a record night going all the way up to 135 QB rating and pushing his team to the Final Four with a beautiful TD to Kevin Boustany to win the game on the second to last play. Is this an upset? Yes. Is the score a shocker? Not as much. I’m really happy for the way R4D managed to pull it together and win this game; they’ve been underdogs all season long and now they are really showing everyone what they are really all about.

Backyard Bullies had a rematch at their week 11 game where Two and a half Dans blew them out of the water 43-6, but this time, it really meant something for both teams. The Bullies seemed to have found a way to counter The Infamous Dans’ unorthodox offense and forced Joey Taylor into quick reflex throws which turned into INTs and gave them a lead that they held onto. Down 24-19 at the half, they adjusted properly to their opponents on both side of the ball and Rich Humes really came to life in the second half tossing the football like it was effortless. Going perfect until the last drive where he tossed 3 incompletes, he had the kind of night his team needed him to have and the momemtum switch is huge for them right now. I’m not sure of the Dans came in expecting an easy win, but the Bullies really took down one away from them in the second half and never looked back. An impressive victory for an injury-riddled team.

Grip n Rip faced-off against Marco in the Middle and I gave MITM a lot of credit not only for making it this far but for their experience and their past playoff success. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Did I underestimate GnR? Possibly. Did I overestimate MITM? Also possible. GnR came out of the gates slow and were only up 7-0 at the half although their defense looked pretty solid. Matthew Bishara looked troubled against this unpredictable defense and really couldn’t find any way to punch it in. Second half came around and Gualano’s offense really kicked it up a notch and after the first TD, they never looked back. They managed to put this one to bed 25-6 even after MITM decided to give Hogan a chance at throwing (which ended into an INT). Grip n Rip’s defense really rose to the action to contradict my prediction and took this one away in what didn’t look so much like the contest I expected.

In one of the best games of the night, 69ers managed to come back from behind being down 2 scores within the last 10 minutes of the game to upset the Coyotes and get their ticket to the Final Four in a brilliant effort. Dean Demetriou seemed to be a thorn in Coyotes’ side all night long as he was effective on defense and on offense (as a receiver AND a QB). We’ve given Dylan Drake some serious credit over the past few weeks and I’ll have to hand some more this week; he really took Sammy Feder by storm and caused him to get off rhythm early in the game. Coyotes’ offense didn’t look the way it normally does and part of the reason why is named Dylan Drake. Both offenses struggled against their opponents’ defense and it really came down to that second half performance. Up by 2 scores, Coyotes looked confident although they only had 22 points on the board and 69ers showed them that you don’t win football games with 22 points when you are this deep in the playoffs; risks need to be taken. Neither QBs looked impressive and it came down to who else can make plays to get their team to the next round. 69ers got the best of Coyotes on Tuesday night and managed to get their ticket to the Final Four in a shocking finish.

Players of the week

Ryan Aridi (Recipe 4 Disaster) : This was a no-brainer. He literally killed Frédéric Viens out there. Heck of a player and what a performance!
Jake Applebaum (Recipe 4 Disaster) : I hate naming two guys from the same team, but Applebaum pulled off his best performance of the season and got his team a ticket to the semis. Truly deserving.
Rich Humes (Backyard Bullies) : If someone had to step up to beat the Dans, it was Rich Humes and what a step he took. Going perfect until the final drive and finishing with his best statistical night of the season, maybe even career. That’s how you play in the playoffs !

Playoff Picture

Conf A	Team	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA	Conf B	Team	PTS	W(P-F)	DIV	PA
1						1	Grip n Rip	16	8	[2-2-0]	227
2						2
3						3
4						4	Backyard Bullies	12	6	[3-1-0]	229
5	69ers	14	7	[4-0-0]	313	5
6	Recipe 4 Disaster	14	7	[3-1-0]	242	6
7						7
8						8
9						9
10						10
11						11
12						12

Previews

69ers (5th) vs Recipe 4 Disaster (6th)

Previous matchup : 40 – 38 69ers

Analysis : Last time these two teams faced, it was week 1 of the regular season and a lot of things have changed since. First, the presence of Ryan Aridi is supposedly “gametime” decision. Needless to say how much of an X-Factor he is in any R4D game. Also, both QBs grew and have much more chemistry and experience; both teams found new ways to score and make plays that they might not have back in week 1. Both teams’ playbook might have changed ever since so let’s forget the entire week 1 matchup where 69ers picked off Applebaum 4 times including 2 pick-six from Dylan Drake and Dean Demetriou and away from Ryan Aridi’s 45 yards rushing plus a TD and onto a new game!

69ers have mastered the deep ball in Division 4 over the 14 week span that led to this game and they’ve been known for using it a lot more than others; why not, it works! Their defense is gritty and keeps them in games. They matched up really well against CREAM Team’s athleticism two weeks ago and even better against Coyotes’ speed and agility few days ago. It’ll come down to the offense to win it all because the defense will do its part. As a QB, I’d love to play with that kind of defense behind me and I’m sure Shea Harbour will march into Lachine Sunday knowing it; it’s on him, but it’s nothing he can’t handle.

Recipe 4 Disaster made it to the Final Four and I am surprised. I love this team and what they represent, but I didn’t expect them to be this dark horse and to upset the teams they have; kudos to them. Their defense gets the job done, but it’s nothing flashy and it will not win them games by itself; they depend a lot on their offense and Applebaum’s ability to punch it in every now and then. Last week, he had a career night and knocked out, possibly, the best team in the division. This week, if Aridi is missing, this team will look different, in a bad way. Losing Aridi as a rusher is huge, but the two-way threat he poses with the running game and the passing game is a lot a serious factor. Applebaum uses brains over brawns to win games and it has worked so far, but the rollercoaster that we’ve seen this season really worries me. Which Applebaum will be in Lachine Sunday? The perfect passer or the multiple INT thrower? The pressure is on his shoulders, no one else’s.

I love putting pressure on specific players, even more when I know they will read these lines. That being said, I really believe it’ll come down to the QB that makes the less mistakes rather than the one that scores the most points (ironically). Both QBs can and will score and both teams can really go up there and score 40+ points. The defense are known to be gritty and they’ll try to provoke a turnover. They’ll be some scoreless drives on both side of the ball, I’m pretty sure, but it’ll come down to the 2nd half turnovers and which QB can play mistake-free. If Applebaum plays like he did last Tuesday, R4D might have their ticket to the Championship game, but if he plays like he did last Saturday, he might see his team head home disappointed. Shea Harbour faces the opposite; he needs to play like he did last Saturday, not like last Tuesday. This will be a serious barnburner. I’m excited.

Key matchups : Ryan Aridi/Dylan Drake vs Shea Harbour/Jake Applebaum

Prediction : 33 – 27 69ers

Grip n Rip (1st) vs Backyard Bullies (4th)

Previous matchup : N/A

Analysis : All season long, I’ve been confusing these two teams. It’s like a mirror matchup. Vinny Gualano and Rich Humes look similar, play similar and have similar skills. Even the rest of the team has a similar counter-part. I’m telling you, it’s a mirror game. The only difference is the jersey colors and, okay, a few other things, but both teams run similar schemes, have success doing similar things and have small roster (6 to 7 players). Am I worried for either team? Nope. It’s going to rain football IQ in Lachine and both teams will adjust like their lives depended on it (it kinda does).

Grip n Rip, who managed to capture the first seed at the end of the season, took down Dragons brilliantly without Vinny Gualano in the divisional round before walking all over Marco in the Middle and they are, now, here. With Vinny, this team has much more potential. Taking nothing away from Sean Avraam, the dual-threat they pose together is a fight by itself for any opponents. We tend to focus on the brand-names; Vinny Gualano and Sean Avraam and over look the rest of the team and it caused many opponents to lose their matchup this season. This entire team is talented and knows what they are doing. The experience these individuals have is ridiculous and I’m not even mentioning their talent. Every single guy from the Da Silva brothers, Zenobi to Allard are serious threats when ignored and they’ll make you pay for overlooking them. GnR won’t have to shadow any specific player, anyone can and will on any given day. This defense is good and their offense is tricky; I have no fear Grip n Rip can deal with any given opponents, even themselves.

Backyard Bullies are my surprise of the Final Four although they are a top seed and shouldn’t be considered a surprise. This team is good, really is, but I didn’t expect them to take down Maloudes and Two and a half Dans in back-to-back games to make it here. They surprised me and I’m really happy they did. Their season had serious ups and serious downs; from the big win over Punt Returners where they made them look foolish to the incredible defeat they suffered from the Dans in week 11, Backyard Bullies have done it all. They entered the playoffs on a bad note, but made it to the Final Four riddled with injuries. I really like this team from top to bottom and the energy they create on the field is something special. They aren’t flashy, they aren’t THAT team everyone talks about, but they get their shit together and get the job done. This mirror game will be a serious challenge for them, but nothing they haven’t faced before.

Rich Humes vs Vinny Gualano; Sean Avraam vs Brennan Burke; Steve Sanner vs Matthew Da Silva, wait, this isn’t the matchup segment… This mirror game is riddled with counterparts and ways these guys can prove me wrong or right. Neither team has Football IQ advantage over the other and the experience is really well-spread out. Athleticism is at its peak and giving the edge to either of these teams is really tough. On paper, I’d say it’s a very tough and close matchup, but I believe it will not play out this way. I don’t think this will end up being a close game ironically and I think one of these two teams will have a bad night and we’ll witness a blowout. It’s not because they can’t beat the other nor they don’t match up well, I just think it’ll be a bad night. That’s what my gut is telling me.

Key matchups : Mike Zenobi vs Rich Humes

Prediction : 32 – 19 Grip n Rip

This is it for Saturday’s version of my article. I hope you enjoyed it. If you didn’t, you can always blame G.M. Kolethras for having a real life or the person responsible for hiring me in the first place. I can always be reached on Twitter @DagenaisFPF like many of you have done in the past. Our email also works: [email protected] but Twitter is the new era, get with the times. Divisional round had amazing matchups and great games/upsets. I was so wrong in my previous comment. So wrong.