Rehan’s Report (D1) – Week 3

Welcome everyone to the third edition of Rehan’s Report. We are only three weeks into the season and division 1 is already becoming utterly exciting to watch. There were only three games this past weekend, as the Demons had a bye. There are also no games scheduled this upcoming weekend due to the Super Bowl. I am shocked that after only three weeks of football in the Winter 2009 division 1 season, so much has happened but more important, things are not as clear as most of us had imagined. Before the season started, we all knew a few teams were contenders outright to the point where it could have been written in stone. However it is now apparent that on any given Saturday or Sunday, any team can win (and yes that includes the Wolverines and Express, especially since they will play each other in week 4). The word that has been used over and over again, parity, is the key word for division 1.

 

Week 3 Review

 

The Demons had a bye in week 3 but every other team played once. I am going to start this week’s review with Montreal’s Finest and Wolverines. I had predicted Montreal’s Finest to win by 10.5 points and they delivered, winning by a score of 33-18. Wolverines were missing a few players including their rookie QB Jerry Charles, a few receivers and their best defensive player Darnel Danglade. An absence of a QB for any team can be tough to overcome however Tony Tabet has played QB for the Wolverines in the past so it wasn’t completely new to him. I believe that having Jerry Charles would have definitely helped the team however bottom line is that Montreal’s Finest are more talented and have more depth than the Wolverines, all else being equal. The best indicator is their records, the Finest are 3-0 and Wolverines are 0-3. Quickly looking at the game, Tony Tabet had a decent outing by scoring 3 TDs and 1 INT however if your offense can’t score at least 4 TDs in division 1 this season, your defense better play lights out. Kevin Wyeth, on the other hand, completed 18 of 24 passes for 186 yards and 5 TDs with no interceptions. On defense Moe Khan led the team with 4 tackles and 2 sacks. Comparatively the difference between the two teams is depth at each roster position. The Finest did a great job in the off-season and now it is slowly paying dividends.

 

Moving on to CLR Forces vs. Express, this was the Winless Bowl as both teams entered the match up being 0-2. It was a tight game as most had anticipated but the common consensus was that based on prior division 1 experience, CLR Forces will win this game; and they did just that by a score of 30-25. So even though Express lost the game they gained two points because the spread wasn’t covered. OH I KNOW it doesn’t seem like it is important at this point but those two points will be at the end of season when the totals are tallied. Back to the game, the Express kept it close especially with Patrick Chenard hurting his leg early on in the game. This game also saw Nicholas-Arsenault Hum play against his former team from Winter 2008 season. Both teams had players step up in crucial situations and the difference was the only interception in the game which was thrown by Patrick Chenard who still managed to throw 4 TDs however Frederic Dupuis had 5 TDs and no interception. Although winless, the Express can take some good from this game, it is their first season and they are getting better each week because for the most part, they are in every game. There is a learning curve for any rookie team to overcome but they are definitely going in the right direction. Andrija Zecevic had 2 sacks on Frederic Dupuis so he is also getting comfortable to the game speed of division 1 and look for him to continue this success in the upcoming weeks.

 

Speaking of the learning curve, the Rainmakers, as it was apparent this past weekend, are mastering it. They entered the match up knowing they were going up against a team who is not only the two time defending champion but had won their first two games quite convincingly. The spread was 12.5 for the Hurricanes so the Rainmakers knew they had their work cut out for them. The Rainmakers have a potent offense that can put up points against a great Hurricanes defense however the more important question would be the ability of the Rainmakers’ defense to come up big against the powerhouse offense of the Hurricanes. The two teams went toe-to-toe in the first half and the Hurricanes were up 19-18 and were marching down the field to add to their lead however a crucial interception by Rich Nincheri would end that drive and the score would remain 19-18. In the second half, Rainmakers started with the ball and were stopped by the Hurricanes defense and at that point you would think the momentum would swing in their favor. However the Rainmakers played some great defense of their own and limited the Hurricanes to only 8 points in the second half while scoring 18 points; thus winning the game 36-25. The Rainmakers played a hell of a game and deserved the victory outright because they played a mistake free football game. Furthermore, it was an impressive performance by the Rainmakers defense which is led by Adriano Tassone. He did an excellent job calling the defensive coverage and his players came up big for him including Michael Chitayat who had 5 tackles and the crucial game turning interception before the end of the first half. He also contributed to the offense by catching 5 balls for 64 yards. The Rainmakers won this game by their defensive efforts and that defense deserves a huge “shout-out”. Now the name of the game is consistency and hopefully they will be able to do this on a regular basis. Additionally, the Rainmakers also gathered two points because the spread wasn’t covered so it was truly a remarkable weekend for this McGill team. As for the Hurricanes, they won’t like the fact that they have to wait two weeks before playing again but I know they are sharpening their teeth because they get a chance to bounce back from this loss by playing the undefeated Demons.

 

And that rounds up this week’s review and it is now time to name the 3 STARwars of the week.

 

3rd star: Fred Dupuis (CLR Forces) 19-30, 213 yards and 5 TDs and more important leading his team to their first win.

 

2nd star: Dominic Lemieux (CLR Forces) 4 receptions, 105 yards and 2 TDs and 4 tackles on offense.

 

1st star: Ryan Kastner (Rainmakers) 17-28, 135 yards and 6 TDs giving Rainmakers a win, an upset and a contender status.

 

 

Sarwar’s Spread

 

Even though there are no games this weekend, there is no shortage of great match ups in week 4 and I can honestly say that my job to allocate spread is getting pretty tough (thank God I am not a bookie). Here is what can be expected in week 4:

 

1. Wolverines (0-3) vs. Express (0-3): This is the second edition of the Winless Bowl and hopefully one team will come away with a win unless of course there is a tie. At this point in standings, the Express are 6th and Wolverines 7th but you better believe this will be a great game. If the Wolverines have their full roster present, they should be able to win the game. Wolverines – 5.5

 

2. Rainmakers (2-2) vs. CLR Forces (1-2): Coming off a great win, the Rainmakers will continue to roll on both sides of the ball. CLR Forces will have to play stingy defense against that powerful Rainmakers offense which will not be easy. Rainmakers – 10.5

 

3. Montreal’s Finest (3-0) vs. Express (0-3): Patrick Chenard goes against the best defense in the league, allowing only 19 points a game. Express’ only chance in this game would depend on Andrija Zecevic having a monstrous game. Montreal’s Finest – 12.5

 

4. Demons (3-0) vs. Hurricanes (2-1): A possible match up for the division 1 finals, this game promises to have it all: Carmine Pollice vs. Rick Nincheri, Shane Williams vs. Rochdi Benabdelkader, Tony Khoury vs. Benny Goodfriend, Adi Sharma vs. Asif Choudhury and the list just goes on. Not to mention there will be a camera on site to tape the action as it happens.  The Demons might be a bit rusty because they will have three weeks off but the Hurricanes will have two weeks off. Both teams have been in big games and there is no lack of intensity either. The Hurricanes don’t want to lose two in a row but the Demons don’t want to ruin their undefeated season. It is really a toss up however I will make a pick. Hurricanes – 4.5

 

Well that wraps it up for this week’s report. I hope everyone enjoys the Super Bowl but still stays in shape because the weekend after, it will be back to business as usual for all teams. I want to go on the record and say that I pick the Steelers to win. Aside from that the Winter 2009 season is shaping up nicely and after three weeks only one thing is certain, division 1 will be the best it has ever been in FlagPlus Football. With that said, I will sign off and let everyone get back to their work or whatever it is that you guys do to pass time. If you have any comments/suggestions don’t hesitate to message me on Facebook or [email protected] and I’ll catch you in two weeks, same STARWAR time, and same STARWAR article.