The Goal Line Stand (Div 5) – Week 12

I’m not going to lie to you.

 

I find it more than just a little depressing to think that as teams fade into memories of Winter 2012, that less and less people are actually reading my articles.

 

If barely anyone is reading these things anymore, am I lying to my professors when I tell them that I’m a professional writer and that they should therefore give me a better grade regardless of my performance? No. Midway through writing this paragraph I realized that there are still people who are going to read this article no matter what. And that they’re going to know that their team was once there on the field with the titans that remain. And maybe even some of them will now understand the difference between they’re, their, and there.

 

Speaking of poor language skills, I’d like to thank everyone who viewed and commented on the Division 5 WEPL presented entirely in French this week. I’m more than happy to have done it and been intelligible at the same time. Please tune in next week for our yearly press conference hosted by none other than André D’Annault (my new media name) where I’ll go head-to-head with both of the remaining teams as well as with my own ability to speak French.

 

… Merci?    

 

The Week That Was

 

No Regard 16 –26 Mustangs du Gridiron

 

#àlaprochaine

Par Simon Dagenais 

For by far the most self-hyped game this week, Catalogna was filled with spectators to watch the popular No Regard force take on a surging team of Mustangs. This game boiled down to one main factor: No Regard could not overcome having turned over the ball 5 times. Holowach and his offense were not able to punch the ball into the endzone. Rather, it ended up in the hands of Mustang defenders, specifically Frank Boulard who snatched three of them. Boulard also had a noticeable presence on offense with 4 receptions and two majors. Bear in mind the No Regard defense performed exceptionally in limiting Simon Vallee’s success if you take into consideration the 5 turnovers in addition to their natural possessions only resulting in four scores. Demmy Feelgood contributed to the scoresheet with a safety & Lance Daniel added another INT to his total for the post-season, but in the end the Mustangs came out on top.

 

Coyotes 34 – 44 La Sauce

 

Coyote Velouté

 

La Sauce “upset” the number 2 seed in a game that was back-and-forth throughout. The Coyotes got off to a better start this time as compared to last week, perhaps due to shedding their playoff jitters, or perhaps due to #54 “Dad” (This isn’t a reference to anything, it was actually the Rashkovans’ dad) on the bench managing the roster. La Sauce led after the first half by one point, but the Coyotes started with possession in the second, scoring on their drive and adding a two-point convert to put the pressure back on the purple shirts. Raymond and Feder kept matching scores and this game looked like it could go to overtime until Feder threw an INT into the hands of Olivier Gauthier that gave La Sauce control of the game late in the second half. AJ Rashkovan did a great job at containing Raymond in the pocket, but the Coyotes defense was too small to stop Francois Beauregard, whose height was a difference-maker, scoring 5 of Raymond’s 7 TDs. 

 

Thunder 27 – 20 Js

 

Thunder at Jarry Park

 

The closest game on paper was even closer in reality as Thunder managed to pull out a win in the dying moments of their game against the Js. With Remy Beauchamp sitting the game out due to a concussion, the Js were a 6-man roster with everyone playing both sides of the ball. Fatigue didn’t look to be a factor however, especially for Soryha Tum who recorded 3 receptions for 27 yards as well as 5 sacks and limited the Thunder rushing game to only 2 attempts for 3 yards. Three uncharacteristic INTs by Luong gave Thunder a slight advantage, but the Js’ defense intercepted 3 of their own to keep it close. Lavergne picked on the Js’ safeties on many occasions, one of which being to score and go up 20-13 with 5 plays left in the game. With 4 plays left, Luong connected with Billy Henri for the TD that brought the game within 1 point, and then converted the equalizer on the extra-point attempt. Unfortunately, the Js’ secondary was yet again exposed as Thunder scored a 40-yard bomb on the 2^nd last play to regain the lead and win this game.

 

Les Buddays 32 – 13 Affreux

 

Les Buddays, pas si amical

 

Shayne Turgeon’s squad of 12 showed why they are the #1 seed, defeating the seventh seeded Affreux. Mat Domon & co. got off to a rough start in this game, going down 19-0 in the first half. J.D. Joly and the rest of the receivers were unable to adjust to the physical play of Les Buddays’ defenders and could not to produce any offense, with dropped passes and a red-zone INT plaguing their success. A motivating pep-talk at halftime turned things around however, resulting in a score on their first possession, an interception on the next defensive stand resulting in yet another score, and one more INT! Things were coming up Affreux. Unfortunately, this series of events was followed by a Buddays defensive INT which would eventually lead to a nail-in-the-coffin-type score. The game had become out of reach.

 

 

 

The Week That Will Be

 

Les Buddays vs. Thunder

 

Previous meeting: Week 5 (Thunder 22 – 38 Les Buddays)

 

Les Buddays – This team is, in my not so humble opinion, the team to beat. If this will work against them is yet to be seen. It’s not uncommon to see teams come into what are perceived to be “easy” games and get beat because they were too complacent. Les Buddays tore up their Winter 2011 schedule only to meet a deceptive foe in the first round of the playoffs. They were a heavy favorite then, too. Not much has changed for this team; their roster has remained relatively untouched, they still boast a defense that’s unheard of in Division 5, and they still blew through their competition this season. The only difference will be if they realize their potential and claim ownership of the Division 5 throne, thus graduating to Division 4/C.   

 

Key to success: Any good Division 5 team needs to have an offence that can score on almost every possession. But rarely do we see a team that plays such solid defense; only one team allowed fewer points than Les Buddays over the course of the regular season. Conversely, those who watch Thunder games know that their offense isn’t opposed to throwing the 40-yards bombs when necessary. In this kind of context, Les Buddays may find themselves in a situation where their drives are matched by a quick-strike offence, thus tiring them out and potentially having negative consequences over the length of an entire game. If Les Buddays want to be successful, they are going to have to prevent Bruno Lavergne from connecting on his patented power bombs. (Incidentally, I find taking a power bomb before writing loosens up my creativity.)     

 

Thunder – Some may say this team has yo-yoed all season and their losses prove they are not ready to be considered to be among the league’s elite. However, those same people won’t deny that their schedule was quite unforgiving. Two of their three losses came against teams who have made it down to FPF’s version of the Final Four (Les Buddays included). What’s also to be noted is that those two losses (Les Buddays & Mustangs) were suffered while Bruno Lavergne was playing the field, and not QB. This may have been because Thunder decided they needed more size to match up with these teams. Clearly it did not pay off then, but I have a feeling it may produce dividends in a way they had not anticipated. Thunder’s next game and possibly its final come against teams who have not faced Lavergne this season. Will Thunder be at an advantage in this sense? 

  

Key to success: It’s easy to say that Thunder need to be “perfect” to win this game. But I’m not sure this is even necessarily true. I think if Thunder could find a way to shut down J.C. Binette and Shayne Turgeon – and Jason Charbonneau if they have the resources – that they could surprise Les Buddays if they can put up approximately six scores. Perhaps a man or hybrid man/zone defense in which these two – ideally three – guys are targeted will shock Les Buddays enough for Thunder to pull ahead and hold on.   

 

Prediction: Both teams have, unfortunately for Thunder, improved since their week 5 matchup; Les Buddays 41 – Thunder 28.

 

Guest Prediction – Mathieu Domon (Affreux): Les Buddays by 10.

 

La Sauce vs. Mustangs du Gridiron

Par Simon Dagenais

Previous meeting: Week 5 (La Sauce 38 – 20 Mustangs du Gridiron)

 

La Sauce – Une équipe antérieurement pointé du doigt pour avoir “utilisé” des joueurs de divisions plus fortes pour les aider dans leur saison, La Sauce demeure un “powerhouse” en division 5, avec ou sans ces joueurs. Une équipe capable d’ouvrir la machine en deuxième demie, produire, et finir gagnante. Avec un Quart-arrière comme Francois Raymond (QB Rating de 110.1 en saison régulière avec un ratio de 28 TD pour 3 INT), capable de lancer 5 TD en 8 passes, j’aurais aucune crainte pour leur offensive. Avec un allignement aussi “polyvalent”, on sait jamais vers qui Raymond va se retourner. Probablement une de leur plus grande force, ça, et les jambes de Francois Raymond. 

 

Key players: Le running game de Francois Raymond / les mains de Francois Beauregard. Si ce Quart-arrière court, il fait des miracles et gagne ses premiers essais dans des moments critiques. Francois Beauregard, 7 TD en ses deux dernières parties en playoff, dont 5 la semaine dernière, il doit absolument être “shutdown”; une autre performance de la sorte et on verra La Sauce en final à Brossard. 

 

Mustangs du Gridiron – Se rendre en final de division est une chose, le faire en étant “underdog” en est une autre. Simon Vallée est complètement sous-estimé comme quart-arrière; QB Rating de 113.6 cette saison avec un ratio de 39 TD pour 2 INT, c’est monstrueux. Leur offensive produit, leur défensive capitalise sur les erreurs; quoi demander de plus ? Une équipe confiante affrontera, probablement, leur plus gros challenge de la saison samedi, en autant que le stresse reste sur le banc, ils devraient être à la hauteur.

 

Key players: Frank/Mathieu Boulard. Pas nécessairement le joueur le plus menaçant en saison régulière, mais dans les deux dernières parties, chacun semble avoir joué le match de leur vie respectivement (Considérant qu’ils ont chacun joué un match et fut absent à l’autre). Les statistiques ne mentent pas, ils sont dangereux autant offensivement que défensivement. Avec 3 Interceptions et 1 Pass Deflected et 2 TDs en playoff (Frank vs No Regard) et 4 TD (Mathieu vs Flying comics), je ferais particulièrement attention.

 

Prédiction : Ce sera la meilleure partie de la saison en Division 5 ; La Sauce 33 – Mustangs 26.

 

Guest Prediction – Mathieu Domon: La Sauce by 2.

 

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If there could be one thing I’d be allowed to steal from G.M. Kolethras, it would be his fashion sense. He’s quite the fascist. If there could be a second, it would be his “Quote of the Week” segment. I couldn’t resist this week when I heard something that made me swell with pride…

 

Anthony Carbone: I don’t know if I trust D’Anna. I feel like he’s some kind of evil genius.

 

Genius?

 

Yes.

 

Evil?

 

Yes.

 

Email?

 

[email protected]