The Midseason Report

Peeze’s Playbook

Week 5

Paolo Della Rocca

I’m running really late this week.  Next week’s intro will include a full introduction with my reflections upon Father’s Day and a short Rant about Justin Beiber (it’s not what you think it is).  With out further delay, Here’s the behemoth known as the Mid Season Report:

Peeze’s Mail Sack

Every week I go through the bottomless pit of hatred known as Twitter and face the howling masses in the echo chamber.  I use this platform to respond to all hate-mail, questions, hopes dreams and nonsense.  Here we go:

Andel Thomas-Gordon @AndelTGXII 4h

4 hours ago

@PeezeFPF how’s that article coming along ?

 

Peeze-Twenty pages in and about to submit.  I know you’ve missed me. It’s times like this that I truly feel loved.

 

a to the trizzLe. @trottatize Jun 14

@PeezeFPF bro youre not funny. just stop

 

Peeze-I will not.  Thank you for the suggestion.

 

ALEXRAVENS @iamalexravens Jun 11

@PeezeFPF so on a scale of 9 to 10, how sad is Panda’s season?

 

Peeze-I’ll do you one better.  I’ll rank it below on a scale from A-F. Speaking of A-F…your season has been disappointing AF.

 

a to the trizzLe. 

@trottatize

@BADNEWSB51 nice podcast. is peeze as uncool in person? 

 

Peeze-Far less cool than you can imagine.  On a side note, there’s probably someone you can pay to show you affection.  A hug perhaps. Who knows, it may go a long way.

 

The Mid-Season Report

The Grading System

Every season I use an unnecessarily complicated grading system that players find confusing and gives me nothing but grief and fills my inbox with hate mail,  However, since I love chaos, I refuse to change the grading system.

Firstly, your ranking is related to how you are currently playing and not necessarily how I predict that you will finish the season.  For this reason you may be currently ranked ahead of another team while having a worse predicted record or vice versa.  The key players don’t refer to the most talented players but rather the players who have had the greatest impact on the team half way through the season.

Finally, as for the letter grades, here is what they stand for

A:You’ve far exceeded expectations

B: You’ve exceeded expectations

C: You are performing pretty much as I expected you would prior to the season

D: You are not meeting the expectations I had for you.

F: You are failing based on the expectations set for you

It isn’t a fair system but your records will already sort you accordingly in the standings so I like to use this scale so that the content will be more than me just describing your teams and mechanically ranking you all by record.

 

Division D-1

1. KGP RA (5-0) 

It isn’t an interesting place to start but it’s hard to consider any other team as the top ranked team given KGP’s dominance on both sides of the ball. K-G-P-R-A are winning games by an average of 15.8 points per game and off season acquisition Nathanial Niedermann has led the charge with 8 touchdowns.  Adding Neidermann to one of the strongest teams in the division is like Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors.  This team is built intelligently as they have a great combination of young players (Jonathan Garfinkle and Dylan and Ryan Gaber come to mind) and experienced FPF talent such as Phil Cutler.  The Garber brothers have split more time as the pivot than expected but the two have combined for 19 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. The team expects to improve with the addition of Juwan Edghill who will likely take the field starting week 6

Key players: Jonathan Garfinkle, Nathaniel Niedermann, Phil Cutler

Grade: B

Predicted Record: 9-1

 

2. Kiwi Island (5-0)

The last 3 weeks have shown tougher games for Kiwi Island as they have begun to face tougher competition.  They won all three games by a combined 10 points after averaging a point differential of +30 in their first 2 games.  However, Kiwi have found a way to win their harder games.  While they would argue “clutchness” I would argue that it’s harder to beat better teams.  Joey Florillo has impressed me as a quarterback and while the team won a game with Jonathan Goyette at quarterback, it is clear that they are simply a better team with Florillo at quarterback. Florillo’s speed, ability to break rushers and deliver a hard, well placed ball makes him fairly special.  The team’s receiving corps is well built as well as Anthony Mangione, Anthony and Dan Lazarra provide big strong targets while AJ Gomes provides speed to attack their opponents in the second level and beyond. The key to success is on the defensive side however where Kiwi Island have forced turnovers in every game.  Even as the games have gotten tighter, the Kiwi island D have given their offense more possessions.

Key Players: AJ Gomes, Joey Florillo, Anthony Lazzara

Grade: A+

Predicted Record: 8-2   

 

3. Straight Outta Breath (4-1)

Straight Outta Breath are an interesting case study for me.  I had moderate expectations for this team Max Marini had a good first season in FPF but he didn’t exactly dominate the lowest division (33TDs and 11 ints in Winter 2014).  Expecting that there would be a drop off as SOB moved to a higher division I assumed that this would be a good team that struggled early.  This hasn’t been the case. Despite a fairly light schedule so far (having played only one team with a winning record), Straight Outta Breath have been impressive.  They’ve beaten the teams put before them and the tandem of Shaq Lattimore and Kyle McGuigan have been devastating.   When you consider that they have that much talent in addition to Max Marini’s connection with brother Mickey, this team truly has a fearsome offense. Rusher Surya Chandel is a key on their defense as he continuously applies pressure while causing sacks or forcing errant throws.

 

 

4. Get Off My D (4-1) 

Last week I described them as “horrifically boring”.  I will not move from that stance.  GOMD have to play the slowest style of Flag Football in FPF.  However, Jeff Rosenblatt deserves credit for knowing that while he will struggle to go score for score against a more dynamic defense, he knows that he will win most games limited to 5-6 possessions per team and that he will make less mistakes than his opposing number in such games.  The team has not lost since a week one loss where they looked as rusty as I’ve ever seen them.  Part of what makes this work is how well this defense works as a unit. Jad Aridi and Daniel Farag are two of the more competent defenders in the division. While Kevin Boustany is somewhat underused on the offense his presence is felt on the defensive side of the field. Ryan Tereskewitz does provide the team with some offensive explosiveness as he leads the team with 13.7 yards per catch.  This isn’t synchronized swimming. Teams are not judged on how pretty it looks but rather in wins and losses and Get off My D will have many more wins than losses this season.

Key players: Jad Aridi, Daniel Farag, Jeff Rosenblatt

Grade: A-

Predicted Record: 7-3

 

5. Supply And Command (3-1-1)

By Simon Dagenais

The return of Justin Blanchard as the QB for Supply and Command really brought the franchise back to its roots and finding success once again. When an offensive unit averages 30+ points per game, you know it’s bound to have a successful season. The additions of Sami Beg and William Power as the new top two receivers are really paying dividends early as both receivers currently have 13 of the current 21 touchdowns. With 9 interceptions on the season, SnC is slowly turning into a powerhouse in Division D-1 led by QB and potential two-way candidate Justin Blanchard. Unless someone can figure out a way to contain their offensive one-two punch and keep Justin Blanchard in the pocket, SnC will continue to climb the ranks this season. 

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 7-2-1

 

6. Diablos (3-1-1)

Coming into the season.  I thought the Diablos were given a fairly difficult schedule. However, with half a season of hindsight, it is plain to see that they have faced only one team with a winning record thus far. They tied their only game against a team with a winning record and lost to a reeling Frosty Bronsons team. However, the Diablos are still a 3-win team thus far and that is worth noting. Their next 3 games have them facing Les Verges Aeriennes (who are stronger than their record shows), Kiwi Island and Get Off My D.  Winning two of the next three games would be surprising, but would indicate that they truly are a contender for the title. Francois Martin does a great job of protecting the ball especially when you consider his fun & gun style where he usually launches the long ball more often than not.  He has learned to be more patient and take what the defense has given him.  Alexandre Noel has had a profound impact on the team as he has already caught 20 passes for 286 yards and 7 touchdowns.  The defense is led by Benoit Milette and Marc-Andre Lapointe who have 4 interceptions apiece.  Diablos have enough weapons to scare but it also appears that they cannot fit Marc-Andre Lapointe, Alexis Gaumont, Gabriel Wiseman and Alexandre Noel under the Division D-1 cap for a single game.  They have rotated pieces well and a team with 4 of 5 of these men is still a divisional super team.  However, my belief is that Marc-Andre Lapointe will be the one on the chopping block and this hurts given his impact on both sides of the ball.

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 6-3-1 

 

 

7. Les Affreux (3-2)

Les Affreux are traditionally a great early-season team. I expected a fall off after going 3-0 to start the season.  However, I did not think they would then go 0-2 in the following two weeks. What is most disconcerting is that they have lost to Straight Outta Breath and KGP RA in back to back weeks in two blowout losses.  This indicates to me that they are not in the same league as the top tier teams in the Division. So far, the only three teams that Les Affreux have beaten have a combined 2 wins between them. Jonathan Lemieux is limited at times but when he is on his game is difficult to stop. 

 

Key Players: David Faucher, Simon Richard, J.D. Joly
Grade: D

Predicted Record: 6-4

 

8. Fun Boys (2-3)

Coming into the season my questions surrounding this team centered on whether or not Scott Mironowicz could shoulder the load.  I will say after watching 2 of their games and having faced them, the Fun Boys are in good hands with Mironowicz.  Mironowicz throws a hard ball and is especially effective on short to intermediate passes.  His game relies too heavily on pre-snap reads and attempting to attack the same zones and expecting that defenses won’t adjust.  If his ability to go through progressions improves I have no doubt that he can be a top tier quarterback.  One of the only games Fun boys lost was a game that featured Derrick Eason at the pivot. While Eason is a versatile defender and competent receiver, he is not a polished quarterback and that game kept this team from entering the halfway point of the season on the right side of .500.  Since he has arrived in week 3 the game plan has been go to Kyle Smith early and often.  Smith has 9 touchdowns in three games and is on pace to catch 24 touchdowns in only 8 games.  It is hard to pick on an offense who has not scored less than 27 points (with Mironowicz at QB) but I will say that they are becoming a little one dimensional. Brandon Parm is a solid possession receiver and Hendrik Mosink is a good athlete. I would like to see them more involved in the game plan.

Key Players: Kyle Smith, Scott Mironowicz, Brendan Parm
Grade: B-

Predicted Record: 5-5

 

9. TOPSZN (3-2)

They have come into the season with a typical question in that we didn’t know that know what kind of production they would get out of the quarterback position.  I was weary when I heard that Khalil Kerr would be the quarterback because that would remove Kerr from the receiving corps. So far Kerr has already thrown 19 touchdowns and he has run for another while running for 253 yards.  The receiving corps has also been getting their work done with Kerr at the quarterback position.  They are somewhat limited with Hasari Worrell and Kevin Donnet accounting for roughly 60% of the offense. Still, the calling card for this team is on the other side of the ball. Matthew Canuel leads the team with 4 interceptions and players such as Andel Thomas-Gordon and Shane Blackwood anchor their defense with the ability to take looks away in coverage. I didn’t know entirely what to make of TOPSZN heading into the season and thus, I am pleasantly surprised. The second half of their schedule is brutal so I may be caught selling TOPSZN short once again but in that case I’ll be happy to be proven wrong.

Key Players: Khalil Kerr, Hasari Worrell, Kevin Donnet

Grade: A-

Predicted Record: 5-5

 

10. Les Verges Aeriennes (3-2)

The problem with Les Verges Aeriennes is that they are entirely dependable.  That seems ridiculous as dependability would appear, on the surface, to be a desirable trait.  However while the girl you met at choir practice is dependable she is not the model you dreamt of on many an adolescent nights.  The choir girl is fine but she won’t provide all the excitement of the girl who’s a 10/10 and has a penchant of passing out in hotel lobbies, a taste for wild parties and the disregard for inhibition that is required to have sexual intercourse in your boss’ closet.  LVA need some of that in their lives.  At the moment they are beating the teams we expect them to (a struggling Frosty Bronsons and Green Lantern Corps) but losing to strong teams or teams that are capable of scoring a lot of points (Supply and Command and ICU).  Chris Rivest is as dependable as they come but this kitschy offense is one that has experienced teams adjusting to and keeping Les Verges Aeriennes from being a true contender.  Justin Cerantola has 29 catches and Alex Pereda has 22 catches. The two receivers have combined for 12 touchdowns. The rest of the team has 22 catches and 7 Touchdowns combined.  In order for this team to be more successful everyone on the roster needs to become a threat and this will make them far less predictable and dangerous. The players who need to get more involved on offense are David Dagenais and Nicolas Tardiff.  They are dependable players that can be leaned on in key moments.  

Key Players: Justin Cerantola, Chris Rivest, Alexandre Pereda
Grade: C

Predicted Record: 5-5

 

11. Globo Gym Purple Cobras (2-3)

I had high expectations for this team.  I mean this truly as a reflection of their ability vis-à-vis their performance and not my state of mind when watching the Ben Stiller classic: Dodgeball.  Joey Taylor finds ways to get open, Kristian Cerantola is a great athlete and addition to the team and the same can be said of Zach Zwirn.  Zwirn has been a solid possession receiver tallying 21 catches already but Cerantola has only caught 9 balls despite averaging 17 yards per catch. Alex Joltopuf rounds up a should-be dominant unit who have been quite disappointing to start the season. The most frustrating part of the season has been that Quarterback Eric Maiorino has been decent (20 TDs:8 ints).  However, the team is simply not closing games. Every game decided by a touchdown or less has gone against them.  The second half of their schedule is very mixed as they face either top tier teams or bottom feeders week to week.  GGCP may be destined for middle of the pack.

Key Players: Joey Taylor, Alex Joltopuf, Zach Zwirn

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (5-5)

 

12. Frosty Bronsons (2-3)

This team is falling short of expectations. After a Quarter Final exit in the Winter 2017 playoffs and a loss in the Spring 2016 Championship game, we expected the Frosty Bronsons to be one of the front runners in the division.  Frosty have beaten Diablos who are certainly one of the top teams in the division but their only other win was in a 1 point game over Badgers who are another underperforming team as well. James Nowakowski has not been sharp. In three games this season Nowakowski has completed less than 46% of his passes.  While he has a total of 19 Touchdowns (17 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing TDs) but this isn’t being done efficiently.  Alex Holowach, Terry Tam and Patrick Geffard round up a very good receiving corps and JS Collin and GM Kolethras are nice ancillary pieces that compliment any offense.  Andre Frederick has not had the impact I expected him to on defense and James Nowakoski himself as provided little relief for the offense in that he has not recorded a single interception so far. Their last three games look difficult as well. Expect this to be a trying season for the Bronsons.

Key Players: James Nowakowski, Alex Holowach, Pattrick Geffard

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: 4-6

 

13. ICU (2-3)

Early in the season, ICU has looked like a solid offensive team that has struggled to prevent other teams from scoring.  They have been all feast or famine as they started with a starving 0-3 record only to feast on their next 2 opponents. Chris Olson’s play calling is not the strongest but he has a fairly accurate arm and the ability to buy time which is unexpected from a player of his stature. With Domenic Benevento snapping, Olson has an outlet receiver who can run by players in the open field.  Eddy Lee is the best two way player on this roster and he leads the team with 8 receiving touchdowns.  The defense on the team has improved and Ronald Aidrien Jr. who has not stats recorded due to the lack of a number on his jersey has been a leading force behind this defensive recovery. ICU has improved and the second have of their schedule will likely provide little resistance.

Key Players: Chris Olson, Eddy Lee, Domenic Benevento

Grade: C

Predicted Record: (5-5)

 

14. Badgers (2-3)

The badgers have been plagued with the roster inconsistency issues that seem to plague many teams in the spring season. AJ Rashkovan, Eric Buzgalo and Kyle Pedvis are the only three players to play in all five games this season. The main issue here is that starting quarterback Josh Feder has only played 3 games thus far. What further complicates things is that they are 1-2 when he’s present at the games.  AJ Rashkovan and Kyle Pedvis have been key on this offense but this may be more a feature of opportunity than by design.  Joseph Kano is criminally under used in this offense and Sammy Feder is a good enough athlete that he can do more than a handful of short targets on hooks.  The Badgers are a collection of talent that I thought would fall short in more games than not. This will continue to be the case as they look to figure out what their team identity is.

Key Players: AJ Rashkovan, Joseph Kano, Kyle Pedvis or, whoever shows up on a given week.

Grade: C

Predicted Record: 3-7

 

15. Go Ghetters (2-3)

I expected this to be a strong team despite the surprise at quarterback. The Kinder Surpise was revealed to be none other than Dilan Daoust.  The last two weeks have been a struggle for him as he has thrown 5 interceptions and been sacked 4 times.  Dilan has a cannon for an arm, but the decision making has been slow and spotty.  What hasn’t helped is the absence of Jeremy Anderson and Jordan Moses who had little to no regard for their livers in Cancun and were gone for a week.  With the full roster intact Go Ghetters are a tough out for anyone.  I will expect better work from their defense that has seen only 3 sacks from pass rushing extraordinaire Mathew Barsetti and only 4 interceptions from their defense combines (Dilan Daoust (2), Jeremy Anderson and Mathieu Menniti being the recipients). Raffi Di Tella has also recorded 4 sacks but it begs the question of whether having to solid rusher’ means that one player is less effective in coverage? 

Key Players: Jordan Moses, Jeremy Anderson, Dilan Daoust.

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: 4-6

 

 

16. Dreamville (2-3)

Dreamville lack the top end talent and the roster consistency that allows this team to truly be competitive.  I thought before the season that this team would live to break hearts. This was the case in two of their three losses where they lost by 6 points or less (they did get blown out by the Fun Boys when they lost 40-14).  Andrew Lagnburt has done what he can for this team in that he leads the team in catches, total yards and interceptions. Yossi Saleh has been a great redzone target as 6 of his 11 catches (54.5%) of his catches have gone for touchdowns.  Eli Saleh has a completion percentage of nearly 60% and he hasn’t been awful at protecting the ball. However, 11 touchdowns is simply not enough for this team to stay competitive.  This team has seen Francois Raymond, Dave Chitayat, and Kyle Tanzer have suited up for their team. If Dreamville can add one of these pieces they will be far more competitive.

Key Players: Andrew Langburt, Yossi Saleh, Eli Saleh

Grade: C

Predicted Record: (3-7) 

 

17. Bruh Mitzfah (1-4)

To put it simply, there are too many good players on this team to be as bad as they are. Devin Daoust, Jared Buck, Marty Freedman and Zack Goldstein round up an excellent receiving corps.  David Daoust has been rusty at the quarterback position but, it does seem that this collection of pieces that have failed to develop consistent timing and spacing.  Daoust, has also thrown 12 interceptions which is far too many considering how these receivers should be separating from their defenders.  I will give them some reprieve as the top half of their schedule has pitted them against 5 solid teams where even those who have losing records are quite capable.  The schedule does not ease up by a ton but, I do expect that their own performance will improve by playoff time but it will have little effect on their record.

Key Players: David Daoust, Zack Goldstein, Marty Freedman

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (2-8)

 

18. Backyard Bruisers (1-4)

Chris Pendenza’s stats have been impossible to discuss as his stats were not retained for jersey-related reasons. My guess would be, given that the Bruisers have only scored 115 points, he has not been great.  Pendenza’s play has improved over the last two weeks which culminated into a close loss to KGP RA and a win over the then undefeated Straight Outta Breath. What has amazed me about many of these bottom tier teams is that they have a lot of talented receiving corps. This is no exception with Rich Humes, Derrick Fontana and Jonathan McQueen all appearing on the roster.  Other than Rich Humes, I would argue that the rest of the talent is underused. Even Derrick Fontana who has 11 catches and is averaging 13.3 yards per catch has not had the impact I thought he would coming into the season.  The team is also rotating rushers and the leading sack-getter on the team is Devon Watt who has posted a very “un-Watt” like performance with 2 sacks. I thought this team was going to be an elite team the entire season.  This has not been the case so far. The rest of their schedule isn’t a cake walk so they will need ot make true strides to make the playoffs.

Key Players: Rich Humes, Derrick Fontana, Chris Pendenza

Grade: F

Predicted record: (3-7)

 

19. Green Lantern Corps (0-5)

The worst thing about GLC is that they have a lot of high end talent. Franck Ngandui runs like a recently uncaged bull who has nefarious plans for your china.  Mendy Cardichon is a great deep ball threat who is likely unparalleled in division D. Jerson Previllon is a gifted athlete who plays the game highly intelligently. The roster hasa lot of talent but there are glaring weaknesses. The team does not have one sack through 5 games and Alex Andrescu has the team’s only interception. This has put far too much pressure on the offense.  On offense, it appears as though Max Kevin Joceyln is not being used nearly enough.  His size out of the snapper position is difficult to cover. Hai Minh Luong was brought in to stabilize GLC’s QB position.  However, despite his talent, Luong’s game seems a little out of date.  All of his reads are presnap and defenses are far less static than when Hai Minh Luong started playing in FPF.  This has seen his touchdown to interception ratio drop significantly and the man who was once known as one of the safest passers in the game has begun to turn the ball over far too often. If Hai Minh Luong can script some plays to help him when games are getting out of hand, GLC will improve.  However, I do not think this season will see much improvement for GLC.

Key Players: Franck Ngandui, Mendy Cardichon, Jerson Previllon.

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: 0-10

 

20. Zoo (0-5)

Francois Martin and I had very different opinions on Zoo heading into the season. I thought that Zoo would struggle (mostly a byproduct of their very difficult schedule) and Francois considered Zoo to be the top team in the division.  Frank Kaye’s injury has affected this team greatly. Kaye is as reliable as they come at quarterback and it was awful to hear that he would be missing the rest of the season. Patrick St.Amand has filled in admirably but, having him at QB has also removed him from the receiving corps.  Kevin Marcil and Etienne Vaillancourt have filled in well and the less familiar Martin Bergeron and Yan Vendelac have been somewhat dynamic for this team as well. Unfortunately, missing their quarterback and top receiver, Zoo seem to have no main attraction.  They still have yet to face Kiwi Island or Supply and Command; Backyard Bruisers have improved as of late and Globo Gym Purple Cobras are simply a better team.

Key Players: Patrick St.Amand, Kevin Marcil, Yan Vendelac

Grade: C

Predicted Record: 0-10

 

Division D-2

1.Ravens (5-0)

Is it bias when you’re right? Sure I came up in the league playing with the likes of Alex David and the Addona brothers.  However, while proud of my friends I must say that I expected Ravens to be a dominant team in Division D-2.  Frankly, I was surprised when I saw that they were not classified as a D-1 team.  The team is well made and more importantly, made to fit for Alex David. Alex David is a smart quarterback with great field vision and has a playbook that can crush a small animal. Mathieu Houle, Danio and Anthony Addona are star receivers who are long and athletic and their catch radiuses make up for David’s spotty accuracy.  Alex David is calling plays that create space for his talented receivers and they are rewarding him with stellar play. The injury to snapper/rusher Mike Addona hurts (especially given his 11 sacks through 4 games) but this is an adaptable team.  Expect to see them at the roadshow!

Key Players: Anthony Addona, Mathieu Houle, Alex David

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 9-1

 

2.Les Montagnards (4-0-1)

The tie keeps Les Montagnards undefeated and I continue to be impressed by the play of QB Julien Fiset-Cyr. Fiset-Cyr is this group’s former QB from high school flag football and he knows his team well.  However, given that he did not have an FPF pedigree and hadn’t played in years, he was a huge question mark heading into the season.  With 22 touchdowns and 5 interceptions thrown by the halfway point I believe that it is safe to say that that question mark has been erased.  The team came into the season with Anthony Garant as the main threat.  However, due to an ACL injury last season, Garant is out and Fred “FD” Viens is in.  FD is a dynamic receiver and the Division 1 caliber wide-out has been making defences pay all season long.  His brother Marc-Antoine Viens is big, fast and in the open field looks like that boulder that chased Indiana Jones away.  This team is solid from top to bottom and will lead more games than not.  Heir defence is built to protect a lead so this will play favourably for them for the rest of the season.  

Key Players: Anthony Addona, Mathieu Houle, Alex David

Grade: A

Predicted Record: 8-1-1

 

3. Trinity (4-1)

While a Trinity/Ravens final is not a stretch of the imagination, the Trinity loss to Still Preaching in week 4 is disconcerting.  They have size and speed and Jean-Felix Marquis has an absolute cannon and the ability to throw the deep ball accurately. Benjamin Danserault Leclerc is a phenomenal athlete who has an impact in every game he plays. His impact is not always apparent on the stat sheet but his ability to make plays at any instant. Alexis Bessette was a huge acquisition in the off season but his injury has left the more than capable receiving trio of Alexandre Jubinville, Alexandre Samson and Vincent Marquis ready to do damage.  The loss to still Preaching shows a little immaturity on the part of Trinity.  They tend to struggle in games where they can’t just win by being superior athletes.  If they manage games better, we’ll see them at their 2nd championship game in 3 seasons.The week 8 game against Montagnards will show us if they are ready to make that step. 

Key Players: Jean Felix Marquis, Alexandre Jubinville, Alexanfre Samson

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 8-2

 

4.Warriors (4-1)

Believe it or not the Warriors could have registered for Division E this spring (somehow?!?!?!?).  They have come into the season with a chip on their shoulder and they are determined to make a household names for themselves.  Michael Solimene is a big armed quarterback who takes chances and allows for his players to make plays for him.  Angelo Mourelatos is a solid possession receiver with speed to take the quick hooks and crosses up field. Meanwhile, Januson Vas helps stretch the field with his size while Peter Giannis attacks with raw speed.  This is to say nothing of the team leading scorer, Stefano Solimene who has already caught 10 touchdowns. On defence, the Warriors capitalize on their size and athleticism and their versatility as many of their players are effective on both sides of the ball. In the past I have been crtical of the Warriors with regards to how they comport themselves with officials.  They seem to be learning that it’s unnecessary to cry for flags after every play.  That level of FPF maturity comes with time but, their talent is something that has never been in doubt. 

Key Players: Michael Solimene, Stefano Solimene, Peter Giannis

Grade: C

Predicted Record: 8-2

 

5.All Hooks (4-1)

I thought about moving All hooks higher when you consider that their only loss came without quarterback Charles Olivier Lavigne. They also looked fine, if less imposing last week in the second of Lavigne’s two absences.The reason I haven’t ranked them higher is that All Hooks faced one of the top dogs and lost (Trinity).  They have two more games ahead against contenders (Warriors and Les Montagnards).  I feel those games well help us decipher what kind of threat they may be.  CO Lavigne is the best dual threat quarterback in the division.  In three games he had 11 all purpose touchdowns and had a 118.6 QB rating. Jean Christophe Feralnd and Cezar Martinez have done decently this season but have suffered greatly from not having their quarterback present as they each have only 3 touchdowns.  All Hooks however are all about defence as they tend to control the pace and are led by a great rusher by the name of Thomas Coutu (who has 7 sacks).  

Key Players: Charles Olivier Lavigne, Thomas Coutu, Jean Christophe Ferland

Grade: A-

Predicted Record: 7-3

 

6.Smoking on that Lalla (2-2-1)

I said coming into the season that Avery Lalla was going to hammer this division.  However, there were some growing pains to begin with.  In the last three weeks however, Lalla has looked like the QB he has promised to be.  The team is 2-0-1 in their last three weeks and has become more and more comfortable with his teammates.  Brent Callendar is having a breakout season as a receiver (16 catches and 3 TDs) while Jordan Murphy and Dwante Morgan are doing very well since emerging onto the FPF senior scene. Tony Lalla’s performance has appeared in the form of a solid contribution.  However, I did expect more from the father and son connection. Lalla however has transformed this defence from week 3 onward and he leads the charge with 3 interceptions. Their schedule is a little imbalanced but there are some winnable games on the docket. 

Key Players: Avery Lalla, Brent Callender, Tony Lalla

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: 6-4

 

7.Lobster Dinner (3-2)

This next tier of teams are good but somewhat flawed. Lobster Dinner is no exception.  Jonathan Brown is a very good play caller and he has an accurate arm that isn’t the strongest but strong enough for most throws.  Brown’s key weakness has always been that he doesn’t always read the field well in pre-snap.  A good, athletic defence will be able to disrupt his passing game.  This is why it is important for Lobster Dinner to dictate the course of the game. They lost two games, one in the absence of Brown and the other to Trinity. Brian Eudoxie and Simon Duchesne have been the consistent deep and scoring threats for this team while Eric Pawlusiak has been a solid possession receiver all season.  On defence, LD has Hogued two of the division’s premier rushers(see what I did there).  Francois Hogue has 6 sacks and the team can turn to Brian Eudoxie at anytime to rush the passer as he is also an elite rusher. Lobster Dinner have done well although there does seem to be something missing.  They are one of the more consistent teams thus far but expect them to struggle against a difficult second half schedule.

Key Players: Jonathan Brown, Brian Eudoxie, Francois Hogue

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: 6-4

 

8.Big Fun Party Mix 8 (3-1-1)

The mix is good! Evan “Oathbreaker” Ely Nolet is on pace for his best season ever. He is competing over 60% of his passes and the party is on! Rico Tulino has begun to emerge as a star over the past few seasons (do stars emerge or are they just…there?). The receiving corps has also been bolstered by a 7 touchdown Darcy Cloherty campaign as well as Zackary Alberts Gil’s dependable contributions. Dean Demitrou is also putting together a great two way season but, I did expect him to do more in division D-2. Zackary Alberts Gil has continued to develop into one of the premier pass rushers in this division with 8 sacks. Big fun Party Mix will need to capitalize on their next three games because ending the season against Roadrunners and Ravens won’t be fun.  

Key Players: Darcy Cloherty, Rico Tulino, Zackary Alberts Gil

Grade: B

Predicted Record: 6-4

 

9.Buffalo Wild Wings (3-2)

The Wild Wings are one of the season’s most pleasant surprises.  Marc Andre Piette is far from perfect but he is a quick release quarterback with a very catchable ball. Vincent Guillette has been the lead beneficiary who’s 34 catches 299 yards and 5 TDs leads the team in all categories. Guillaume Vezina and Emilio Jaimes Leclerc are solid additional pieces and the Buffalo Wild Wings offence has scored 120 points so far this season. The defence is a cohesive unit who work well in space.  Guillaume Fontaine, has 3 interceptions and leads the team. The second half of their schedule is unrelenting.  While Buffalo Wild Wings are better than I thought they would be they are a team that will need a favourable matchup in order to succeed in the post season.

Key Players: Vincent Guillette, Guillaume Vezina, Guillaume Fontine.

Grade: A

Predicted Record: 5-5

 

10.Roadrunners (2-2-1)

Matthew Yanakoulias has had one of the quietest run toward a potential QBOY nod ever.  He is on pace to throw 50 touchdowns and his TD to int ratio is 8.333:1 which is absolutely phenomenal. Justin Lerner has put up 8 touchdowns while catching a team high 21 passes and 336 yards.  Yet, the Roadrunners have yet to capture our hearts and imagination. Perhaps it is that while they have scored 169 points, they have also allowed 146 points.  I understand that it is an offensive driven league however, the Roadrunners defence lies down easier then an Atlantic City hooker.  Perhaps that was crass…it pails in comparison to watching the Roadrunners defence which is simply atrocious. Daron Migdesyan is one of the few shining stars on this defence as he seems to do a little of everything for this defence and has been rewarded with two interceptions thus far.

Key Players: Matthew Yanakoulis, Justin Lerner, Daron Migdesyan

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (5-4-1)

 

11. Still Preaching (2-3)

Their performances have been all over the map but, in Lindor I trust. Pat Lindor is a fantastic athlete who’s only downfall is his tendency to make mental errors.  So far, as a quarterback, he has limited those mistakes.  The next big step for him will be to hike up that failing completion percentage (I consider 60% to be the standard in FPF). With such weapons as Alexis Labonte, Nic Saro and the extremely underrated Loix Robidoux, Lindor has the weapons to do so. As well, Vladimir Pirrus has had a nice season with 4 touchdown grabs so far, and Raphael Beauchamp-Desbois has had a nice volume of work with 18 catches.  The defence is solid but will need to improve slightly as they have allowed 30+ points in 3 games this season and this is not an offence that can go toe to toe with high scoring teams.

Key Players: Patrice Lindor, Nic Saro, Vladimir Pirrus

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: (5-5)

 

12.Vikings (2-2-1)

Phillipe Kotrabaty has paced the offence.  Five of his ten catches have gone for touchdowns and he is surrounded by talented players such as Nicholas Gendron Vallee and Sylvain Paquette.  This is the best version of the Vikings of which we’ve come to know over the past two seasons. Julien Schnick is the player who most needs to improve and improve quickly if the Vikings are to stand a chance. Other than the Warriors (against whom they lost), The Vikings have had a fairly easy schedule.  They also dropped a game against the Longhorns where their offence was entirely impotent. Their schedule is a little tougher in the second half of the season and they will have their opportunity to overcome adversity. The offence needs to start matching the output of their defence that is led by Jean Phillipe Lemelin’s 13 sacks.

Key Players: Phillipe Kotrabty, Sylvain Paquette, Jean Phillipe Lemelin

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 3-6-1

 

13.War Pigs (2-3)

If you asked the War Pigs, they probably would be surprised that they were ranked so highly.  This truly speaks to the lack of parity in Div D-2. Corey Walwaski has looked decent at quarterback and 6 of his 8 interceptions have come in the same game.  He has a wide repertoire of throws and is a competent play caller. On the opportunities I took to watch this team I noticed that the timing and spacing of routes were hugely problematic for a quarterback who uses concepts to free his receivers. David Belatrami has been the one player that Walwaski has counted on all season. His 8 touchdowns doubles the next highest scorer on this team. Guillaume Tremblay and Jeremy Gravel Kofsky are the two that are tied with the 2nd highest scoring totals for War Pigs (4 a piece). Charles Trembay has been all over the field collecting flags as he leads the team with 26 tackles but the defence itself has been stagnant with 5 interceptions and 3 sacks all season long. War Pigs have the hardest remaining schedule and I see frustrating days ahead for them. They are ranked 13 but this is a ranking for the current week, the end of the season will see them far lower.

Key Players:  Corey Walwaski, Guillaume Tremblay, Charles Tremblay

Grade: B-

Predicted Record: 2-8

 

14. Pandas (1-4)

I would be more comfortable predicting success for Pandas if Nirosh Suresh played more games this season.  However, seeing 1 under the GP column leads me to believe that this team is a one man relay team. Alexandre Bachaalani seems to be the only receiver who can hold on to quarterback Ryan Kharouf’s bullets.  The team are a good group of guys but the lack of football and/or FPF experience is glaring.  They make a lot of mistakes due to poor timing, spacing, route running and they drop way too many passes.  The defence is surprisingly stout for a unit that lacks said experience.  They communicate well to take looks away from opposing quarterbacks. Rami Abelnour has done a solid job against opposing quarterbacks and though his stats don’t show it, many throws are rushed and games that would otherwise be well in hand for the opposition are close games till the end.  The game in week 4 where they lost by 2 points to the Ravens is a case in point.  This team could easily have been 2-3 by the half way point.  One thing that can help improve their season is for defenders to stop giving away coverage by lining up differently (in terms of body positioning) for different coverages.  That small change would go a long way toward transforming Pandas into a top tier defence.

Key Players: Ryan Kharouf, Alexandre Bachaalani, Thomas G-Lajoie

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: (2-8)

 

15.Norfolk in Chance (2-3)

Just as I was about to move Norfolk up a couple of spots they lay an egg against Roadrunners.  Akeem Hoyte Charles did not like what I had to say about this team coming into the season.  I questioned his leadership and, to some degree I have been proven wrong (I do not mind admitting so when it is the case.) The team is working much closer together as a unit this season and Hoyte-Charles is a part of that. His 3 interceptions have more than made up for his lack of usage on offence.  On the other hand, Chris Miliard has shown that he is truly the best up an coming player in Division C. His 20 catches for 326 yards and 8 touchdowns has made this team far more compelling. With that has come the development of Quarterback Rocco Cristiano who is still very raw (and young!) but is becoming an efficient passer in FPF.  Their schedule does have some winnable games but until I see Christiano take the next step as a quarterback I’m unwilling to expect a ton from this team.

Key Players: Chris Miliard, Akeem Hoyte-Charles, Chris Williams 

Grade: B+

Predicted Record: 3-7

 

16.Goofy Goobers (1-4)

Goofy Goobers aren’t awful.  They are transitioning out of the Jarryd Taylor era and into the Styles Trudeau era. Styles has struggled adapting to the game.  With weapons such as Shamar Joessaint and Max Burah, their 1-4 record is surprising. They have a nice statement win over Roadrunners and they have lost the last two games by a score.  More importantly, they haven’t allowed more than 25 points in that span.  However, they are simply not scoring enough. Max Burah and Shamar Joassaint have combined for 9 touchdowns but Joassaint only has 9 catches.  When you consider that this duo is virtually uncoverable, one must concede that the offence simps isn’t working.

Key Players: Max Burah, Shamar Jossaint, Jack Zergiotis

Grade: F

Predicted Record: (3-7)

 

17.Longhorns (1-4)

What the f? The team needed to move away from Jon Moodie for a season so I had assumed they would be safe in the hands of Brad Evans.  My god, was I wrong. After playing in a hard fought loss to Les Montagnards week 1, Longhorns have struggled. Brad Evans is being somewhat careful with the ball but careless with field position as he has already taken 22 sacks and is averaging 8.2 yards per pass. Considering further that he has a renowned snapper in Dave Allen, that makes even less sense. Jon Moodie has done what he can to help his replacement by catching 14 passes so far this season.  However, at this point, 14 passes for your leader in receptions is far too low. Adam Rosen and Myles Keiler can stretch the field but they simply are not being used enough in this offense. Moreover, the team has combined for only 4 interceptions and 3 sacks so far. I think this will be a regrettable season for the Longhorns. 

Key Players: Jon Moodie, Male Keiller,Adam Rosen 

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: 2-8

 

18.Red Sharks (1-4)

My newest colleague Marc-Andre Desulaniers seems to be amidst chaos for Red Sharks. With Luis Begin hurting himself before the season, Red Sharks moved to Alexandre Guertin who was unable to find rhythm with his new team.  He was since replaced by Jonathan Doughlin and he seems to be the kind of quarterback to run hot and cold (it is notable that he was the pivot for the team’s only win this season). Luis Begin threw last week and was largely inadequate (given his 2 passing touchdowns and 85 yards passing).  The team seems to have been built around Begin’s ability to use his legs and run for yardage.  This is only truly effective if the defence will be scared off by the running ab’s ability to pass.  This does not seem be the case for Red Sharks. The one positive on offence appears to be Pascal Nkenue who has turned 15 catches into 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. The rest of the offence has yet to see a receiver eclipse 100 yards.  This is difficult to believe when you imagine thatchy have such large possession receivers such as Marc-Andre Deslauniers and Alex Guertin.This will be a tough pill to swallow but I think the Red Sharks are all but beached.

Key Players: Luis Begin, Pascal Nkenue, Marc-Andre Deslauniers

Grade: D

Predicted Record: 2-8

 

19.Black Knights (1-4)

This is a horrendous start for a team that was in the middle of the pack last season. Darryl Dorcely and Anthony Siggia anchor a tough and big bodied defence that also houses Reginald and Michael Cafe as well as Stephane Larosilliere.  The most frustrating thing about Black Knights is that they continue to struggle with Joe Marceli at the pivot when the team has FPF rising star Jimmy Lee Javier and former Carabins quarterback Stephane Larosiliere on the roster.  Instead their anemic offence continues to carry on their business and run play concepts that are not working and make it to hard for a quarterback in Marceli who simply has not shown enough skill at the position. Anthony Siggia has been his most reliable target and is leading the team with 28 catches so far. The team is active on defence as formentioned and Darryl Dorcely and Anthony Siggia are responsible for 8 of the team’s 13 interceptions.  However, until the offence is repaired the defence will fail to lit the knights from this current funk.

Key Players: Darryl Dorcely, Anthony Siggia, Carl-Philippe Lajunesse

Grade: D-

Predicted Record: (1-9)

 

20.ETC (0-4-1)

I don’t know why ETC didn’t register for Divison E.  It appears as though their team fits the cap for the lower division and, other than a week 1 tie against the Vikings, ETC have had little to write home about.The team seems sold on Benjamin McMahon as quarterback moving forward.  That’s probably the best decision since he is playing well. He isn’t throwing a ton of touchdowns but, he is protecting the ball and the only way for him to improve is with reps. McMahon is a gifted runner who can become truly dangerous if he can start to complete closer to 60% of his passes. Former quarterback Owen Bujarsky has developed a solid rapport and leads the team with 15 catches. Moreover, Philip Roberts Jr. has shown the ability to contribute in a variety of way which is helpful for new teams.  This should be a learning experience for ETC.  Once they learn the flag game and decide which players are the best fit, they will succeed in future seasons. 

Key Players: Benjamin McMahon, Owen Bujarsky, Philip Roberts Jr.

Grade: C-

Predicted Record: 0-9-1

 

Sunday’s Suit Separates

It’s finally done!  The midseason report is the worst thing ever.  Our writers all hate doing it because it is insanely time consuming but we recognize how much the players love it and thus, we pretend to be happy to oblige.

For further analysis, tune in to the official FPF Division D podcast “Calling the Audible,” where Moe Khan and Alex Holowach discuss family members that look like super heroes, the importance of cartwheels and the best hair cuts for people with thinning hair. Tune in to www.youtube.com/flagplus on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. or download the podcast on iTunes or Podomatic!