Categories: DivisionDivision ADivision BMen'sSpring

Week 4: Parity and upsets

True parity.

How crazy is it that the number one team in Division A is Rainmakers and the last spot is held by Rare Bears? And that everyone else is 2-2? Could DivA finally found a way to achieve true parity or has the dominos fell in a certain way that we’d think it does, but it’s still the same old song and dance?

Division B is quite the opposite with two teams holding bragging rights sitting pretty undefeated and a team lagging behind with a single loss (I’m truly happy to say no one is 0-4 though).

Although some of you may disagree with me, the perfect division would see every team finish 5-5. Obviously, such a thing can never happen, but one could dream, right?

Let’s get started.

 

Week 4

Rainmakers beat DA Finest for just the second time EVER (Both times were during Spring season), Top Guns show strength and top Rare Bears, Monstars edge Braves, Drop the Mic drops a whoopin’ 50 and Rich & Famous can’t complete the grandiose comeback. All in all, a pretty good week.

 

Thoughts of the Week

  • After basing my Power Rankings on Justin’s week 3’s, I must admit it makes my work seem more legitimate. Maybe I should do it more often.
  • How could Justin not enjoy this segment is beyond me.
  • Cheering for Rainmakers gives you heartaches; they weren’t allowed to choke THAT hard. Good thing they won.
  • A team’s roster is only as good as whatever shows up against you. If they fit under the cap, it’s legitimate.
  • I’m really loving what I’m seeing from Top Guns so far. Except the revolving door at QB; I’m still not sold on that though.
  • Broccasion drops 45 on Coyotes? Color me impressed. They needed it, I’m happy they got it.
  • Incredibles will be without the services of Greg Stern for a few weeks. Luckily, Liam Mahoney is a pretty decent sub.
  • I’m not sure what to think about this QUAN team, but I know better than to underestimate Alex Holowach (I’ve done it too many times; never paid off).
  • I don’t know what’s more impressive: that KGP loss by a point to STL or that their rating is higher than STL’s.
  • With a 25-6 lead, I walked away from the 6-R game thinking it’ll turn into a blowout. OH, was I wrong.
  • With the first pass of the game going 40 yards to Jamal Gittens (and caught for a TD too), I guess it’s a nice way to say Welcome Back.
  • Paul Lapierre is actually a fantastic rusher.
  • Michael Samman and Guy Laflamme are pretty impressive defenders. Why has no one ever mentioned them before?
  • Marco Bertoldi getting a sack on Kevin Wyeth after cutting off the slant route on a 4th down may actually be THE play of the game.
  • Quick shoutout to Pat Chenard on his two touchdowns catches for Drop the Mic on Tuesday; one of those two especially was a thing of beauty.
  • Kevin Wyeth is actually a pretty decent defender. The grab he made on Mathieu René in the DTM vs Kings game was nothing short of spectacular.

 

Recaps

Division A

  • Rainmakers vs DA Finest: After Finest suffered a turnover on downs in Rainmakers’ redzone on their opening possession, I thought to myself that we might actually have a game between them and Rainmakers. I couldn’t have been more right in the wrongest of ways. To see Kevin Wyeth go 8 for 22 in the first half and down 12-0 is something I do not recall in many seasons. While credit goes to the Rainmakers who played great defence overall, the Finest shot themselves in the foot with Wyeth’s passes being less accurate than usual and his receivers having a real bad case of drops – particularly on key plays. The woes continued for the Finest in the second half, which Ryan Kastner opened with a 40-yard bomb to Michael Samman to give the Rainmakers a comfortable 18-0. But no lead is ever truly comfortable versus the Finest. Wyeth responded by finally getting the ball moving as the Finest comeback/Rainmakers choke job seemed to be set in motion. Now up just 12, in the redzone, all Rainmakers had to do was score one last time to put this game away. But Kishon Thompson saw the play from miles away and jumped an out route perfectly to bring back an interception all the way into enemy territory. The lead then cut to 6, a turnover on downs by the Rainmakers in the redzone, with only 2 plays left, made this game as interesting as it could potentially be. On the first, Kevin Wyeth hit Mike Harrington, who broke right through Stephan Osman’s coverage with a brilliant juke and nearly found the end zone before being tripped up by the 10-yard line. Sadly for the Finest, Akked Moore couldn’t haul in a high ball against Michael Chitayat to tie the game, as Rainmakers save face after a dominant first half.
  • Rare Bears vs Top Guns: After taking an imposing 13-0 lead, Rare Bears looked unstoppable early Tuesday night against Top Guns, but that look didn’t last much longer. I’m not sure whether Jamil Springer was able to actually contain Theo Ojeaha or if Marco Masciotra simply shied away from him, but the only meaningful grab Theo had during this game was on the one play Jamil Springer wasn’t covering him. Nonetheless, Top Guns’ defence was pretty gritty and didn’t allow many freebies (aside from that first 40-yard bomb to Jamal Gittens as Vinny Gualano was left to helplessly trail the receiver and watch in awe). Kyle Lebofsky’s interception gave Rare Bears an early edge, but Top Guns’ answer late in the first to make it a 13-12 game at halftime voided the turnover and made it anybody’s game. In the second half, on a 2nd down in the redzone, Danny D’Amour was at the right place at the right time as a deflected ball ended up in his chest as he fell out of bounds to create a key turnover. Up by 4, Top Guns got the ball back and scored to put the game away. If Top Guns can keep this momentum going and keep performing at such a high level, they might actually turn into serious contenders in late July.

 

Division B

  • Lightweight vs OTF: In a very weird game that featured two incomplete roster for most of the night, the outcome ended up being very intriguing. With only 6 guys on both sides for the first 10 minutes, Lightweight was forced to have yours truly on defence (something most people wouldn’t want) as both Nadeau-Piuzes showed up late into the second half and while OTF’s Dariusz Golebiowski arrived late into the third drive of the game. Nonetheless, both teams were firing on all cylinders offensively as both QBs connected on most throws to make it a high-scoring affair. After a redzone stop, we got back on offence only to see a simple hook turn into a pick-six as the receiver couldn’t hang on to the ball and Yadel Meshesha grabbed the opportunity mid-air to turn the game around. After trading scores for most of the night, the game came down to a 4th and goal (about 8 yards), second to last play of the game. Down by 3, Anthony Vendrame went up for the ball in the back of the endzone, was ruled inbounds, touchdown granted and Lightweight went up 41-38. Justin Smolar, who had a stellar game, couldn’t get rid of the football on time after getting it back from Chris Olson on a lateral to chuck it deep and took a safety to end the game. The outcome could’ve been much different if Yafet Meshesha would’ve been present, but celebrating lifetime accomplishments is a pretty good reason to miss a flag game.
  • Drop The Mic vs. Kings: After hearing everyone doubt them, DTM decided to show up on Tuesday night and drop 50 points on Kings as Mario Porreca had over 300 combined yards on the day and spread the wealth to all 6 of his receivers (Kevin Wyeth may not have gotten a touchdown, but he did run a very impressive route on a convert, so it’s basically the same). Trading scores for most of the first half, we had a barnburner on our hands heading into halftime. With a few adjustments, Drop The Mic’s defence made some plays as Pat Chénard jumped a route brilliantly to turn a 32-18 game into a 21-point lead with a pick-six just before Kevin Wyeth went all the way up the ladder to pick off Mathieu René with an impressive play. With no way stop Drop The Mic, Kings were left stranded down by way too much to make a comeback late in the second. It’s crazy to think you can go out and drop 40 and yet lose a flag game, but that’s how quick-firing this game was (seeing DTM opening the night with a 40-bomb to Jordan McLaren should’ve been a good indicator, but you know). All in all, DTM move to 2-2 after bringing out the kind of roster on Tuesday that could allow them to excel against any given team.

 

Players of the Week

Division A

  • Jad Aridi (Monstars): With the sole interception of the game in a 1 point victory, there’s no doubt it turned out to be a key moment.
  • Michael Samman (Rainmakers): His 3 Pds were in the redzone (twice on fourth downs). He made the kind of plays his team needed to take the lead and the victory on Tuesday night.
  • Paul Lapierre (Top Guns): Although the stats line is pretty decent (15/22, 220 combined yards, 5 Tds), it’s the small things the stat sheets don’t show that really turned this game around.

 

Division B

  • Kyle Lebofsky (Broccasion): Finishing with 6 receptions for 87 yards and 5 Tds on the night has to mean something regarding his team’s first W of the season.
  • Jameel Greenidge (STL): With a 40bomb TD and 3 sacks on the opposing QB, there’s no doubt he had an instant impact on this week’s game.
  • Marc-Antoine Viens (Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan): Leading his team in yards, catches and finishing with 2 Tds + a pick-six defensively, we can say that MAV had a pretty good night on Monday.
  • Anthony Vendrame (Lightweight): With 4 receiving Tds (including the game-winner) and an interception on defence, he had an instant impact in his first game.
  • Mario Porreca (Drop The Mic): With 312 combined yards and 7 Tds, he looked absolutely unstoppable on Tuesday night carving up his opponents.

 

Power Rankings

Division A

  1. Rainmakers (3-1): Back at the top after this week’s win over DA Finest. The last 10 minutes has me worried, but we can’t doubt their current record.
  2. DA Finest (2-2): Down 18 in Division A isn’t something you usually come back from and they were inches from it.
  3. Top Guns (2-2): At full roster, these guys could be real contenders if they can continue to play their game.
  4. Monstars (2-2): Last week’s win is what I expected out of Monstars this season. Do it again, please.
  5. Braves (2-2): Fifth by default; they lost to Monstars so they belong below them, for now.
  6. Rare Bears (1-3): After the first three possessions, I thought they’d get away with murder on Tuesday, but I guess it’s not that kind of season so far.

 

Division B

  1. Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan (4-0): Beating a previously high-ranked team to remain undefeated will earn you the top spot.
  2. STL (4-0): Second by default; they are undefeated and playing well.
  3. Lightweight (3-1): A close win against OTF pushes Lightweight to 3-1. The real test will be Monday against 6-R.
  4. Rich & Famous (2-2): Seeing how they battled back from their early deficit against 6-R shows they’re really on the up and coming.
  5. Drop The Mic (2-2): With the roster they had on Tuesday, I doubt they’ll be losing games anytime soon.
  6. Incredibles (2-2): With Liam Mahoney now at the helm, they’ll really need to step up if they want to remain at the top of the standings.
  7. OTF (1-3): Their offence averages 36 points per game in the last three contests. Seeing how they’re last two games ended, they could very well be 3-1.
  8. Kings (2-2): Either they’re HOT and a serious contender or real cold and they can’t seem to stop a nose bleed.
  9. QUAN (1-3): If the QUAN we saw this week could show up more often, they’d be much higher in my rankings.
  10. KGP (1-3): Their last two games were absolute barnburners and kept STL to a one-point game. There is hope.
  11. Broccasion (1-3): With this week’s win over Coyotes, I gotta admit, I really happy Broccasion found themselves before it was too late.
  12. Coyotes (1-3): Not too sure what to think of last week’s game. It’s one too many fluke now to keep using that word.

 

Matchups to Watch

Division A

  • Akked Moore vs Anthony Brisebois:Rare are the players that can go up against Akked Moore and be tall + physical enough to compete for balls. Anthony Brisebois is one of them.
  • Michael Chitayat vs Anthony Vendrame: I know this sounds like a crazy idea, but their usual position on the field will provoke this matchup to be one of the most frequent ones to watch. Can Michael Chitayat prevent Anthony Vendrame to continue his dominance in the redzone?
  • Jonathan Maheu vs Matt Kirouac: Assuming he plays for D-Boys, he’ll need to contain Jonathan Maheu in the pocket if Rare Bears’ defence wants to restrain the high-octane offence that is Braves. With a bit too much time, Jonathan Maheu can be deadly.

 

Division B

  • Dan Fawcett vs Dylan Taylor: The only possible way to restrain STL’s offence is to have a good rush against Dylan Taylor and make it uncomfortable. Otherwise, there’s no stopping them.
  • Gordon Hogan vs Josh Feder: Seeing how key he is to his brother’s offence, there’s no doubt Gorgon Hogan will want to shadow him and force the looks elsewhere. It’s bound to be a pretty fun matchup to watch unfold.
  • Jordan McLaren vs Marco Masciotra: I expect the two teammates to shadow each other most of the game and try to restrain the others’ impact on the game.
  • Francois Hogue vs Frederic Viens: 6-R’s QB likes to move around the pocket, run and buy time to expand his playbook. When that’s allowed, his offence is basically unstoppable.
  • Jamil Springer vs Yadel Meshesha: One of this league’s best defender will surely take on the opposing team’s best receiver. Can Yadel Meshesha create any sort of separation and have an impact on this week’s game?
  • Vince Nardone vs Mathieu Lepage: The unsung hero of Kings’ offence will most likely have to face Vince Nardone in coverage for most of the night as their size and ability will create a fantastic matchup to watch.

 

Picks of the Week

Division A

DA Finest vs Monstars: DA Finest

Rainmakers vs Top Guns: Top Guns

Braves vs Rare Bears: Braves

 

Division B

STL vs Broccasion: STL

KGP vs Coyotes: Coyotes

Rich & Famous vs Drop The Mic: Drop The Mic

Six Fast Guys Minus Ryan vs Lightweight: —-

QUAN vs OTF: OTF

Incredibles vs Kings: Kings

 

That’s it for me this week. Hopefully this is what you’ve all grown to love and expect out of me for your weekly readings. If it isn’t, you can send any sort of formal complaint to Paolo Della Rocca via twitter (@PeezeFPF) so I can keep tab and act like I didn’t know about it. Otherwise, if you have any comments, feel free to hit me up either via emails ([email protected]) or twitter (@DagenaisFPF). Until next time.