Predictions and Power Rankings Week 1

Thursday, May 12th Kevin Kousaie

Pre-article ed’s note #2: Terry and Will wanted me to remind everyone that the podcast has started up once again and you can find it wherever you listen to or watch podcasts!

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=798924008158842

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/CWhWEhtLbFo

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You can also find them on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Pocket Casts and RadioPublic!

Okay, on to Kevin’s predictions!

Predictions

Last week my crystal ball was firing on all cylinders (ed’s note: the mixed metaphors are making me dizzy!) and helped me go 12 of 16 for 75%. I know its early in the year, but those are always the hardest weeks, especially when you don’t know all the teams. We are still trying to figure out a punishment for the loser and just like I predicted it was Will after week 1. I’m a little disappointed in Will, he seemed so knowledgeable on the Podcast this past week. I only found out afterwards that Terry gave him a few pointers beforehand and that was the only reason. This week I plan on keeping my lead with another round of fantastic picks. Here are my picks and like always they are in bold.

Division 1

Bitter Boys vs Centurions

Centurions are the better team, and I just can’t see Bitter Boys being able to keep it a close game. Plus, Centurions have asked Marvin to come out and be their honorary Captain for the coin toss.

Division 2

Outlaws vs Nice TDs

Outlaws all day in this one. Picking against Nice TDs is an easy choice to make they don’t have the players to keep up with Outlaws or the scheme to confuse Steve.

Redzone vs Tannantes

After the way both these team performed last week Redzone was the easy pick. I also assume that the rest of their team will be here this week.

Division 3

Thunder Buddies vs Chiefs

This roster is just way too strong, and Terry has gotten better over the winter.

Jagerbomb vs Manitoboys

Jagerbomb weren’t challenged last week, but this week they will be in a much closer game. I also think Leon a few more weeks with this team before they start rolling.

Iron Wolves vs Bines

I just feel that Bines without Simon under center just aren’t the same team and make too many mistakes. Jon should be able to pick their defense apart by slowly working the field.

Old School vs Jackrabbits

I saw Old School play last week and they didn’t look good and with the team that Jackrabbits has they should be able to win this game though it will be close.

Panaches vs Average Joes

In a rematch of the winter finals, Average Joes walk away with the win again in this one. Average Joes are back to being the team they were last season, and I just can’t see Panaches being able to handle all of it.

Idaho Udapimps vs RawSauce

I wanted to go RawSauce, but I just don’t know how they can make that happen. RawSauce has a few good players, but I think Idaho has the more complete roster.

Division 4

Black Diamonds vs Bouchers

I think that after playing together all winter they will be more in sync in this game than Bouchers.

Sour Peeps vs Sooners 45

They are younger faster and played this past weekend and will have the advantage.

Canal Club vs Flamboyant Flamingos

I think losing their 2 best players will really hurt Flamingos at least in the beginning of the year, so I went with Canal Club who were able to win last week.

Super Friends vs Airborne

Morin brothers.

Wizards du Groupe SG vs Free Agent #2

They are way more athletic and seem to have a little more football knowledge.

Cereal Killers vs Mustard Tigers

I just can’t see the old men keeping up with the young kids in this game. Don’t be surprised to see a few oxygen tanks on the sideline after the game.

Division 5

Titans vs Phoenix 5 NA

I don’t pick my team games.

Los Pollitos vs Mimosa Crew

I’m not sure why I went with Mimosa in this one, maybe it has to do with Samuel only being 1 man and not being able to do it all.

Heisenberg vs Knight Triangles

Just have a feeling they are the stronger team and should be able to do what they want in this game.

Those are this week’s picks, or at least mine. Terry and Will should be doing theirs live on the Podcast so you will have already seen theirs by the time this section of my article is out to the public.

Power Rankings

In case you are new to the league this is where I get to rank the teams or at least the top 3 teams in division 1 & 2 and top 5 for divisions 3, 4 & 5. I base my picks on how I see the teams, not necessarily by how the stands are. With us only playing 1 week I won’t have to explain why I placed the teams where I did, either I like the way you performed week 1 and you might make my list or I didn’t and you didn’t make the list.

Division 1

#1- Outlaws

#2- Holy Trollers

#3- Centurions

Division 2

#1- Redzone

#2- Outlaws

#3- Iron Wolves

Division 3

#1- Thunder Buddies

#2- Average Joes

#3- Jagerbomb

#4- Idaho Udapimps

#5- Manitoboys

Division 4

#1- Phoenix

#2- Cereal Killers

#3- Mustard Tigers

#4- Black Diamonds

#5- Super Friends

Division 5

#1- Drama Club

#2- Knight Triangles

#3- Improbables

#4- Remplacants

#5- Phoenix

There you have it, rankings after week 1. I know they aren’t perfect, but as the weeks go by they will get more accurate once everyone has played a few games.

Final Thoughts

Let me start by saying that moving forward players are not allowed in-between the fields. If you need to make it to one of the other fields go around the outside. If you or your team needs flags and pinnies, please only send 1 person to collect them, we don’t want the whole team to collect something that 1 person should be able to carry by themselves. That includes players who are refs and not working, you need to stay away (ed’s note: you would never think it was so hard to keep people away from Kevin!).

I hope every had fun week one, but this week there might be a chance of rain and it won’t be so fun (ed’s note: does not look like rain, but it will be very hot!).

For all the new teams that struggled its normal for that to happen it takes time to get the hang of it. I know that I spoke to a few teams and gave them a few pointers, but I’m surprised that more teams weren’t looking for advice or some help. Just remember most players in the league are willing to give advice and help the new players and teams.

We want to see everyone succeed and continue to play for years and years. At the end of the day, we are all out here to have fun and get some exercise. No one, and I mean no one, is getting called up to play in the NFL or CFL anytime in the near future so go out, have fun, and be safe.

Word from the Mouth: The Mouth Gets Told! edition

Tuesday, May 10th Kevin Kousaie

Pre-article ed’s note: As Kevin mentioned that Meissa made some trash talk post game during the winter players, Meissa has asked for me to add this statement from him.

In response to the defamatory and untrue statements made last week by Kevin about our discussion following the Winter D1 Finals, I would like to rectify that in no way or shape did I minimize nor undermine the opposing teams for whom I have the utmost respect. The sole target of my banter and mockery was Kevin who is deservedly known as the “Hater-in-Chief” of the league. My dear Kevin, as the ancestors would say: “Don’t hate the player, hate the game!”

Kevin has been put in his place, so on to the article!

Week 1 is in the bag and just 11 more weeks until playoffs. This week if you played at 9:30 you played on a decent field, but as the day went along the field got worse and worse. As you read this Terry is in contact with the city about getting a second field near Le Ber. If that doesn’t pan out, Jon will need to find somewhere to play. Jon has been in talks with the city about fixing up where we play now, but like any government, it is a slow process.

With it being week 1 we saw lots of sloppy play from teams and some teams won big and looked good, but then you have to look and see who they were playing against to see if that was a fair assessment. In a few weeks we will know more about where teams stand, but right now it’s too early to tell. Plus, some teams haven’t even played a game yet.

Week 1 Recap

With Terry and Will doing a weekly podcast, covering all the games just doesn’t seem plausible and I have to leave games for them to cover as well. Plus, with so many games going on each week I can’t see them all. I will only be covering 2 games per division per week, and I will try to get every team covered at least once over the next 12 weeks.

Division 1

D1 this week only had 2 games and in one of those games Terry was facing Will, so I’ll leave that to them and in the other matchup between Centurions and Gros Coqs, Will was there live seeing what was going on and should know more about the game than I do, but it is Will, so you never know.

Division 2

Redzone vs Nice TDs (41-7)

What do I say about this game? Redzone were missing a few stud players from last year’s team and were still able to score at will and made it look easy. Last year Redzone was plagued by big drops in key situations, but this week Mike was all smiles as his team caught nearly everything thrown at them. Kris “I’m always willing to sub” Hope ended up subbing for Redzone since they were only 6 and Mike doesn’t play defense. Kris made his presence felt by picking off 2 passes against the team he used to QB for. As for Nice TDs, what were they thinking trying to go play in D2, especially with this roster? Other than Francois and Thomas, they really don’t have anyone that can keep up with the players in the division. I know the long game is for them to get into D2, but you have to build a team that can compete or you will have lots of games like this one. Nice TDs is trying to break in a new QB in Eric, but they really should have gone D3 at least this season.

Division 3

Old School vs Manitoboys (12-14)

This game looked like it should be a complete blowout and turned out to be a struggle for both teams. Dahic was stuck behind a train and was running late. With Old School only being 6 players with Dahic, Roxanne stepped in and helped her old team. It looks like Manitoboys have found their new QB moving forward in Leon. It took Leon a while to get going with his new team and it will be a work in progress, but at times he did look good. I was able to talk with a few players from Manitoboys and they all seem to think Leon will be a good fit with them, he has loads of experience and spreads the ball all over the field. Dahic also needed a few drives to bang off the rust. Both teams were able to punch one in before half. The way Old School scored on the last play of the half, I’m not sure how this happened. Jo looked to pick the ball off then it just looked as if the ball falls out of his hands right into the hands of Max. It wasn’t like it was seconds later it was almost right away, so it was ruled a TD. Second half more of the same as the teams struggled moving the ball, but each team found the endzone once to make it a 12 all game. Then the play that won the game for Manitoboys was when Jeremy sacks Dahic with just over 5 minutes left and gives his team the ball back. Neither team did anything offensively after that.

Idaho Udapimps vs Panaches (31-12)

For the third time in 3 weeks these teams end up playing against one another, and Panaches are up 2-0 going in. This time Idaho decided to bring a full team with them after struggling all winter to get guys out to play because of injuries. Idaho went out and did some recruiting and showed up with 10 out of 11 players for this one. I was joking with Amile before the game that they could just forfeit the game and they would still hold the advantage in head-to-head, but its week 1 and no one wants to lose week 1. This game wasn’t even close as Idaho took control and dominated in the first half though in the second half Panaches was able to get going, but every time they did Idaho responded with a score of their own. With Brady having a full roster and more than just Kyle to throw to, he was able to pick apart the Panaches defense. The one play that I remember about this game was a pass that was incomplete. The ball was thrown up and it looked like there was no way this ball is going to be caught but somehow Calvin was able to catch it over his shoulder, but was only able to get one foot in. There were a few of us that were all there seeing this happen and were like, how? Let me tell you Calvin is a big guy and might be a great player, but at first look doesn’t look like much. Teams are going to be surprised by the skillset this guy has.

Division 4

Free Agent #2 vs Phoenix (0-22)

In this game you could see all the struggles happening right in front of your eyes. Steve was playing QB for Free Agents and that’s not his possession. With it being their first game playing together you knew that it would take some time to get it figured out. They did happen to make a few plays on defense by getting 3 picks and 5 sacks, but offensively they had nothing going. Phoenix also had a long day and a bunch of struggles as well. Let me start by saying it all starts with a good snap and this weekend I didn’t get many of them, they were either high and floating or low and away from me. That lead to most of our struggles on offense, it set the timing off and led to defenders being able to undercut the routes or allowed the rusher to get right up on me before I could read the defense. Phoenix played decently on defense, but against a better team they need to capitalize on picking the ball off when they have the chance and not batting it away. Both teams are a work in progress. I think Phoenix will have an easier time fixing their issues than Free Agents, but you never know.

Cereal Killers vs Wizards du Groupe SC (20-6)

Where should I start in this one? Last time I saw Cereal Killers they had a different center who has been replaced with Matthew who must have the hardest snaps in the division, if not the league. They were coming in fast hard and high, but George didn’t have any issues with them so that’s good, but wait until its wet and raining and then we will see. At no point in this game was I worried Cereal Killers weren’t going to win. Wizards ran some weird formations like when they scored their only TD of the game, they had 4 of 5 receivers in the backfield and only 1 player ran a route and yet somehow, he came down with the ball with 3 defenders all around him. Wizards have talent, they just need to figure the game out. On almost every play they had someone in the backfield which doesn’t make much sense since you can only run every second play and you lose a receiver this way. I was able to speak with their QB Remi after the game and let him know that they have talent, but that he should just try and simplify thinks until the team gets a better understanding of the game and he feels more comfortable with the team.

Division 5

Drama Club vs Phoenix (20-6)

The score might seem close, but the game really wasn’t at all. Phoenix couldn’t move the ball against a team of veteran players and their only score came on a pick 6 from Vince at the end of the game. For Phoenix we just weren’t in the game, routes were being ran at wrong depth or they were being delayed instead of going right away. It will take time to iron out the kinks, but we will get it done. For Drama Club their offense is ok, but they have a top defense that just smothered us all game long. They don’t miss tackles and have players in the right positions jumping routes all day long. On offense they have players that know what they are doing and where to be this is why they should be the top team in the division, even though they should have been in D4 not D5. They can make the argument all day long about how last year they were getting beat every game and that might be true, but that was last year, and this is this year. It also helps that Simon is an experienced QB playing with players he knows and has played with before.

Mimosa Crew vs Hard Target (14-6)

Hard Target were without their QB and their jerseys, so Iggy stepped up and filled the QB spot for them. Once I saw Iggy going to play QB for them I thought it was going to be an easy win for Hard Target, boy was I surprised. Iggy struggled all day long getting picked off 3 times by 3 different defenders. With Hard Target being a new team, it will take some time to learn how to run proper routes and where they are expected to be on defense. Iggy threw some nice balls that just went off the receivers’ hands, but I feel that a few weeks from now after a few more games they will be catching everything throw their way. Mimosa Crew, who are back from last year and took their lumps then, looked decent this week. Curren is back at QB and healthy this time and you could tell by the extra pep in his step when he was running all afternoon. If Curren wants to be considered a QB he will eventually have to get more completions and passing yards, then rush attempts and running yards. Sorry, my mistake, Curren you had 1 more pass attempt and 1 more yard through the air then on the ground. Both teams did just fine for week 1, but they both could use some work as well and the only way to get that is to play games. I want to point out that we are here for fun and exercise and pushing and shoving is not acceptable so keep it clean.

There you have my recaps from week 1, hope you enjoy, and I will see most of you this weekend.

Player of the Week

Last fall I only picked 1 player per division and then over the winter season I picked players that performed well in each game. I figure this season I’ll just pick 1 player on each side of the ball, this way you get more of a chance to make my list. Let me also point out that if you play in multiple divisions, you can only get my vote for the highest division you play in unless you are playing a different position. I haven’t decided if I should do some sort of prize like in the winter, but I will think about it and see what I come up with. Stay tuned and see what I come up with by next week.

Division 1

Offense

- David Gutkovsky only had 5 catches for 25 yards, but found the endzone 3 times this week.

Defense

- Xavier Collette made 2 tackles and had 3 picks in a closely fought game.

Division 2

Offense

- Michael Roy completed 25 of 29 passes for 251 yards, 6 TDs, 3 1point converts and he threw 1 pick. He also ran once for 7 yards.

Defense

- Antoine Saint-Amant Proux made 4 tackles and had 2 sacks not bad for week 1.

Division 3

Offense

- Felix Fontaine Larouche grabed 5 balls for 67 yards and 3 TDs.

Defense

- Nick Egley only had 2 picks this week.

Division 4

Offense

- Matthew Iuliano made 10 catches for 56 yards and 1 TD. Those numbers eye popping, but for a center that size to make some of the catches he did, its pretty impressive.

Defense

- Gavin Drohan in his first game ever in MFL picked off 2 passes, not bad for a rookie. If he keeps up that pace all season Steve might bring him to the Outlaws in the fall.

Division 5

Offense

- William Braun was 14 of 21 for 136 yards, 6 TDs, 2 1point convert and threw 1 pick. He also ran twice for 22 yards.

Defense

- Mickael Carreau made 3 picks and ran 1 back for 6 points.

There you have it, my week 1 picks for player of the week. Don’t worry if you haven’t seen your name up here yet, it’s only week one which means you still have 9 more games to show that you are player of the week material.

Word from the Mouth: Drama with Drama Club! edition

Thursday, May 5th Kevin Kousaie

Last week we wrapped up our winter season and with no time off we will begin the spring season this week. This year we are finally starting when we would normally start, but the last two years we had to deal with covid and only started late June early July.

I’m glad we are starting earlier this year; it means once it gets really hot a few of us will be used to being out all day. Most of you only need to show up before your games and that’s lucky for you, Jon, Terry, and myself are there most of the day.

I’m at the field for almost 12 hours every week, it just depends on how many fields I set up and how many time slots we have. This year we have lost a few teams that have played for a few seasons and have replaced them with a few new ones. I think we have 50 teams in the league this year, spread over 5 divisions. (ed’s note: we do!)

Season Preview

With so many teams to write about I’m just going to write a line or two about what I expect to see from this team this season.

Division 1

A Team- Solid roster that might take some time to gel, but should be in most of their games.

Bitter Boys- They will struggle again this season not because of talent, but because of speed, athleticism, and endurance.

Outlaws- Even without one armed Marvin they should be the team to beat in the division.

Holy Trollers- I see them having a hard time finding a replacement for JC and his productivity.

Centurions- This is a good roster and a great defensive team. The issue is if their QB Gabriel is good enough to get it done.

Gros Coqs- I never count Dom out, but this season they have a 12 player roster which will hurt them if they all show up. Who am I kidding? That will never happen. This team is loaded and should compete for the top spot in the division and replace Trollers as Outlaws biggest threat.

Division 2

Iron Wolves- Middle of the pack, the roster isn’t over the top, but any team that has Jon under center always finds a way to win games they shouldn’t.

Team Max- Offense won’t be this team’s issue, the defense will be. Max has built a strong team that will need someone to step up and take charge of the defense.

Les Tannantes- This is pretty much the same team as last season and shouldn’t have any issues making the playoffs.

Nice TDs- This team is going to struggle each and every week, they are not built to be in this division at least not yet.

Redzone- If the team has figured out how to catch the ball in the off season, then look for them to be near the top of the standings.

Division 3

Average Joes- The Hype train will be in full effect this season and after getting a taste of winning (winter season) expect to see them dominating teams to try and get back to another title.

Iron Wolves- This team is very strong, and it will just be a matter of Jon trusting some of those new guys in key situations that will determine how the season ends up for them.

Old School- This will be a tough season for them, they just don’t have the athletes that most of the other teams in the division do. If they go 5-5 I would consider that a fantastic season for them.

Thunder Buddies- With the roster Terry has put together if they don’t win it all, it’s got to be a failed season, at least in my eyes.

Chiefs- The addition of Jeremy will help them a lot, but it still won’t be enough to get them over 500. They will struggle against the better teams and narrowly beat the teams they should beat.

RawSauce- This is a good roster, but will need more than just Yves to make plays. They might have the best rusher in the division in Antoine, so QBs watch out.

Panaches- This team balled out in the winter and going into the spring I want to say I see the same happening, but I can’t bring myself to do it. With the thinner field Felix won’t have all that empty space to throw the ball into so I can see him struggling a little which means the team will also.

Manitoboys- I want to say they will be fine, but I see them or at least Gabe struggling until he gets use to the field size. They also moved up a division and will be facing better teams each week.

Bines- They have good players on both sides of the ball just need more consistency for the QB position. David was hit or miss in the winter season and expect the same in the spring.

Idaho Udapimps- I hope by now they are all healed up, if not expect to see them struggle every week. Just to field a team might be hard for them, but when they are a full squad they are a team to watch out for.

Jackrabbits- This might just turn into the Nico and JC show. They have a few solid players, but week in and week out I can see them struggling to get stops on defense.

Jagerbombs- Not sure how I feel about this team last year they were so-so at best until the playoffs where they turned it up. If the team from last years playoffs shows up expect to see them have an easy time if the team from the season shows up, they will be fine but nothing special.

Division 4

Sour Peeps- With Mario under center and a bunch of new players they will struggle early in the year, but by the end win a few games.

Sooners 45- If these are the same guys from a few years ago I expect struggles until they find a QB and don’t run the same trick plays they ran last time. (ed’s note: they were literally 15 years old and younger last time and it’s been 5 years and I’m assuming they’ll have changed!)

FA #2- This is a team put together by the league and other than Steve and Melissa I know nothing about them. They most likely will struggle most of the season.

Phoenix- This is a roster that has loads of talent along with experience. If this team shows up to play each week to play, they will be very hard to beat.

Bouchers- This roster is so big that even though they are here for fun will struggle to find chemistry and a role for each player.

Flamboyant Flamingos- With them losing their 2 best players from a few seasons ago, don’t be surprised when you see this team become a mid-level team at best.

Cereal Killers- Last time I saw them play they weren’t horrible they were just all over the place and unless they gained loads more of experience they will need to depend on their athleticism and find a QB.

Wizards du Groupe SG- This is a new team that could be really good, really bad or somewhere in-between (ed’s note: ooh, hot take!). They came in as a team, so I must hope they have some football knowledge, but flag is a totally different game and takes time to learn the rules and get used to.

Super Friends- After the Morin Brothers they are all new. I have to assume that Alex and Jacob are bringing in friends that are here to have fun. I can see them taking a week or two to get going, but once they do don’t be surprised if they win a bunch of games.

Mustard Tigers- This team has tons of experience and will be ok if Brian plays his game and doesn’t make too many mistakes.

The GOATS- Let me start by saying that if the logo isn’t a picture of Steve, is it the real GOAT? This is a new team that I know nothing about or anyone on the roster, so expect struggles early on.

Canal Club- This is one big roster and for a new team learning the game, I can see lots of struggling all season long.

Airborne- This team on paper look great and should be able to compete in most games, but that is on paper and won’t happen. Guillaume tries too hard and makes thing more complicated than they need to be. They should make playoffs, but as a midlevel team at best.

Black Diamonds- Last winters champs are coming to play in the spring. They have lots of talent, but I’m not sure who will be playing QB for them this season. Once they figure that out, they will be fine.

Division 5

Phoenix- This team is a mix of new players and old players and it is made up of 4 women and 4 guys, but with the experience they have they should be fine.

Mimosa Crew- Last year was their first year playing and they were a lot better at the end of the season and this year I feel if they keep improving, they should be able to surprise a few teams.

Los Pollitos- Last year they kept making changes at QB. This year they need to stick with one person and they will be ok, but not great, but as long as they are having fun they wont really care.

Buck- This is a team made up of Rosalie and some of here friends. They will have a hard time this season, but will get better each week. They are young and athletic, just need to figure the game out.

FA #1- This team is still missing players and will need help along the way if they want a chance to win a few games this season.

FA #2- Other than Mike, I know no one or nothing about this team. I see a long season a head for these guys.

FA #3- An all-new team that unless they have a few good players will take time to learn the game and win a few games.

Drama Club- This is a team that is getting away with murder by circumventing the cap (ed’s note: I think The Mouth is grumpy about this!). They have 4 D2 players on the roster and everyone has played in the league before and should have had to go up to D4 at least.

Hard Target- Jon (ed’s note: Jon Lavoie) has brought in a few friends with Patricia and will have fun, but against the better teams will struggle.

Improblables- Last year they were put in D3 and got beat up most of the season. This season they are in D5 and should be just fine.

Knights Triangle- Tyler has spread his wings from Mustard Tigers and made his own team. I think they will be fine once they figure out who their QB will be.

Titans- This year they won’t have Ben on the team so it will be a different game for them now that they all need to step up. I think they will be fine if they get decent QB play.

There you have my assessments of each team. I know some of them will be off, but I bet I nailed a few of them right on the head.

Predictions

Let me start by telling you that the season is made up of 12 weeks and each team plays 10 games. That means everyone gets 2 bye weeks. So ,don’t be surprised not to see your team up here every week. The last two seasons the media team and Jon have been making our picks and have put money on the line. The first season Terry won by 1 game and last fall I won by a few games so it has always been close for whoever won, this year I have suggested that the loser has some sort of punishment that we haven’t figured out yet, but we will. I think I might put up a post on the Facebook group and see what you guys want to see happen to the loser. Here are my picks and like always they will be in bold.

Division 1

Gros Coqs vs Centurions

I’m just not sure who will show up this week for Gros Coqs plus I like the size advantage Centurions have.

Outlaws vs A Team

I wont pick against last years champs at least until I see that they are vulnerable.

Division 2

Redzone vs Nice TDs

Mike is going to find the weak point of this defense and just eat them alive all game long.

Tannantes vs Iron Wolves

Phil is probably the best player on the field, but Jon is the smarter QB and he finds a way to keep it close and win on the last possession of the game.

Division 3

Old School vs Manitoboys

I think they have the better roster from top to bottom and Dahic will have a hard time trying to get guys open in this one.

Jackrabbits vs Jagerbomb

I think it will be close, but I think Jagerbomb have the more complete roster.

Iron Wolves vs Chiefs

Jon has built a good team here and I’m not sure Chiefs are even going to be close in this one.

RawSauce vs Average Joes

I went Joes, but if Antoine can get after Jason and make him throw early RawSauce can pull off the upset.

Idaho Udapimps vs Panaches

I just saw this game last week, so I expect the same this time around as well.

Free Agent vs Phoenix NA

I don’t pick my team games.

Sooners 45 vs Canal Club

Only because I have seen them play before and have no clue who Canal Club is.

Mustard Tigers vs Airborne

They seem to be more organized in the past. They have always said the beer tastes better after a win. And that’s why they are here to drink beer and get away from the family, except in Tom’s case when he brings his son with him.

Cereal Killers vs Wizards du Groupe SG

I think they have more experience and that will be huge in this game and I have also seen them play before.

Division 5

Bucks vs Improbables

I went with the team that has more experience.

Phoenix vs Drama Club NA

I don’t pick my team games.

Mimosa Crew vs Hard Target

This was hard for me to pick, but I think Mimosa Crew get it done in this one. And their number 1 fan might be there cheering them on along the sideline.

Free agent 2 vs Free agent 3

Not knowing anything about either team, so I flipped a coin and it said to go with Free Agent 3, so I did.

Knights Triangle vs Los Pollitos

This game might not be pretty, but at some point, it will end and when it does Knights Triangle will be on top.

There you have it, my picks for the week, and you may have noticed that I don’t pick my own team games and neither will anyone else making picks, since you’re always going to pick your team to win right (ed’s note: if we were allowed to pick our own games, I would 100% take a dive in every game to get those sweet, sweet Pick ‘em Points!).

Final Thoughts

I want to point out that this is week one, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t all work out right from the start for you or your team. We have a bunch of new teams and new players this season, so for all you first timers or guys with little experience you can always ask questions to some of the older guys who have been around for a while. we are all more than willing to help you out and give you some direction.

You also might want to come early or stay after your game and watch some of the other teams playing to get a better understanding of what you need to do. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask, we don’t bite or at least not all of us do. I will have a few printouts with me on Saturday about defense and basic routes so if you come see me, I’m sure I can hook you up with a copy.

That is pretty much it for the week, so go out, have fun, and remember it’s a game, so don’t kill anyone while you are out there, please. Thank you and good luck to all.

Word from the Mouth: The Last Word For Now! edition

Wednesday, November 24th Kevin Kousaie

Here we go, it’s my last article for the Fall 2021 season. This season we ended up changing locations twice since Le Ber was not in good shape after playing on it in the rain, but we managed to get through it by playing at Rosemont and doing the finals up the street at Etienne-Desmarteau, which was great for the finals. I wasn’t a huge fan of moving the games over to synthetic, but after setting up the one field on grass and seeing how hard it was, no way could we have played on grass all day long. The first game you would not be able to cut because the ground is frozen and once the ground started to thaw it would just be muddy and players would slide all over the place. Overall, it was the right decision to make.

It was cold Saturday, but it was also bearable and I’m a little pissed the heater I brought was missing an attachment and was useless and a waste to bring.

Going into Saturday we had two teams looking to end the season perfect and at least one team trying to show they shouldn’t be overlooked. If you weren’t there Saturday Here is what went down.

Division 1

Outlaws vs Holy Trollers (57-51)

I could talk about this game, but I will let Terry and Will talk about it in their last Podcast of the season.

Division 2

Semifinals

RedZone vs Tannantes (37-43)

From what I saw and heard, RedZone weren’t able to stop the big plays from Tannantes and had to work for everything they got. This was a huge problem for RedZone as all season they were able to make plays and never really needed to panic. What was an issue all season for RedZone were players not catching balls when they were open and it hits them in the hands. That was evident in this game. I know Mike throws a hard ball and it was a little chilly, but at this point of the season and being the number 1 seed, you need to catch those balls and makes plays on defense. Tannantes were able to get quick scores and big plays all day long. When RedZone had the ball before half being down two scores and not being able to punch it in, it became what ended up costing them the game.

Iron Wolves vs KOLB (13-43)

I did pick KOLB to win this game, but never expected it to be this lopsided. I looked over the stats and spoke to a few players from Iron Wolves and they said it wasn’t a pretty game. Well, when the Commish throws 5 picks ain’t no way you can call that pretty. I won’t blame it all on Jon, KOLB have mad crazy athletes who probably baited him into a few bad throws. Other than James and Jon Lavoie, it didn’t seem like any of the Wolves wanted to be there and no one else showed up to play. KOLB’s defense showed up though, getting 5 picks and taking 2 back for scores, but that doesn’t surprise me what does is the fact that Alexander only had 1 sack. I guess Jon had a short field all day and that’s why he didn’t put up big numbers, but all that matters is that they won and got to move on to the finals and a chance at the title.

D2 Finals

KOLB vs Tannantes (37-31)

This was the type of game that everyone loved to see. You had offense, defense and even a few special teams plays. Just from the way these two teams played all season you know it wasn’t going to be over until the final whistle. The game started and I know it takes a few minutes to feel each other out, but both teams scored almost right away. Both of the picks thrown from Jon lead to Tannantes scores and the one that looked to seal the game was with seconds left in the first half and Tannantes scored on the last play of the half to hold a 24-12 lead at halftime.

KJ is normally making plays all game long, but this game he really stepped up on defense when his team needed him to. KJs first pick ended up leading to the game getting tied. His second pick came when Tannantes were marching the ball and looking for the go ahead score. With under 2 minutes left Jon had his chance to finally get his team the lead. Jon was smart with the clock and the ball and was able to find Alexandre for the game winning score with 14 seconds left.

I really thought that might have been too much time left especially when you have Phil who seems to be unstoppable. Vincent hit Phil on a short pass and was hoping that he’d make someone miss and take it to the house. That didn’t happen and it was just a gain of 7 and with their next two plays Vincent threw it deep and both times the ball fell incomplete and the game was over. KOLB came from two scores back and won the D2 title.

Division 3

Semifinals

Average Joes vs Thunder Buddies (32-44)

This was a game that both Terry and Will were playing, and I will let them talk about it on the Podcast.

Jagerbomb vs RawSauce (31-15)

I was there for this game and got to see it all and I really don’t remember much about this game at all. I do remember it was a very close game in the first half, then the second half started and it fell apart for RawSauce. At half it was 18-15 Jagerbomb and this looked like it was going to end with a team driving down on their last possession to win the game. With just under nine minutes left in the second half and the score still being 18-15, Jagerbomb’s defense stepped up and sealed the game with 2 pick sixes on back-to-back drives from RawSauce. Loic had the first one and then JF had the second one and at this point being down 16 points and a little over six minutes left RawSauce knew they were done and Jagerbomb were moving onto the finals.

D3 Finals

Jagerbomb vs Thunder Buddies (44-32)

This game will get covered by Terry and Will in their podcast. I say the smartest move made in this game was Jagerbomb switching rushers.

Division 4

Bines vs Idaho Udapimps (47-27)

I will tell you that this game was ugly right from the start. Idaho were missing Harris and Kyle who left for vacation and were also missing 2 other players who were only getting back from vacation on Sunday. With Brady missing his top two targets I’m a little surprised they even put up 27 points. In all honesty, both Harris and Kyle were probably missed more on defense and had they been there maybe giving up 47 points wasn’t going to happen. Bines came this week with what seemed to be a massive roster and Simon was able to get everyone involved in the game. Simon was a beast out there going 20 of 30 for 250 yards. I will say I was expecting him to run a little bit more, but I guess with the way he was passing and guys being open almost all day he decided to air it out. There was a lot of big plays in this game and Idaho looked to stay with Bines early, but then died out as the game went along. Being only 6 hurts and really wears you out after time. I think the better team won and even if Udampimps were a full roster, I still think they would have lost.

Phoenix vs Manitoboys (34-35) OT

This was the second time these two teams have met and this is the second time that it went to OT. There were a few plays that ended up being huge in this game. Manitoboys were up 19-12 driving the ball and time running very low on third and fourth down Adam looked to his big, tall receiver Simon in the endzone and on both plays I was able to knock it away for incomplete passes (ed’s note: superstar!). That kept the game at 19-12 going into half.

Phoenix started with the ball in the second half and took it right down the field to tie it at 19. With Manitoboys getting the ball back it was time for the Phoenix defense to step up and Gab took it into her own hands and got 2 huge sacks and forced a punt.

Last time we played I threw a pick to Rich and felt “why not do it again?”. Manitoboys scored on that drive easily from the 4-yard line.

After a punt from Phoenix, Adam was called for intentional grounding and Gab was awarded another sack (ed’s note: it doesn’t work like that…), but this time it was for a safety. Now this is where the ref makes a call that everyone on both teams knows was BS.

I was called for a hand guard and was sacked outside the endzone and it was called a safety. I think it was a hand guard call, but my issues with that call are: one, I wasn’t in the end zone and two, was how can you call a hand guard when my throwing arm is going forward? After the game Manitoboys were all telling me how it wasn’t a safety. It is what it is and I’m not mad at the ref (ed’s note: clearly…) we still had a chance to win it.

After Manitoboys got the ball after that they went in and scored to take a 34-21 lead with 4:37 left in the game.

Phoenix went no huddle and scored really fast leaving just over 3 minutes and a small chance for Phoenix to complete the comeback. Manitoboys got a first down and just needed to waste the last minute and a half to win. First play Adam threw a pass that was bobbled and touched 4 different players before Nick picked it off and almost returned for the score. Phoenix scored, got the convert, and then played defense for the last few seconds. On the last play of the game Manitoboys went trips right and left Simon 1 on 1 with me and they attempted a jump ball, but it was a badly thrown ball and no chance to be completed (ed’s note: superstar!).

In OT, Manitoboys scored right away and on our possession they took my first read away so I avoided the rush (ed’s note: probably like a superstar would!), rolled right, and had Gab open in the back of the endzone. The ball was high and was caught, but her feet were on the line when she came down. That was it game was over and Manitoboys gets to move on and play in the finals.

D4 Finals

Bines vs Manitoboys (45-18)

After beating Phoenix, Manitoboys were free to sit around and watch Bines play their game and get a few pointers. From the looks of the score, they didn’t learn much. Simon had a field day both throwing as well as running. The first half was a close back and forth game. Once the second half began it was all Bines. From what I remember about this game was that Simon was able to run all day and when he did throw his receivers were open with no one within a few yards, oh, and let’s not forget the 3 picks he had on defense. One of those picks the ball was low and he charged from his safety spot and dove to make the catch just inches from hitting the ground. Adam put up big numbers, but really only had two receivers step up and make any plays. Simon and Marco were the only ones to make plays on offense everyone else on Manitoboys stunk. Mathieu had good numbers and would have been the star of the game if Simon didn’t ball out. Simon woke up Saturday morning and knew that he wasn’t going to be denied winning the title. At the end of the game this wasn’t a great game to watch, unless you are a Bines fan, so only for Will.

I want to congratulate all the teams that won this week and now you need to think about trying to repeat come next spring. This time everyone will be out to get you. Have fun in the off season, but not too much fun and I hope to see everyone plus more back in the spring of 2022.

Playoff MVPs

This is going to be my playoffs MVP, not just finals MVP. That means that you needed to play good (ed’s note: sic) in more than 1 game and in some people’s cases, three games.

Division 1

This was an easy one as Kevin Sumda killed it in his 2 games played. Smuda had 22 catches for 221 yards, 4 TDs on offense and 7 tackles and 3 picks on defense. In the finals Smuda was the guy that Trollers couldn’t stop. It looked as if Smuda was just out there playing catch with Steve. 17 catches and 4 TDs in the finals, how can a defense let that happen?

Division 2

Jonathan Plourde had to win 3 games to win it all and over all if it wasn’t for Jon KOLB don’t win the title. In KOLB’s first game Jon was almost perfect on offense as well as making plays on defense. Against Iron Wolves other than two bad throws he did the same. Now in the finals is where he showed he is a winner. Jon didn’t play good (ed’s note: sic) in the first half, but in the second half he dominated and made every play his team needed him to. For his 3 games here are Jon’s stats: 60 of 92 for 652 yards, 16 TDs, 4 1-point converts and 1 2-point convert, and he also threw 5 picks. Jon also ran a total of 21 times for 50 yards and 1 TD. Jon also made contributions on defense with 4 tackles, 4 picks and 1 pick 6.

Division 3

I needed to pick a player from Jagerbomb and it came down to two players and I ended up going with the player who I felt made the difference in the finals and that would be JF Daloze. JF played some big defense in game one against Mustard Tigers. In game two against RawSauce, JF balled out all game on both sides of the ball. In the Finals when JF moved to rush is what I felt turned the game and gave Jagerbomb the edge. Overall JF was the big difference make and helped carry Jagerbomb to the title. JF caught 17 passes for 167 yards and 4 TDs on offense. Defense is where he really balled out. JF had 14 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 picks and 1 pick 6.

Division 4

There was only one player who could get my vote here and that is Simon Beaudoin. This man played like his life depended on him winning the title. Simon balled out all over the place and helped his team put up 92 points in 2 games. Simon went 40 of 58 for 452 yards, 10 TDs and 6 1point convert. With his legs he took off for 153 yards, 3 TDs on 22 carries. That alone was enough to be the MVP, but he also had 10 tackles and 4 picks on defense.

These are my picks for playoff MVPs and I think everyone can agree that those players all balled out and pretty hard to beat.

Final Thoughts

Here you are, my final thoughts of the 2021 fall season. Don’t worry I will be back in a few weeks once the winter season begins. It seems like the football season has been going on for years now. I’m really looking forward to getting to sleep in on a Saturday for the first time since the end of May.

You will all be missed and since the season ran late this year, I was forced to wear a shirt the last few weeks while I was setting up. I know the season just ended but I’m already looking to the winter season so I can improve as a passer and be ready for next spring when we will hopefully be more teams (ed’s note: we always are!). I am also looking forward to seeing how many teams move up a division or decide to split and form two teams once the cap is place. No more of these super teams playing in lower divisions, sorry Terry.

One last reminder that there are very few remaining spots for the winter so if you want one of them reach out to Jon ASAP (ed’s note: we literally have space for 3 individual players right now).

This Sunday at 1 pm we will be doing our end of the year get together. This year we are doing it at Ye Olde Orchard Pub and Grill at 1189 Rue de la Montange. Everyone is welcomed to come have a drink, maybe something to eat, and reminisce about how the season went and where it went wrong for you or your team and don’t blame the refs unless it’s Jafar, then go right ahead.

Hope to see a bunch of you out on Sunday if not have a great winter and hope to see everyone in the spring.

The Mouth's Predictions and Keys to the Game

Thursday, November 18th Kevin Kousaie

Predictions & Keys to Winning

Last week Terry and I were both perfect and Jon and Will did ok. This week I will be making my picks and trying to tell you what teams need to do in order to win their game. Here are the standings after last seek followed by my picks in bold.

Division 1 Finals

Outlaws vs Holy Trollers

l have Outlaws winning again this season. I just feel that with all the talent they have and the top QB in the division it will be hard to slow them down yet alone stop them.

Outlaws- Use the size advantage they have.

Trollers- Max will need to be perfect and hope the defense can get a stop or two.

Division 2 Semifinals

RedZone vs Tannantes

With the team Redzone has I think they should be able to pull it off if they can stop Phil from going off.

Redzone- The few times I have seen them play this season they have started off slow and dropped balls early. That can’t happen this week if they are to win.

Tannantes- They will need Phil to ball out like he normally does, but they need Simon or someone else to step up and take some of the coverage away from Phil.

Iron Wolves vs KOLB

I wanted to go Iron Wolves, but I just can’t see they match up. KOLB has way too many athletes and should be able to pull it off.

Iron Wolves- Jon will need to control the clock and keep the ball away from KOLB as much as possible. Play the slow boring game.

KOLB- Keep doing what they have all season, but up lots of points. Jon shouldn’t force any throws just take what the defense gives you and allow your playmakers to make plays.

Division 3

Average Joes vs Thunder Buddies

Average Joes have been perfect up to now and I can’t see that changing this week.

Average Joes- Jason can’t force any bad passes against this defense and needs to find the weakness early and attack it.

Thunder Buddies- Terry needs to play great for starters for them to have a chance, but really it will come down to the defense and if they can confuse Jason and get a few turnovers.

Jagerbomb vs RawSauce

I’m taking Jagerbomb to win just like they did in the regular season. They have the better roster and should be able to pull it out.

Jagerbomb- Simon just needs to take control of the game and only needs to worry about Yvan and Antoine on defense after knowing where Yvan will be, go away from him.

RawSauce- Ludovic needs to minimize the turnovers and keep the game close. That is how RawSauce will be able to get it done this week.

Division 4

Bines vs Idaho Udapimps

Bines are too strong of a team and with Simon under center Idaho will have a hard time slowing him down.

Bines- Keep the ball in Simon’s hands as much as possible. Now is not the time to show how much of a great QB you are, use your legs and you will win this game.

Idaho Udapimps- The only chance they have is to stop Simon from running so whoever is rushing needs to just contain him and force him to throw.

Phoenix vs Manitoboys NA

I dint pick my games all season and I won’t do it in the playoffs either, but I will tell you a how each team can still win the game.

Phoenix- Kevin (ed’s note: wat?) will need to be smart with the ball and not force any throws that aren’t there.

Manitoboys- Adam will need to take what the defense gives him and not always look for the big plays.

There you have my picks for the semifinals. I won’t be doing who I think will win the finals since I don’t know if I got the game correct or not and if I didn’t then the game’s I wrote about never existed and it’s a waste. If you really want to know who I have winning I will tell you. (ed’s note: wat?) D1 Outlaws, D2 KOLB, D3 Average Joes, and D4 I won’t get into because I’m playing in the semifinals so I won’t tell you who’s winning it all. You will have to be there and watch the games and see. Good luck to everyone playing this week.

Final Thoughts

Here are my final thoughts before we go to battle for the last time of 2021. I know that everyone hates the fact that I’m smarter than most of you when it comes to football and my teams are always better prepared. A few weeks back I picked up something to clean your cleats with and everyone loved it and it worked great.

Last week after speaking with Mike I picked up a tack towel and at first, I thought it was dumb, but after using it any time it’s bad conditions out I will be using it and not a glove. It has started to get cold, and nothing is worse than a cold slick ball, right. This week I know I won’t have to deal with that. I went and picked up a heater to keep my team warm while on sideline and the ball as well. If anyone that I’m playing wants to use it, I need you to give up 12 points per player and, Jon, if you’re planning on using it, expect to see a few extra zeros on my bill this week. Yes, Marvin you can use the heater if it’s on I know you’re soft and delicate and don’t want to see you shivering. See Marvin I really am like your dad. LOL.

Last games of the season are this week and I want to remind everyone that it’s a game, but if you get hurt you have until next spring to heal (ed’s note: or winter!) so go out bust your ass and have fun.

Not sure if everyone knows, but winter season is filling up quickly and if you’re looking to play you need to reach out to Jon ASAP before it’s too late (ed’s note: we’re at 14 of 16 teams right now!). See you all out there Saturday.