Anticipation was high coming into week five, a week that featured four top 5 teams going head-to-head and when the dust settled the tone was set for the second half of the 2014 schedule. The #1 ranked, unbeaten Vanier Cheetahs played the part of rude host, knocking off 3rd ranked Notre Dame-de-Foy 37-12. Across town 4th ranked Champlain-Lennoxville scored an impressive road win against previous #2 Vieux Montréal. The Cougars have been steadily improving as the season has progressed and may be the hottest team in D1. What was most impressive was the total team effort and the balance displayed by the Cougars. Les Spartiates were able to hold QB Mike Arruda to his lowest passing totals of the season, but the Cougars still managed to score 38 and the defense was tough throughout.
In division 2 action, Saint-Jean reinforced their top 5 ranking with a 55-21 beat down of Trois-Rivières. André-Grasset re-enters the Power Rankings, both as a result of their 57-31 win against John Abbott and D1’s Montmorency loss to Garneau.
How did week five’s action affect the “CEGEP POWER RANKINGS”? Here they are for the mid-season point of 2014.
1) VANIER CHEETAHS (6-0) D1 South West Division (won 37-12 vs. CNDF)
The Vanier Cheetahs have without a doubt been the class of Division one throughout the first half of the season. The Cheetahs have outscored opponents 189-76 in the first half of the season and have taken on all comers. The Cheetahs dominated a short-handed CNDF squad on both sides of the ball. Dimitri Sinodinos completed 28 of 36 passes for 320 yards, in what was a statement game for the Vanier QB. Jamie Henry came up big contributing six catches for 136 yards and a score. Defensively Kean Harelimana led the way with 9 tackles, while Marc-Antoine Varin added a pick six and Jizreel Botat had an interception of his own as the Cheetahs geared up for the game of the year, next week’s clash with #2 Champlain.
2) CHAMPLAIN COUGARS (5-1) D1 North-East Division (won 38-28 @ Vieux Montréal)
Like we said earlier, this may be the hottest team in D1 at the moment. Vieux Montréal held two-time player of the week QB Michael Arruda to 169 yards and a 35% completion rate, by far his lowest numbers of the year. Without skipping a beat, the Cougars put forth the consummate team effort as CFC 100 Cedric Joseph scored twice and rambled for 122 yards on 22 carries, while the defense led by CFC 100 prospects Kevin McGee, Cedric Lussier-Roy and Frederick Robitaille came up with key stops and turnovers and finally not to be outdone, the special teams contributed with Thomas Bertrand-Hudon’s kick-off return for a touchdown. Unfortunately, there is NO time to celebrate their win and/or subsequent climb to the two spot, as #1 Vanier awaits.
#1 Vanier squares off against #2 Lennoxville this weekend.
3) SPARTIATES DU VIEUX MONTREAL (4-2) D1 South-West Division (lost 38-28 vs. Champlain-Lennoxville)
Les Spartiates fall from second to third in this week’s “POWER RANKINGS” with the aforementioned loss to Champlain. CFC 100 receiver Louis-Mathieu Normandin played the role of possession receiver with 87 yards on ten catches, while running back CFC 100 Mike Brian Lusikila came up big with a 123 yards on the ground in a losing effort. The Spartiates will need to put this one behind them and rebound immediately as they find themselves two games back of Vanier and cannot afford to lose any more ground if they have any hopes of winning the South-West Division.
4) LE NOTRE DAME DE COLLEGE NOTRE DAME-DE-FOY (CNDF) (4-2) D1 North-East Division (lost 37-12 @ Vanier)
CNDF need CFC 100 QB Samuel Chénard to be at 100% if they have any hopes of competing with the division 1 big boys.
5) SAINT-JEAN (4-0) D2 (won 55-21@ Trois-Rivières)
Saint-Jean is clearly the team to beat in D2 as they’ve outscored opponents 176-86 in four wins. Let the debate begin as to where they would end up in D1.
6) ANDRE GRASSET (3-1) D2 (won 57-31 vs. John Abbott)
Dropped out: Montmorency
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