FPC18 Sophomore MVPs (Kiwanis): Rainy day leads to big plays on defence

It wasn’t ideal conditions for a showcase game, but the best always find a way to impress, and that was the case for the West Sophomores who pulled off a 20-6 victory over the Golden Horseshoe.

Here are the Sophomore MVPs.

Defence

It felt like this game was a score fest compared to the 0-0 tie in the Freshmen game, but reality is the defence still dominated with Austin West and Maximus Di Diomede getting honoured as Defensive MVPs.

The Golden Horseshoe had a ton of playmakers on their side, but West helped the West limit their chances with some great play in the defensive backfield. His biggest play of the game came when it looked like GH was going to put some points on the board, but West stepped in front of a wayward pass and managed to hang on despite the rain to end their threatening drive before the half. At 5’10”, 160lbs, he’s still got some room to fill out his frame, and should be on a lot of schools radars if  he continues to standout in tough environments like on Saturday afternoon.

Di Diomede earned the other Defensive MVP spot, and he did so with a tenacious attitude built on proving all his doubters wrong – me included. At 5’4″, 145lbs, he’s absolutely fearless on the field, and he’s got a high I.Q that sticks out on the field when he’s reading plays. He’s got great tackling form out of necessity, and Di Diomede has clearly benefitted from being able to develop at CFC50 top ranked St. Thomas More.

After the game, he wanted to remind everybody that it doesn’t matter what the headlines say, it matters about making a difference when the whistle blows,

“After reading the players to watch before my game, I saw that I wasn’t included. I think that winning MVP really proved many people wrong and opened others eyes to my talent” Di Diomede explains.

“My overall experience was a great one. I’ve been with the same guys for the FPC for three years and it’s always a good time with them … Being moved to Golden Horseshoe for Sophomore I was able to continue playing with my brothers and meet new guys. I’m excited for next year FPC and to make an impact again with the boys.”

Offence

This was the second highest scoring game other than the Underclassmen, and it was thanks to the play from Offensive MVPs Chey Charles and Jacob Succar.

When I first saw Charles he looked like he’d be a dynamite receiver – and I’m sure he is too – but instead we got to see him carry the rock and help carry his team to victory. He did a great job of running north-south instead of trying to get too fancy in the rain, and it paid off with a pair of touchdowns that were the difference maker when it was all said and done. He’s got athlete written all over him, and with his size he’s going to garner a lot of attention if he continues to fill out his frame as a senior. Charles currently attend CFC50 Lorne Park, who’re coming off an OFSAA victory in 2017.

Succar was our other Offensive MVP, and he was also the man who broke the West’s defence hearts just when they thought they had a shutout. He literally scored on the last play of the game, which doesn’t mean everything, but it might tell you a little something about his heart. This is the second year in a row he took home MVP honours after a four touchdown performance in 2017, so you can only imagine this game might’ve been a little different if he didn’t play on a slip and slide surface all afternoon. Regardless he still showed off his speed on a few occasions, and what I loved most was his desire for contact in a game where there was nowhere to hide for the running backs. He currently attends CFC50 Notre Dame, and plays summer ball for the Niagara Spears.

After the game he explained his mentality going into a contest marred by terrible weather conditions, and the best piece of advice he received from the coaching staff,

“Taking a risk in the sense of changing my play style, and being creative with how I either run the ball or make a big play. My mindset is usually consistent when it comes to playing in any type of weather – it comes down to ball security and staying warmed up to always be set to hop on the field.”

 

Linemen

Linemen were the catalyst in this game, and due to a miscommunication we ended up with a trio of MVPs to talk about from the Sophomore Class, which in the end seems appropriate considering the nasty weather.

Ethan Isaac was the nominee from the West side, and he was a freak coming off the edge with a nasty combo of size and athleticism. He’s got a quiet demeanour going on, but he came loud and clear on my SD card by the end up the afternoon wrapping up CFC100 John Serrano in the backfield on a couple of occasions, and he found his found to the quarterback for at least a pair of sacks. Isaac currently attends Northern Collegiate, and plays summer ball for the Sarnia Sturgeon.

Evan Ciampaglia is the one pictured above for the West, and he was named MVP for the Freshmen squad who he played for earlier in the day. In other words, it was a long day of football for the young man, but you really couldn’t tell because he held up just fine playing against some older competition. He currently attends Massey and plays summer ball for the Essex Ravens – read more about his Freshmen performance here.

Our final MVP of the Showcase at Kiwanis was Zachary Ayotte, who was feasting in the middle of the trenches trying to slow down a potent rushing attack from the West side – all while nursing a dislocated finger. At 6’0″, 240lbs, he’s got that perfect interior linemen build going, but he could also be classified as a tweener due to his athletic abilities. He earned himself a couple of sacks throughout this one, and managed to show off his overall abilities against probably the best offensive line we saw in St. Catherine’s.

He wasn’t exactly pleased with the injury limiting his snaps, but overall he believes this was his best performance yet at the FPC Showcase,

“Despite the loss, this was my best personal performance at a FPC game. The previous two games I was a part of were fairly easy wins and my intensity was limited. … Despite also dislocating a finger on my right hand, removing me from playing at the centre position, I was still able rise up and play well on defence.” he explains.

“The game yesterday was a great way to get ready for my upcoming season with the Niagara Spears of the OPFL and my grade 11 year with my high school team CFC50 A.N. Myer in Niagara Falls.”