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| White21
September 23, 2015
11:16:25 PM
Entry #: 4182766
| Chai Cup Preview
Saturday night under the lights for the 2015 CFL Chai Cup is finally approaching and it will feature a matchup between this season’s two most consistent teams, Anthony Toma’s top seeded Team Red v. Natham Karrumi’s second seeded Team Yellow.
QB Matchup:
Red- In a relatively short time, Anthony Acho has gone from an inexperienced, and some would say immature, QB who relied almost exclusively on his athletic ability to make plays to a pocket savvy killer who has learned the intricacies of playing the position. He has been on point all season and has really stepped up his game in leading a loaded red team.
Yellow- Natham Karrumi has turned in what I think is probably the most impressive individual single season performance I have seen from anybody since entering the league. Every year there is a debate as to who should be the MVP and in most seasons there are at least a few candidates. Not this year, it is unanimous consensus that Nate has earned the honor. He has played short-handed, injured, hungover and with a cast that relies on quite a few rookies but nothing has stopped him all season long. It goes without saying, but Yellow’s chances for success begin and end with Nate.
Advantage: For as good as Acho has been, the edge goes to Yellow
Wide Receivers:
Red- Red’s cast of WR’s has been solid all season, between Mazen “I wait until we’re winning to talk trash” Dado, Ricky “undrafted free agent” Nami, Peter “Cheap Shot” Namou and Grandpa Toma you are left in a “pick your poison” pickle. Aside from AT slotting himself as a 7th rounder, he was able to somehow con the rest of the league into allowing Ricky to be on his team for next to nothing after Ricky showed up with 4 minutes left in the rookie game and booger crust still in his eyes. Note to any future tryouts…..show up with 4 minutes left in the rookie game and the coach who referred you will find a spot for you. Their receivers have been solid and with Acho buying time it makes it that much more difficult to defend these guys, with AT finding every open space and Mazen and Ricky creating speed mismatches, they are a handful.
Yellow: Mike “underrated” Sesi leads the way for this yellow group while “My Cousin Vinny” has made big cousin proud all season long. Hawk has a really nice beard and is a nightmare out of the slot, especially when he cracks, but we only got to see it for 4 weeks this season since he hurt his pinky toe in week 3. Included in the yellow receiver rotation are Chris Karrum, I mean Sesi, who brings speed and Featherstone hands (please Google “Featherstone Necessary Roughness” if needed).
Edge: Even.
O Line
Red: There may be some better blockers than Jordan Rassam, but there are none more dangerous in the passing game and certainly none who are more fundamentally sound. He is the ultimate game changer and must be accounted for at all times when he releases and when he remains in the pocket he can bang with the best of them. While their other bookend Mark Hajjar is on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to receiving ability, his veteran savvy keeps Acho’s blind side protected as good as anybody. It may not always be pretty and it might be a hold 99% of the time according to the opponent but if the other side is getting angry and the men in stripes aren’t throwing a flag, he must be doing something right.
Yellow: Matt Shango and Kresto Allos will anchor the O line for yellow Saturday. They have been steady forces and given Nate some running lanes all season while contributing a decent amount in the passing game, too. It is also worth noting that Shango may be the leagues leading rusher for non-QB’s as they seem to always call that direct snap at the best time. Shango also has the intangible skill of getting under people’s skin some times and that may come into play with hot head rassam on the other side of the ball.
Edge: Red
D Line:
Red: For nearly a decade (maybe more?), the showstopper has been the standard for dominance on the defensive side of the ball. He may come with some moments of crazy, but he comes 100% full throttle 100% of the time. Rookie Timmy Pattah has been solid all season and has shied away from no man this season, he loves to bang with the big boys and has done a solid job setting that edge for red while getting acclimated to the CFL. When they send Mazen as the third rusher it creates one hell of a rush that can create problems for any offense.
Yellow: Shango and Jimmy Kinaya will lead the way on the defensive line for yellow and I’m sure we can expect to see a little bit of Cresto mixed in with speedy Chris Sesi blitzing, too. If they can contain Acho’s elusive efforts and bottle him up, it will be key to Yellow’s bid for a title.
Advantage: any team with the showstopper always gets the nod here, Red
Linebackers
Red: Keeping personal opinions aside, Peter Namou is among the best in the league at the MLB position. He can bang, he can run and he is always in the right place at the right time. He plays with great instinct and physicality. They mix in Mazen and between the two of them they probably create the most complete and dynamic mix of LB’s in the league.
Yellow: On the other side, you have the guy who is arguably the best MLB in the league, Nick Hermiz. Like Peter Namou, he brings a unique style of physical play and knowledge that are key to Nate’s cover two special. He’s the best MLB Nate has had since his BFF Nick Ammouri retired a few years back. Chris Sesi gets in the mix in the middle to and brings speed that few other players in the league can offer to their team.
Advantage: Even
DB’s
Red: Lance Samona leads Red’s defense with his play calling just as much as he does with his play making. He is not the loudest, not the flashiest and not always the first name that comes to mind when thinking elite DB’s in our league, but he is every bit as good as any of them. Playing center field, Ricky Nami covers a lot of ground in a little bit of time (see the lick he laid on me when he jarred the ball loose last week- covered about 18 yards while the ball was in the air). On the other corner red offers up a combination of Mazen and Anthony Acho. Acho stopped playing defense about 9 years ago but Mazen is the real deal on the corner, unless he is covering Joey Kejbou or Andrew Shango. Fortunately, they handled White last week and those two are no longer a concern for Saturday.
Yellow: Nate does it all on offense and his performance on Defense has been no less shabby this season. He can usually be found locking down the oppositions #1 corner and does a fine job of it. Mike “my favorite under 30 player” Sesi has some of the best instincts and range in the league from the safety position and we all know about his ability to high point a potential int. My Cousin Vinny has held true to Kejbou form this year and handled his business on the other corner.
Edge: Even
Line: Red -5.5
Prediction: For all of Nate’s greatness this season, I don’t see him overcoming what has been the most complete team from start to finish this season. The Nate/Justin stopper will continue his primetime performances under the lights and be the difference in this one.
Before closing this out, there is something more important than the Chai Cup that we should address. On behalf of the entire league, I would like to pass my sincerest condolences to Dave Antiwan, his wife Jennifer and their whole family in the wake of the loss of their beautiful baby daughter, Lillian Rita Antiwan. Dave is a retired member of the CFL family and one of our lifelong Chaldean brothers, we ask that you all keep them in your thoughts and prayers, God bless their family and remember to never take anything for granted.
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