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| Anthony Toma
October 4, 2016
2:24:19 PM
Entry #: 4209609
| Under the Lights 2016 CFL CHY CUP Music to my ears.
By Anthony Toma
Nate Karrumi's Team Yellow vs Lance Samona's Team Green
The match up none of us predicted week 6 when a sliding tackle that sidelined Nate for 3 games and Green with nothing positive to report at 1-5.
The meeting of the two miracles under the lights.
"The Resurrection" vs "The Birth" (Easter vs Christmas)
He Rises
Nate a leader that people follow, A guy you break bread with and a guy that will give you the skirt (not a typo) off his back. He delivered the coveted Chy Cup back in 2008 to his Apostils and said take this all of you and drink from it for this is why we play the game. They drank they ate and the celebrated. Fast forward to 2016 when Judas now has his own team, Judas (AA) sends his men (Ray Khammi) to maim Nate during the first and second place match up. The season was lost. There was no way Yellow could go on without their leader. They tried, they fought and they had flashes with Danny Jajou stepping into the spotlight. In the end Nate size 6.5 shoes were just too big to fill. But........ on the third week he rose again to lead his squad to the playoffs by beating a White led AA team. A real life modern day Miracle!
Born Yeezy
Born to parents "Team" and "White" July 11th 2016. Lil' Yeezy was passed on by all in the draft, not once but twice. Lil' Yeezy played receiver and cornerback for his Team White in his early days. White lost its first game of the season and everyone blamed Lil' Yeezy. He couldn't understand why but he took it anyway. The next week Lil' Yeezy lit it up and White won its first game of the young season. White began to roll and no one wanted to give Lil' Yeezy any of the credit, instead the Three Wise Men (Scotty, Anthony and Sean) got together and decided to make a deal and send Lil' Yeezy to lowly Green. Green was bad, Green was all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Then a series of miracles happened, Coach Lance (The Real Wise Man) made the trade that brought not only Lil' Yeezy to Green but Samson (Peter) and Dalilah (Mazen). While Daliah was on holiday, Lil' Yeezy and the rest of the Team Green took on Team Red in the clash of the Christmas colors. Lil' Yeezy didn't fare too well but Lil' Yeezy used the Christmas game to shed part of his name (Lil') was not a part of his name anymore. Yeezy was born! Week 6 Yeezy wins! Week 7 Yeezy wins! Week 8 Yeezy wins! Week 9 Yeezy wins! Week 10.... Oh no it's Team Red again????? No PROBLEM.... NO MORE LIL' AND YEEZY WINS!!!!!!! Playoffs vs Blue, You know it.... Yeezy Wins!!!! Another modern day Miracle!
So the table is set! Christmas vs Easter
QBs
Nate:
The hard nose all in or nothing player. Clearly Team Yellow's MVP. He can throw on the run as good as any in the history of the game. He makes some trades that leave you scratching your head and then you see the product on the field and you think, what does this guy know that I don't???? We all wish we knew. He has shown over and over that you don't ever count him or his team out. Also to never bet against him.
Timmy (BIG Yeezy):
No one is doubting him now are they???? I was one of the doubters but I've done an involuntary 180. He has forced me to be Belyeezer. I'm not taking anything away from Lance or Timmy here but you can't discount the work Joey Kejbou put into Lil' Yeezy to help him become BIG' YEEZY. Timmy put in the work and he is a beast. He put this team on his back and pulled up to the field under the lights and said "I told you I'd get us here". The clear MVP of Green and probably the league!
Advantage: Yellow (experience)
Trenches
Dylan, Chris S and Jimmy K
Dylan has been bothered by his heels all year. I don't see that stopping him from going 100% Saturday night. He is one of the toughest guys to block and I'm not sure Green will have a solution for him. He causes all kinds of problems for every team and he hasn't had a taste of the Cup yet so I'd stay out of his way if I could help it. Chris S. is one of the most underrated everything. He has wheels good hands and smarts that he doesn't really get credit for either. He has been Nate's go to guy for a lot of the second half since acquiring him from Green as part of a three team deal that sent Derek P to White. Jimmy K missed last year's Chy Cup due to injury "Alisas" but none the less he is right back in the mix. He is a very steady rusher.
Timmy P (replacing Travis Abro), Mark H, Preston R and Brandon S
First let's talk about Travis contribution getting Green here, he is a motor that never stops running. I was in complete shock that he played all year only to have to attend a wedding in California the weekend of the Chy Cup, Coincidence?????? Some think Timmy P is going to be the secret weapon the Brandon Nafso was in last year's Chy Cup. Timmy is a solid fill in and has shown he belongs in this league not only on a skill level but dedication. He campaigned to play even though he was going to miss 3 weeks due to his wedding. Good speed and powerful. Mark H, what can you say about him? He is the ultimate teammate and will do whatever it takes to take a shot while on the field and chat you up to antagonize you while he is on the sidelines. He has an impact on and off the field, making him the best 8th man in the league. Preston is a freak in that he is the ultimate utility player. He can run with Centers, Lineman and Slot Receivers. For a Lineman/Linebacker he has probably more INTs than a lot of DBs. He gets crucial sacks and timely INTs. He is a true player. Brandon S is one of those guys that you love to have on your team because he too can do it all and has no problem with doing what he is asked. He is big for his size (lol). Whatever that means???? He can snap, catch and run all in one motion. Great team guy!
Advantage: Green (Lots of options and looks available)
Center
Danny S
Team guy that loves to block even though he isn't the biggest guy. Of all the centers in the league he is the best blocker that I've faced as a middle linebacker. He makes huge catch after huge catch. He reminds me of Dennis Sarafa. Doesn't do anything fancy but does everything solid.
Vinnie K
The magician. He can catch and runnnnnnnnnnnn stop start stop runnnnnn zig and zag. He is a great after the catch runner. Solid snaps and is tough to bring down. He has some wheels too. He and Nate have a chemistry.
Advantage: Even
Receivers
Andrew S, Mazen J, Lance S and Peter N
WOW! That is a lot of fire power. Andrew being sidelined and hampered all year doesn't help, he looked good not great last week but I'll take a 75% Shango over 90% of the 100% guys in the league. Mazen and Peter cracking???? Forget about it. You are locked down. Lance got some action at the WO position that while Shango was out. It was probably a blessing in that it gave Lance a chance to transfer some on his football Knowledge to Yeezy in the huddle.
Ricky N, Danny J, George S and I'm going to include Chris S in here too (we all know why)
Ricky is a beast, when he is on he is on. He can bang with the best of them and won't back down from a challenge. Danny J would have probably led the league in TDs if he wasn't asked to play QB for 4 games. He can catch and run. George is steady and when he shows up gets the job done. He can run and jump with the best of them. Chris S?????? WTF?????? Where did he go? Wait...... Where did he come from???? Who had him???? Did he just block two guys and then go out catch the ball and run it 60 yards for a TD? Yep!
Advantage: Green (not for the obvious reason but since Yellow's receivers are going to be covered by Green's DBs)
Linebackers and DBs since most teams use a blend
Nick A, Nate, Mike S, Ricky N
Nick isn't pretty out there but he is a great position guy, great flag puller and the heart of the defense. Nate??? What is there to say about this one armed wonder? He locks people down, period. Ricky is solid in that he can bump and run and just flat out run with the WOs. He has technique and the smarts of a well rounded football player. Mike Solaka, I had to include his last name for league reasons. He goes after the ball anytime it goes up and he doesn't care who is around, he goes straight to the ball. The shortest route he will travel. He has probably knocked out more guys than anyone in the league. He isn't playing dirty and has no ill will but man s he dangerous. I see him knocking Nate out of the game in the third but we all know Nate will come back for the very next play if he takes even one play off.
Mazen, Lance, Shango, Timmy, Peter and Preston
This band of six could probably beat the other 4 teams without fielding a seventh guy. They are so big, long, strong and fast that it almost isn't even fair????
Not a weakness to exploit and they have another guy in their back pocket that they can have shadow Nate with. Four guys on one team that can cover any team's number one receiver?
Advantage: Green
These are the two best teams the CFL had to offer this year and it is only fitting that they square off to hoist the Chy Cup off the field this Saturday. Who wins this game?
Well that all depends? If you look at it on paper, Green has already won. The good news for Green is that that isn't the way we decide who gets to take the Cup to the after party and do nasty things to it. We play for it and we allow the best team that day decide.
Will Nate be able to throw the deep ball?
Are Peter and Shango healthy enough to make a contribution?
Is Dylan able to walk, let alone run?
Does Yeezy have one more miracle game in him?
Does Mazen bring his A game?
Who will step up for Green/Yellow?
Can anyone contain Nate and if so what about the dump to Chris?
Either way this has been a miracle season and for one team that miracle is going to live on.
Good luck to both teams. May we have a miracle of a game and a fantastic finish to match the season both these teams have had. The CFL is the greatest league in the land and that will never change.
See you all for the kickoff this Saturday at 8 pm the 8th of October at West Bloomfield High School for the game of the year!
Line:
Green -6 O/U 46
Prediction: Yellow wins by 2
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