French Division III National Playoff Pairings Announced

Falcons are ready to Kickoff

the 2012-13 Division III Playoffs

The French Division III regular season is finally over for the nine leagues and 43 teams spread out throughout France that started vying for a playoff spot as practices started last September.

Today, the 16 team Division III playoff brackets were announced. The single elimination playoffs in France are divided into two eight team North (Nord) and South (Sud) brackets. Games start next weekend and will continue every other weekend until the Casque D'Argent (Silver Helmet) National Championship game on June 8th or 9th.

Let's take a look at the brackets.

In the North, the bracket is made up of the five league champions and the three teams deemed to be the best second place teams.

In the South, each of the four league's top two teams qualified for the playoffs.

I will list each team's league finish, record and scoring differential as well.

For brevity's sake, NPA means Nord Poule A, SPB means Sud Poule B, etc.

A scoring differential of +226, in the Falcons' case, means that in our eight games we outscored our opponents by 226 points.

Similarly, while the Caen Conquérants are 7-3 and the Nord Poule C's top team, their -5 scoring differential means that they were outscored by 5 points in their ten games. That is a strange statistic to be sure.

Northern France Bracket

Saturday or Sunday, April 27-28

Caen Conquérants, NPC #1, 7-3, -5 at

Villepinte Diables Rouges, NPE #1, 5-1, +117

Strasbourg Minotaures, NPA #2, 8-2, +175 at

Terville Gueules Jaunes, NPA #1, 9-1, +237

La Courneuve Flash B, NPE #2, 4-2, +76 at

Tours Pionniers, NPD #1, 6-0, +138

Le Havre Salamandres, NPC #2, 6-3-1, +117 at

St-Herblain Dockers, NPB #1, 8-0, +218

Southern France Bracket

Saturday or Sunday, April 27-28

Flayosc Dragons Noirs, SPD #2, 3-2, +59 at

Montrabé Cométes, SPA #1, 8-0, +256

St-Cergues Bulldogs, SPC #2, 6-2, +3 at

Marseille Blue Stars, SPD #1, 3-1-1, +57

Albi Hurricane, SPA #2, 5-3, +39 at

Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons, SPC #1, 8-0, +226

Bordeaux Lions, SPB #2, 5-2-1, +160 at

Pau Sphinx, SPB #1, 6-2, +50

Bracket Semi-Finals

May 11 or 12

Bracket Finals

May 25 or 26

Casque D'Argent
National Championship Game

June 8 or 9

A quick, comparative look at our first round match-up:

Albi Hurricane (5-3)

Sud Poule A - Second Place Team

Oct. 28, (0-1) lost to Longages Scorpions 6-29

Nov. 11, (0-2) lost to Montrabé Comètes 6-10

Nov. 25, (1-2) beat Tarbes Mad Predators 26-0

Feb. 23, (2-2) beat Longages Scorpions 20-6

Mar. 10, (2-3) lost to Montrabé Comètes 0-51

Mar. 16, (3-3) beat Tarbes Mad Predators 66-12

Apr. 7, (4-3) beat Bias Sayans 25-7

Apr. 13, (5-3) beat Bias Sayans 8-3

Apr. 28, at Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons

Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons (8-0)

Sud Poule C Champions

Nov. 11, (1-0) beat Lyon Gones 21-7

Nov. 25, (2-0) beat Chambéry Aigles 18-0

Feb. 17, (3-0) beat St-Cergues Bulldogs 28-7 

Mar. 3 (4-0) beat Lyon Gones 35-6

Mar. 10, (5-0) beat Clermont-Ferrand Servals 47-0

Mar. 17, (6-0) beat Chambéry Aigles 34-14

Mar. 31, (7-0) beat St-Cergues Bulldogs 41-6

Apr. 14, (8-0) beat Clermont-Ferrand Servals 41-0

Apr. 28, vs. Albi Hurricane

The French Federation that sets up the playoffs came up with two curious first round match-ups in my opinion.

In the Northern Bracket the Nord Poule A's two top teams, Terville and Strasbourg, meet in the opening round.

Similarly, in the Southern Bracket, the Sud Poule B's two top teams, Pau and Bordeaux, will meet for the third straight weekend!

Regardless, . . .

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

P.S.  A café, a baguette, some butter and a dollop of orange marmalade for breakfast might be the definitive proof of the existence of God.

Let's see you argue that one my atheist friends!