The eight Division 1 teams were supposed to have played 22 matches by the 12th matchday of the championship. This is not the case for two teams, namely Montigny and Montpellier.
Montpellier is aiming for the playoffs, while Montigny hopes to avoid relegation. Each of the two teams is determined to win their two postponed matches. These, from the 7th matchday, will be played in Montpellier, giving the Barracudas the home advantage.
Let’s hear from Dylan Mayeux, the coach of the Cougars, and then Owen Ozanich, the coach of the Barracudas, as they reflect on this season.
Montigny
It’s always tough, and our goals aren’t being met yet. We’re currently aiming for a spot in the relegation playoff after a difficult start to the season. The team is starting to gain confidence, and victories are becoming more regular.
It won’t be easy, as we have many absences, notably our JFL (locally trained youth) players, who are working during the Paralympic Games. It’s not helping, but we’re keeping our heads high to finish the championship as we should.
Montpellier
During the offseason, when we first saw the new D1 with 8 teams and the new JFL rules, I specifically told my two assistant coaches, Olivier Brossier and Giovanni Luciani, that I wouldn’t expect us to achieve a 19-5 regular season record like in 2023. The championship is much more balanced; six teams can now contend for the title—this has never happened before.
Our goals remain the same: win the Challenge and the French Series. My thoughts on our season so far are these: if you had told me we’d be in the playoffs with only 15 innings from Ben Couvreur, Ismael Pontiac, and Kenjiro Sugiura combined, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you had told me our only .300 hitter would be Douglas Rodriguez, I wouldn’t have believed you. If you had told me I’d pitch more innings than Daniel Gosselin, I wouldn’t have believed that either.
We’ve had some great surprises: Yoan Antonac and Fernando Bello returning to the mound, Douglas as mentioned. I now call Fabian Kovacs ‘the machine’; he’s caught 95% of our innings this season while also hitting very well in all competitions.
Now, Antonac and Mael Zan are back in America, so we’ll need a few more surprises to defend our title. Luc Polit will be a key pitcher for us in the JFL, and we hope Ben Couvreur and Oscar Bustamante return to give us a real boost, just like Yancarlo Franco did last year. We’re focused on the goal and confident we have what it takes to repeat as French champions!
