July 17, 2023
By Evan Lepler
Throughout the 2023 season, the AUDL’s weekly honor roll will be revealed each Monday, honoring seven players whose individual exploits merit recognition. The players are listed alphabetically by last name.
Jeff Babbitt, New York Empire
One fun takeaway from the exhilarating Week 12 slate was experiencing the sound that a massive crowd makes after Jeff Babbitt does something athletic, impressive, and different. To a certain extent, New York fans, along with the rest of the East Division locales, are accustomed to his nuclear acceleration and acrobatic aerial maneuvers, but for many fans in Colorado and Salt Lake, they were witnessing Babbitt’s brilliance in person for the first time. Many of his 12 scoring grabs across the Empire’s weekend looked easy, but occasionally he’d need to show off his unique abilities, to go above and beyond in a way that only he can, and in those moments, the buzzing crowd made a sound that can only be described as awed, amazed, and astonished.
Antoine Davis, New York Empire
After only recording four blocks in his first eight games this season, Antoine Davis reminded everyone that he can also be a game-changer defensively for the Empire. The 30-year-old Davis registered five blocks during New York’s wild weekend, tallying three on Friday against the Summit before adding two more on Saturday vs. the Shred. Believe it or not, it was the first time that Davis delivered multiple blocks in back-to-back games since the 2017 AUDL playoffs, when he was a member of the San Francisco FlameThrowers. Though he’s be dealing with some nagging physical issues throughout the first two-thirds of the season, he said he felt healthier than he’s been all year, and it certainly showed.
Jace Duennebeil, Salt Lake Shred (Pictured)
Amongst all the superstars suiting up for both teams in Salt Lake on Saturday night, the most impressive individual performance very well might have been Jace Duennebeil’s five-goal, five-assist, 488-yard, zero-turnover masterpiece. Taking the field six days before his 25th birthday, Duennebeil was on fire all night long, setting new career-highs in assists, throwing yards, and receiving yards. Both of his hucks were on point—he’s now 8-for-8 on hucks this season—and his fourth quarter layout goal will absolutely find a home near the business end of the Week 12 Top 10. As a cutter working alongside accomplished playmakers like Elijah Jaime, Jordan Kerr, Grant Lindsley, it was Duennebeil who shined brightest for the Shred in their regular season finale.
Jeremy Keusch, Indianapolis AlleyCats
With three goals, three assists, two blocks, and no turns, Jeremy Keusch finished a career-best plus-eight as the Indianapolis AlleyCats held off Pittsburgh to officially punch their ticket to the playoffs. Playing his 40th career AUDL game, the 23-year-old Keusch also set a new-career high with 29 completions, as the AlleyCats showed that, even when playing outdoors, they can be especially stingy with possession when playing at home. Indy averaged just 11.2 turns per game in six home games this season, and their Week 12 triumph also secured the two seed in the Central Division playoffs.
Garrett Martin, Seattle Cascades
After playing more than 96 percent of his points on the D-line in his first two AUDL seasons, 25-year-old Garrett Martin has been a revelation on offense in 2023. On Saturday against San Diego, he churned for his second 300/300 game against the Growlers this season. In fact, in these two games, Martin produced 17 assists, three goals, two blocks, 801 throwing yards, and 653 receiving yards, with 60 completions and just one throwaway. With one more game remaining, Martin likely will be the only player in the league to produce 3,000 throwing yards and 3,000 receiving yards during the regular season, and he ranks second in the AUDL with 54 assists, trailing only the next name on this here Honor Roll.
Ryan Osgar, New York Empire
The AUDL’s assist leader has been at his very best during the Empire’s last five games, all of which have come against opponents with winning records. In this time, Ryan Osgar has thrown 38 assists, 157 completions, and seven turns. To put it bluntly, it’s been a staggering display of distribution domination, reminiscent of his torrid, MVP-honored 2022. His greatest single-game during this vicious stretch was probably Saturday in Salt Lake, when he dished nine assists, went 33-for-33, and produced his first 300/300 game of the year, with 344 throwing yards and a season-high 309 receiving yards. In his last 25 games played, dating back to the start of last season, Osgar’s got 130 assists, 58 goals, and left the stadium victorious every time.
Alec Wilson Holliday, Dallas Legion
While most of his progress has come under the radar during a down year in Dallas, Alec Wilson Holliday has been steadily producing and gradually becoming more consistent as a playmaker for the Legion. On Saturday against the Havoc, Wilson Holliday put together arguably his best game as a pro, catching six goals, tossing two assists, and churning for 423 receiving yards as Dallas earned its first win of the season, a 23-16 victory over Houston. For the season, he currently ranks tied for sixth in the AUDL in goals and ninth in receiving yards. He also has two more games left on the upcoming Week 13 schedule to try and cap his strong sophomore season on the right note.
2023 Weekly Honor Roll
