April 26, 2024
By Cody Roy
Winter has finally turned to spring, and it's time for the Frisbees to fly once again as the long UFA offseason is finally nearing its end. The past few months have been some of the most exciting in the league’s history, with plenty of big splashes made; and perhaps the biggest was made by Boston Glory.
The 2024 iteration of Glory features a whopping 24 returners from the 2023 squad credited with Boston’s first playoff appearance in franchise history. With many familiar faces come a wave of young talent looking to follow in the footsteps of Simon Carapella’s breakout 2023 season.
The Familiar
Glory’s all-time leader in yards and total scores, Ben Sadok returns for a fourth season in Boston. The small, slippery handler poses a serious threat with and without the disc, with sharp redzone cutting and chemistry with his other handlers.
The rest of the O-Line handler core is continuing to develop as well. Cole Davis-Brand is set to return for his fourth season as well and will be joined by Caelan McSweeney (2nd to Sadok in throwing yards last season), Colin Sunde, and the team’s new captain - Ned Dick.
Boston’s downfield presence brings back the key size and speed dichotomy of years past. Simon Carapella, fresh off an AUDL-All Rookie team nod returns for his second season. The Boston DiG captain is an electric presence on the field and led Glory with 37 goals, 209 points played, and 2,674 receiving yards in 2023. Carapella is likely to be a top target for Sadok again this season.
Two names immediately come to mind when looking at size on the Glory O-Line. The first is another DiG captain, Orion Cable. Cable missed much of 2023 as he won gold at U-24 Worlds, but Cable looks set to return for his fourth year with Glory. Cable put up 20 goals in 6 games in 2023, showing domination of his airspace despite near-constant double-teaming from opposing defenders.
Alongside Cable is another familiar face: Tannor Johnson-Go, who returns after taking a hiatus in 2023. Johnson-Go is a deceptively speedy cutter with plus-plus throws. He thrives in rotation, having seen time as the 2nd or 3rd handler in seasons past.
Boston’s D-Line was much more menacing than the stats showed last season. All five players of Boston’s top-5 in Defensive Points Played are all slated to return this season, with 4 of them being in Glory’s top-5 in Blocks.
Rocco Linehan remains the wildcard piece, primarily a defender, Rocco was still a key rotational piece on O-Line last year. Gus Haflin, Phil Joyce, and Chris Bartoli are the big bodies downfield, each coming off a season with double-digit blocks.
Finally, captain Brendan McCann leads the charge in the defensive backfield with veteran presence Tyler Chan charged with everything in-between.
The Fresh
On April 1st, everything changed. There was a brief moment when everyone thought Boston was playing a funny April Fools joke - Jeff Babbitt, the offseason’s biggest free agent (and maybe the biggest free agent in league history), was coming to Boston. Much to the surprise of many (including myself, who was in the midst of writing this piece), it was real. Easton’s own University of Massachusetts product was coming home. The reigning UFA MVP is bringing his talents to the Glory O-Line, reuniting with college teammates Ben Sadok and Tannor Johnson-Go.
Babbitt, fresh off a league-high 60-goal season, is a physical, big, and deceptively quick cutter with 8 seasons and 3 UFA titles to his name. He made his big break as a D-Line player for Empire in his first 6 seasons but has become an O-Line powerhouse in 2022 and ‘23.
Babbitt may have stolen the spotlight, but he’s far from Boston’s only notable signing. Just days before the start of the season, Glory announced the signing of another 3-time champion, former UFA All-Star, and UMass graduate Ben Katz. Katz, a Somerville native, is poised to make his return to New England ultimate this Friday alongside countless other current and former Zoo Disc players.
Glory has also signed the likes of Ryan Flamberg, captain of Lexington Sprocket, who reenters the UFA after a 3-game stint with Philadelphia Phoenix in 2016. Flamberg brings a veteran presence and should play well with club teammates Ivan Tran, Zach Singer, and Rocco Linehan.
Glory has also received an injection of young, UMass talent, with Sprout’s Jonah Stang-Osborne and Griffin Yas. The pair of rising talents should slot in nicely for Boston, bringing in a big arm and elite finishing, respectively. Finally, a glimpse at the future of New England ultimate in high school Senior and USA U20’s Roan Dunkerley, a speedy cutter and likely protegee to Simon Carapella.
With a contingent of returning veteran talent, the beginning of a new youth movement, and a reigning league MVP; 2024 is shaping up to be Glory’s most exciting season yet, as the team looks to return to the playoffs for a second consecutive year. The journey begins on April 26th, as Glory hosts Montreal Royal in the league’s opening night.
