Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Hounds have announced their roster for the upcoming Week 16 game against the New Orleans Gold. Head Coach Chris Latham has made two changes to the starting lineup, bringing in forward Mason Flesch and center Oliver Devoto after they missed last weekend's match against Carolina.

The game will take place on Saturday evening at SeatGeek Stadium as part of the 2025 Dawg Town Block Party, an event first introduced in 2023. Tickets for the Block Party are available for purchase.

The front row trio of Fakaosifolau Pifeleti, Dylan Fawsitt, and Charlie Abel will start together for the fifth consecutive game. The bench includes a mix of youth and experience with Janus Venter, Liam Fletcher, and Ignacio Peculo maintaining their positions.

James Scott and Hamish Bain will continue as the second-row pair for a second consecutive game. The back-row combination of Mason Flesch, Mac Jones, and Lucas Rumball has been performing well throughout the season. Luke White and Matt Oworu are expected to contribute from the bench later in the game.

Jason Higgins and Chris Hilsenbeck will reprise their roles as halfbacks following a strong performance against Anthem. Michael Baska remains on the bench wearing jersey No. 21, offering versatility as both scrumhalf and wing. Adriaan Carelse also retains his spot among the reserves.

Oliver Devoto returns to action after being rested last week. He has played 12 games this season with notable contributions including two tries. He will team up with Bryce Campbell in midfield while Noah Flesch moves to jersey No. 23 on Saturday.

On the wings, Peyton Wall and Noah Brown from Indiana Hoosiers will start again. Wall is a contender for Rookie of the Year despite playing only four games so far this season; he set franchise records last week against Carolina with significant meter gains and line breaks. Tim Swiel continues at fullback for his fourth consecutive start.

In their previous encounter during Week Seven at Gold Mine, Chicago narrowly defeated New Orleans with a score of 20-18. The Gold have had a challenging season holding a record of 4-10 but still have slim playoff hopes despite struggling away from home with just one win out of seven matches played outside New Orleans.

Chicago Hounds Week 16 Roster: vs NOLA Gold