May 30, 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.
Matt Armour, Austin Sol
One of the AUDL’s most underrated defenders, Matt Armour helped the Sol rack up 14 breaks on Sunday afternoon against Dallas. The 25-year-old tallied three blocks against his former team, one shy of his career-high. He also tied a season-high with 14 completions as Austin improved to 4-2 on the year.
Tobias Brooks, Carolina Flyers
On a weekend where most of the team’s collegiate stars were unavailable, the Flyers simply leaned on their top high-school talent. Teenage phenom Tobias Brooks led Carolina in receiving yards on Friday against Houston, churning for 305 while throwing for 112 more. He also tallied multiple goals and multiple assists with zero turns to anchor the Flyers’ O-line that the Havoc failed to break in eight chances.
James Lewis, Toronto Rush
With three assists, two goals and two blocks, James Lewis’s presence was pivotal as the Rush picked up their first road win of the season on Saturday at Montreal. While the contest was a low-scoring struggle, the 25-year-old tossed all three of his assists in the second half—the entire Royal team only recorded two second-half scores—as Toronto prevailed 15-12.
Wyatt Mekler, Chicago Union
Once a college champion for the University of Minnesota, Wyatt Mekler enjoyed the best game of his pro career on Sunday against the Minnesota Wind Chill. The almost 28-year-old handler went 28-for-28 passing, accumulating three assists, two goals, and one block, numbers certainly bolstered by a key fourth quarter Callahan. Mekler was also solid on Saturday against Madison, going 36-for-38 at Breese Stevens Field as the Union earned a pair of huge victories to dramatically enhance the team’s chances of a third consecutive Central Division title.
Elliott Moore, Austin Sol
The sixth-year Sol produced five assists and one goal for Austin’s D-line on Sunday against Dallas, completing all 22 of this throws in the team’s rout of the Legion. It was his most completions without a throwaway in 53 career games. Furthermore, through five weeks, Elliott Moore is tied for the sixth-most assists in the league with 16; he’s the only person among the top 45 who’s played more D-points than O-points.
James Pollard, Philadelphia Phoenix
The Philadelphia Phoenix earned their first victory of the year and reclaimed the Commonwealth Cup in part due to James Pollard’s five scores and 491 yards of offense on Saturday in Pittsburgh. For the first time since yards have been tracked—since the start of the 2021 season—Pollard has totaled at least 200 throwing and at least 200 receiving yards in consecutive games, exemplifying his improved consistency as a key cog in the Phoenix’s attack.
Andrew Sjogren, Chicago Union (Pictured)
Forget about the 129 goals and 30 assists he entered the weekend with after four losing seasons with Detroit; no single scoring play, no matter how spectacular, could match the feeling of earning his first AUDL victory. On Saturday in Madison, Andrew Sjogren served as a key downfield cutting engine for the Union offense, leading the team with 280 receiving yards. When the buzzer sounded, it was evident how special the moment felt both for Sjogren and his new Chicago teammates. He didn’t have to wait long for win number two, as the Union prevailed again less than 24 hours later over Minnesota.
2023 Weekly Honor Roll
