Ozarks Lunkers
| Ozarks Lunkers | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established 2023 Play in Springfield, Missouri | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Red, Foliage Green, Sky Blue, Darker Lake Blue |
| Mascot | Lunky the Lunker |
| Cheerleaders | Lady Lures |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Mark Burgess |
| General manager | Caleb Scott[1] |
| Head coach | Cam Bruffett |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Home arena(s) | |
| |
The Ozarks Lunkers are a professional indoor football team based in Springfield, Missouri. They are currently members of The Arena League (TAL). They will play their home games at Wilson Logistics Arena, a multipurpose arena built next to the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds.
History
[edit]On March 9, 2023, League Commissioner Tim Brown announced Springfield, Missouri as one of four cities that would be receiving an Arena League team.[2] The Lunkers are the second Arena Football team in Springfield, Missouri, after the short-lived Springfield WolfPack of the APFL.
On October 20, 2023 CoxHealth signed into a partnership with the Lunkers as the team's health care provider.[3][4]
Team name and logo
[edit]After receiving nearly five thousand entries for the name-the-team contest, Ozarks Lunkers was selected; submitted by Nixa resident, Diane Buatte. Lunker is an exceptionally large specimen, particularly a fish. The team's primary logo depicts a leaping largemouth bass wearing a red football helmet. The logos were designed by Ryan Foose.
Many submissions were related to fishing, Route 66, soda jerks, or the Great Cobra Scare of 1953.
Roster
[edit]The first of two open tryouts for the Lunkers was held on October 21, 2023.[5] The Lunkers held a closed scrimmage of 19 players on November 19, 2023.[6] The second open tryout was held on December 9, 2023.[7] Most of the roster was populated by members of the Queen City Insane Asylum, a semi-professional eight-man football team that general manager Caleb Scott owned.[8]
On December 5, 2023, the Lunkers signed Matt Rush, the first player to sign with a TAL team.[9] Rush went to Springfield's Hillcrest High School and played defensive back at Missouri State.
| Ozarks Lunkers roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Players
| Reserve lists
| |||||
Staff
[edit]Front office
| Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
| |||||
Management
[edit]On June 14, 2023, the league announced Mark A. Burgess, a local airline owner, would be the principal owner of the team and that the team would be called the Ozarks Lunkers for their inaugural season. [10]
On October 4, 2023 the team announced Cam Bruffett as the head coach.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ozarks Lunkers Hire Caleb Scott as General Manager". Ozarks Sports Zone. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ Schmidt, John (9 March 2023). "Springfield to get arena football team". KOLR. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ Pickle, Geoff (20 October 2023). "CoxHealth to provide care for Ozarks Lunkers". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "The Ozarks Lunkers partner with CoxHealth for inaugural season". CoxHealth. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "Ozarks Lunkers hold open tryouts". Ozarks First. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Ozark Lunkers hold closed scrimmage for second team tryout". No. 19 November 2023. Ozarks First. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
- ^ "Tryouts". Ozarks Lunkers. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ Wheeler, Wyatt D. "What to know about Ozarks Lunkers football as Arena League starts this week". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
- ^ Pinson, Chris (5 December 2023). "Lunkers reel in Springfield native Rush". Ozarks First. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Owner reveals name for Springfield's new Arena League football team". KY3. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
- ^ "Ozarks Lunkers Hire Cam Bruffett as Inaugural Head Coach". Ozarks Sports Zone. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.