SPRINGFIELD–While most football fans were glued to their tv on a gloomy, midwest Sunday, the Ozark Lunkers were busy evaluating talent at the team’s second round of tryouts.
19 players showed up at Allison Sports Town for callbacks, and this time, they got to put their football I.Q. on display.
General Manager Caleb Scott and Head Coach Cam Bruffet wanted to see just how versatile each man could be in a closed scrimmage. So, the players split up into three teams of six and alternated offense and defense.
Since the Lunkers will only carry 15 players when the inaugural Arena League season kicks off June of 2024, making it passed this round of cuts came down to making plays.
“Utility play is crucial out here. Honestly, for us, when we look at these different looks, a guy might be really good at one thing, but are we willing to sacrifice those two or three things we might not get from him,” said Lunkers GM Caleb Scott. “So, it’s kind of a learning experience that we’re getting our hands on early so that when we come to put a product out in 2024 we know what we’re doing.”
“I played receiver in high school, I played running back in high school, I played quarterback in high school, and obviously I played defensive back at Missouri State.” said player Matt Rush. “So, I kinda have a lot of experience and skill ability to do what they’re asking us to do out here.”
