Return To The News & Stats Page
The biggest change comes in the league the team will be competing in. Last year's schedule in the Pro bracket proved overwhelming for the Warriors. This year they will opt to compete in the College bracket instead. With a new schedule and new teams to face, the squad hopes to have a much better season than Spring of last year.
Another change to the Warriors will be personnel. Linebacker Mark Svetlich graduated after the 2002 season and won't be returning for 2003. Beginning a new Warriors tradition, Svetlich's number 10 jersey will be retired, a move to honor all graduating Warriors. Some players have transferred or moved and won't be able to play. Others will simply decide not to compete this season, possibly returning in the future. With so much turnover, the team will need a new crop of rookies to fill in the shoes of departed athletes. Chase Waggoner, Denny Lane, Steve Lopinot, and several other team members have already begun an exhaustive search for new players.
Also different for this coming Spring will be Chase Waggoner's role with the team. Team Captain last year, Waggoner will see a smaller role this year. Warriors fans can expect Waggoner to share responsibilities as Co-Captain this year with an as-of-yet unnamed player. Waggoner, who moved to Lebanon, MO during the off-season, says that quote "With me in Lebanon, having two Co-Captains just makes sense." Despite the drive from Lebanon, Waggoner still expects to attend most of the games for the Spring Season.
With a new year on the way, the remaining Warriors are in high spirits and are looking forward to competing. With the change in league brackets and the addition of new talent to the squad, the Southwest Warriors are expecting to win many more games than a year ago. Many players have worked hard in the off-season and are very ready to play. Cornerback Denny Lane says he is ready to step up his game to the next level. One Warrior player put it simply, "We want to win. We want to be a winning team. This season we are going to be winners."
Interested players, free agents, or rookies can contact Team Captain Chase Waggoner through email or by phone. His email address is: [email protected], his phone number is: (417) 588-2738.
Waggoner says that the team is always looking for any player interested in playing flag football and interested in working hard, playing hard, and having fun.
Return To The News & Stats Page