FSCC accepts Texas bowl bid

Fort Scott Community College photo/Melanie McGee Fort Scott Community College receiver Ryan Westmoreland makes a diving catch in front of Butler defensive back Kendrick Harper during Sunday's Region VI Championship Game in Wichita. Although the No. 11-ranked Greyhounds lost to Butler, 28-14, the Greyhounds accepted a bid to the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl in Copperas Cove, Texas, which will be played on December 2.

Fort Scott Community College has accepted a bid from the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl and will face Southwest Junior College Football Conference runner-up Kilgore on Saturday, Dec. 2 in Copperas Cove, Texas.

FSCC athletic director Bob Marshall confirmed the bid this morning. He noted that a former Greyhound head coach, Jack Welch, is the bowl game's director.

Welch, who also coaches the high school football team at Copperas Cove High School, was FSCC's head coach from 1987-92. He compiled a 36-27 record and took the Greyhounds to three bowl games.

In 1992, Welch led the 'Hounds to an 8-4 record, which was FSCC's last winning season prior to this year.

Fort Scott is 7-4 and ranked No. 11 in the last NJCAA poll (the new one will be released Wednesday). The Greyhounds fell to No. 4 Butler in the Region VI Championship Game Sunday in Wichita.

Prior to the Region VI championship, Fort Scott had defeated ranked teams -- Garden City and Coffeyville -- in consecutive games.

Fort Scott's last bowl appearance was in the 1999 Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo. The Greyhounds, coached by Kevin Gundy that season, lost to Blinn (Texas) in the bowl, which is now a game for NCAA Division II schools. This year, Pittsburg State will be playing in the Mineral Water Bowl as the highest-finishing MIAA team that didn't qualify for the playoffs.

Kilgore is ranked No. 17 with a record of 5-6. Although it has a losing record, Kilgore made it to the finals of the SWJFC playoffs and lost to No. 1-ranked Blinn in overtime, 21-14. The week before, Kilgore upset then-No. 21 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in the SWJFC semifinals. The week before, Kilgore beat Cisco, 35-7. Cisco was ranked No. 13 at the time although that loss was the third in what ended up as a four-game losing streak.

According to Marshall, Copperas Cove is located about 35 miles west of Temple, Texas. Temple is approximately 120 miles south of Dallas.

The Tribune sent an e-mail to Welch earlier in the day but his reply was unavailable at press time. His statements will be published in a future edition.