East Central Community College was extended and accepted an invitation Tuesday to participate in the 2015 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, in Copperas Cove, Texas. It will be the college’s first bowl game in 19 years.

The No. 15-ranked East Central Warriors will face the Kilgore College Rangers, champions of the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC). The game will be played in the 10,000-seat Bulldawg Stadium, home of the Copperas Cove High School football team. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.

The invitation was extended to ECCC President Billy Stewart by HOT Bowl Director Vance McNally at noon Tuesday, the earliest a bowl bid could be extended according to National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) bowl guidelines. Stewart and Head Football Coach Ken Karcher informed the team at a 2:30 p.m. meeting.

Only 14 community college football teams in the nation were invited to bowl games this year.

“We proudly accept the invitation to participate in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl on December 5,” said Stewart upon receiving the bowl invitation. “This is a tremendous reward for our football team and a wonderful opportunity for our college and our fans.

“The HOT Bowl is nationally recognized not only for its hospitality, class organization and high level of play on the field, but also as a top philanthropic bowl game that raises funds to help educate youth about the dangers of the abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol. We look forward to representing East Central Community College, the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges and the State of Mississippi with excellence and class both on and off the field.”

 East Central Community College has only participated in three bowl games since it began playing football in 1928, the most recent a 7-6 win over Middle Georgia College in the 1996 Huddle House Golden Isles Classic in Brunswick, Ga.

 East Central finished the 2015 season with a 7-3 record, the best win-loss record since 1999. The Warriors advanced to the semifinals of the 2015 MACJC state playoffs before losing to eventual state champion Northwest Mississippi Community College 27-20 on Oct. 31 in Senatobia. It was the Warriors’ first appearance in the state playoffs since 2001.

Kilgore College out of Kilgore, Texas, is 7-4 overall after defeating Navarro College 42-28 in the SWJCFC championship game Nov. 7. Kilgore, which has participated in three previous HOT Bowls, currently is ranked No. 20 in the latest NJCAA national football poll and is a two-time national champion.

Karcher, in his third season as the East Central head coach, said that the Warriors are excited about the bowl trip and looking to bring a championship back to Decatur.

“There are only seven community college bowl games in the nation, and for East Central Community College to be in one of them is a testament to the tremendous strides we have made as a football program the past three years,” Karcher said. “It’s also a testament to the dedication and hard work of the young men on our team and our coaches. It will be a tremendous challenge against a Kilgore team that won its conference in a powerful football league, and while I want our players to enjoy this reward, we are going to Texas with every intention of bringing home the bowl championship.”