FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Just when you thought the Fort Valley State football season was over think again. It’s not the D2 playoffs, but it is a postseason opportunity to play more time for the blue and gold.
After a 7-3 regular season finish without an opportunity to participate in the D2 playoffs, the Wildcats were invited to the inaugural 2023 Florida Beach Bowl that will showcase the SIAC and the CIAA in December by way of Miami Florida
And on Wednesday, the Wild Cats put a lot of hard work into action, winning the Florida Beach Bowl against Johnson C. Smith University 23-10.
"I’m extremely excited you know this is a great opportunity for our university," Fort Valley Head Coach Shawn Gibbs said. "It’s a great opportunity to go out and represent our conference and it’s a great opportunity to represent our team."
For Coach Gibbs, he says playing in the Florida Beach Bowl gives the program the opportunity to continue building and improving while prepping for another match-up, even if it is not in the playoffs.
"Playing in a bowl game gives us an advantage over other teams in our conference," Gibbs said. "We get another 20 practices to get ready going into next season to prepare for this game. It’s a tremendous opportunity and I can’t tell you how excited I am."
So with the Wildcat's victory on Wednesday, Coach Gibbs is hoping it gives the team a leg up when next season rolls around. And when that comes, they're hoping to break into the playoffs and, perhaps, make it to the championships.
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