Holmes Community College sophomore running back Matt Fuller is a little freaked out about his team’s next game.

“Never played in a dome,” said Fuller, who prepped at Starkville High School. “I have to admit that freaks me out a little bit. It will be fun, exciting, and definitely something different.”

A lot of things will be different for No. 9 Holmes C.C. (6-3) when it takes on Iowa Western College (6-5) at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Graphic Edge Bowl Feature Game in Northern Iowa’s 16,000-seat facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Ellsworth C.C. (5-6) will play Rochester Community & Technical College (6-4) at 11 a.m. in the first game of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) doubleheader.

Holmes C.C. will play in a bowl game for the first time since the 1988 Texas Junior College Shrine Game.

“We brought in some great guys, who can really play,” Fuller said. “Our coaching staff is also from everywhere. These coaches have been part of championship teams. (Head) coach (Jeff) Koonz told us our program was on the ‘come up.’ At the first of the season, he challenged us to be a part of something special.

“It has been 28 years since the team played in a bowl game, so we know how special this is. It’s been a long time since the program had a winning season. We are proud of that, too.”

Koonz is in his sixth season with the Bulldogs. This season, Holmes cracked the NJCAA top 10 (as high as seventh) for the first time since winning the 2002 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State championship. Koonz was named the MACJC Coach of the Year for a second time.

After falling out of contention for the MACJC North Division title, the Bulldogs won their final two games to clinch the winning season and bowl trips The losses were on consecutive weeks to No. 4 Northwest Mississippi C.C. (27-12), No. 3 East Mississippi C.C. (63-49), and Copiah-Lincoln C.C. (35-21).

“(Making a bowl game) means everything to me,” Fuller said. “It means one more chance to play with these guys. The coaches always talk about your teammates and how they will always be a part of your life. We have gone through a lot of sweat, blood, and tears trying to build this program up. When we heard about the bowl game, we were excited because we knew that mean we had one more chance to play with one another.

“We do a lot of trash talking on the (practice) field, but man, I love these guys. They mean the world to me. I am looking forward to the trip itself. We are going to have a good time.”

The 770-mile bus trip was set to begin today. The teams will have a banquet Saturday and play Sunday. Iowa Western, the 2012 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) champions, won the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.

“We know they are the champions of their league and they are playing in front of their fans, so it will be a big challenge,” Fuller said. “I am just proud to be part of this journey. This season, it has been my job to help the younger players learn the game. It has been my job to make sure they realize we can do things like this.”

Fuller earned honorable mention All-State honors after rushing 103 times for 719 yards and nine touchdowns. Fuller was seventh in the state in rushing in a season in which only three MACJC backs rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

In a pass-friendly league, Holmes C.C. is a rare exception. The Bulldogs always figure nationally in the rushing rankings. This season, they ran for 320.8 yards per game — gaining 2,888 rushing yards. EMCC was second with 2,193 rushing yards.

Holmes had seven backs with 30 or more carries. A year ago, Fuller ran for 300 yards and three touchdowns.

“I have to give the coaches a lot of credit because they changed things up this year,” Fuller said. “Last year, they really depended on one back (Aquindus Henson) to do almost everything and he got tired in the end. He was a little overwhelmed. This season, we have been using a three-back rotation. Our offensive line is really big and great at blocking.

“The backs have rotated and stayed fresh. My season has had its up and downs, but once we all got comfortable, the rotation has been good. I have just tried to lead the new guys and set an example. I am happy I got a chance to play with these guys.”

Fuller had 12 carries on the 2012 Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A State championship team at Starkville. In 2014, Fuller ran for a team-best 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns for a Starkville squad that won its first 13 games before falling to South Panola in the North State championship.

“We learned so much in high school,” Fuller said. “It meant the world to me to have played for a great program. That is where I learned how to become a leader. I have tried to bring those leadership qualities with me. It is important to have a bunch of guys who have played for championships. It is great to know how to win.

“You can instill in that some of the younger guys. If anything else, I hope I have helped establish a championship atmosphere around here. We have made this a program where other guys will want to come in the future and play.”

Sunday will mark the end of Fuller’s junior college career. He also will finish his degree work this month. His senior college decision is still up in the air.

“I have had some Division II and NAIA schools show interest, most notably Carson-Newman and William Penn,” Fuller said. “I don’t know if I am done with football or not. I have a love for the game. Football is really in my heart. Really, I haven’t spent a lot of time worrying about the future because I have been wrapped up getting ready for this bowl game.

“It will be my last time to play with all of these guys, so I want to make it special.”

Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott

Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.