Esports marks personal record

Owen, Sports Writer

December 15, 2023

Esports concluded their season with two teams making it to the first round of state playoffs. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,””Team Talon,” and “Rocket League “”Team Apollo” competed at the high school on November 28th. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” is a battle game between Nintendo characters that is often individualized. In contrast, “Rocket League” requires a cohesive team that functions together in cars on a soccer pitch, working to beat their opponent in a maximum of eleven minutes.

“I’m very happy with how we performed this fall,” esports coach and sponsor Cary Varner said. “They worked hard all season. We ranked higher than we did last season for the second consecutive season in a row, and we actually made it into the playoff bracket. For me, that’s a win for LCHS esports.”

Esports team members examine the game and strategize on their next move. (Owen McHugh)

Team Talon has had a solid season, leading them to qualify for playoffs.

“We faced a lot of annoyances, but we still managed to get through,” Team Talon member and junior Jaime Ortiz said.

After a shaky start, Team Apollo found their footing and changed the tide.

“It started off really slow but after a couple of matches we started playing really well and we won four straight[matches],” Team Apollo member and freshman Devin Michael said.

Qualifying for states is a conquest that few have accomplished, even fewer as a team. In the school, Team Talon and Team Apollo were the only teams to qualify, the other qualifiers of any sport being individuals on the cross-country team.

Esports team members gauge game flow and how they can best work together to secure a win.

“I don’t know about anyone else but me, there’s no words to describe [the feeling of qualifying],” Team Talon member and freshman Jayden Criste said.

Making the state playoff leaves a message for esports and the sporting community. .

“I think that even though there are a bunch of teams who are from the cities and it’s easy to find players, we can still be very competitive with them,” Michael said.

Playing against teams across the state, this esports team member follows the course and keeps track of the other players. (Owen McHugh)

With that impressive feat the question of how comes into play.

“I think the constant rotation and then the bond between me and my teammates [helped us get into states],” Team Apollo member Kaili Baker said.

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