WCMS Esports team advances in tournaments

A new competitive sports team at White County Middle School saw great success during its inaugural season.

The WCMS Esports team plays under the Middle School Esports League federation. Teams competed in the games Supersmash Bros. and Rocket League. Players competed with other middle school teams from Michigan, Kansas, Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland, Arkansas, Maine, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

“Starting this team began just as a way to get some kids together, learn team-building skills, make new friends and just put them in a competitive setting for something they already enjoy doing,” Coach Roggie Haston said.  “I never would have guessed that we would have had the success we have had in the first season.  As a whole team together, our record was 41-24 in the first season.” 

In the Supersmash Bros. League, 618 students competed from October until November. At the end of the season, five out of six of the league members qualified for the final tournament ranking them in the top 64 players in The Atlantic Division.

WCMS student Tyson Whaley was the number two seed in the tournament, and Pacey Bradley was the number four overall seed. All five players advanced to the final 32. Whaley was ultimately upset in round 16 and Bradley was defeated in round eight.

While the Rocket League team did advance to the tournament of 64, they were defeated in the first round.

“Out of 618 kids, we had four finish in the top 32, one finish in the top 16, and one finish in the top eight,” Haston said. “I call that a very successful season.”

Haston said the Esports league began at the high school, but there wasn’t a lot of interest, so they decided to try it at the middle school level. Haston also said he sees himself more as a facilitator than a coach. While he enjoys video games himself, the students are teaching him every day.