Esports will compete at the Texas Undisputed Esports State Championship April 30-May 2 at Baylor University. The program is sending two “Valorant” teams, two “Overwatch” teams, two “iRacing” competitors, one “Rocket League” team, two “Fortnite” duos and one “Apex Legends” team.
“I’ve seen a lot of players step up into leadership roles and really grow as leaders,” head coach Kristopher Phillips said. “I’ve seen a lot of players grow in terms of their skill set and I think those are the two big pieces really. We’ve seen a lot of really good growth and positive things happening.”
The teams that qualify for the state competition are chosen based on their performance in TexSEF tournaments that occur in the fall and spring season. The “Valorant” team is the only team to have won at this tournament.
“I like the community we have,” varsity “Valorant” player and Esports president Abby Pham said. “You really see everyone get together and cheer on the other teams, and that’s one of my favorite things, seeing how incredible our other programs are.”
The Undisputed Championship is the largest Esports competition in the state. The program will go against 86 other school districts.
“This is [the] first, and for a lot of teams, the only in-person competition that [we’ll] have,” varsity “Overwatch” captain Jack Bodwell said. “It’s a lot more fun getting to play someone face to face.”
The varsity “Overwatch” team has not lost a single game all season and Phillips said they are the best team in the nation. The “Rocket League” team is top three in the state.
“I’m so proud of this group of guys. I don’t think I could ask for a better team if I tried,” Bodwell said. “Everyone on our team is very academically involved, and a lot of them have extracurriculars to deal with, so managing each and every schedule was our biggest challenge.”
The team captains on each team coordinate with each other when they practice together outside of school hours. Pham said she is required to coordinate a two-hour block twice a week to practice in the evenings.
“It really is the best of the best of all the different teams in the state,” Phillips said. “We have been going to this tournament now for multiple years, so we are excited to go back.”
