CHCA Eagles eSports competes in first in-person state finals for Ohio middle schools
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy eSports students in grades seven and eight joined teams of middle school students from across Ohio at East Canton High School to compete in the first in-person state finals for eSports Ohio Middle School. (There were previously state competitions, but they were remote in part due to COVID measures.) For many, this was their first time getting to meet and play in person.
The tournament featured Super Smash Bros., Rocket League (rocket-powered cars playing soccer), and Minecraft Bedwars (a combination of combat, building and capture-the-flag where teams coordinate to destroy an opponent’s respawn point). CHCA won state championships in Rocket League and Minecraft.
These students competed: Minecraft Bedwars – Caleb Comstock, Logan Francosky, Sarah Rasche, Elyse Rusnak and J.T. Sorensen. Rocket League – Nick Brouillette, Trevor Dick and John Mitchell. Smash Bros. – Hannah Hendrix, Zeke Hendrix, Sarah Rasche, Landon Snyder, Evan Thomas and Max Wilmer.
CHCA began its eSports program in 2021. The grade four to six teams are coached by Lower School Principal Steve Sideris, and the state competing teams for grades seven and eight are coached by language arts teacher John Wells (CHCA Class of 2014). The eSports Ohio League is the largest scholastic eSports organization on record in the country. This win is the second state win in Rocket League for the CHCA team after placing first last season. This is also the first year the team is competing in Mario Kart and Minecraft and players completed an undefeated season in both games.
About the Competition
Teams competed in Round Robin matches against other schools to determine seeding. CHCA鈥檚 Minecraft team continued their undefeated streak (this is their second season without a defeat), employing some excellent and creative teamwork to defeat all other teams to take the state title for Minecraft. 鈥淚t was brilliantly played,鈥� Wells said.
CHCA鈥檚 Rocket League team had an exciting arc where last year they had almost won remote state championships after an undefeated season, but were beaten by Nagel Middle School. The boys trained and came back this season determined to win the state title. They ran an undefeated season until NIHF Stem, near Akron, defeated them in a 5-0 series (though they fought them for each round). At the championship, Stem beat CHCA 5-0 yet again in the Round Robin placement matches, sending CHCA into elimination rounds as the No. 2 seed, Stem as the No. 1 seed.
CHCA battled through the bracket and met them in the finals. In a grueling back and forth, with several rounds in the best of seven series match going to long overtimes, CHCA arrived at 3-3 in the final round. CHCA scored first, then Stem tied it. In some of the most spectacular strategy and physical execution seen by both teams, they arrived at overtime at a stalemate. After two minutes stuck in overtime, CHCA managed to make a solid team play and scored the final goal for victory. Teammates and parents swarmed them when they came out, and spectators cheered on both teams for a fantastic match.
鈥淭he kids did an incredible job. eSports is all about giving a space for kids to build community, find their own talents, and explore what it means to work as a team towards a goal bigger than themselves. And the CHCA players did an awesome job of showing how to do that with excellence,” Wells said.
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