BRINGING HOME THE CROWN: Beneath masks, Barnegat High esports team members smile victoriously following the Rocket League championship at Rutgers University. The esports team was formed two years ago. (Supplied Photos)
Over the weekend, Barnegat High School’s esports team won the state Rocket League championship at Rutgers University.
Esports is a form of competition using video games. The high school debuted in esports in 2020 and was the first in New Jersey to offer varsity letters in esport competition.
The Rocket League is described as “a hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem.”
Barnegat defeated Oakcrest in the semifinals, sweeping the match 3-0. In the second match for the finals the Bengals beat Princeton, 3-1.
The team is coached by Traci Sellers, computer science teacher at the high school. Her assistants are Joe Saar, high school math teacher, and Deegan Melchiondo, a former student and team captain last year.
“Mr. Saar and I are so proud of these young men for their phenomenal teamwork and dedication,” said Sellers. “They have worked hard for this honor and it is well deserved. We hope to continue to grow our program and encourage students to get involved. Our esports family has some of the most amazing students. They are kind, dedicated, and we are so lucky to have the opportunity to work with them throughout the year.”
EYES ON THE PRIZE: Hannah Cronen, winner of the fandom art contest, holds her brand new Xbox One S. Just in time for the holiday break!
For the winter season, which begins the week of Jan. 3, the team will compete in Overwatch, a colorful team-based action game starring a diverse cast of powerful heroes, and Knockout City, which includes lightning-fast multiplayer matches featuring dodge ball mechanics.
In the spring, the group will participate in three games: League of Legends, Valorant and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
League of Legends game play is such that two teams of five players battle in player vs. player combat, each team occupying and defending its half of the map.
The Super Smash game follows the series’ traditional style of game play: Controlling one of the various characters, players must use differing attacks to weaken their opponents and knock them out of an arena.
Valorant is a team-based, first-person hero shooter set in the near future. Players play as one of a set of agents, characters designed based on several countries and cultures around the world. In the main game mode, players are assigned to either the attacking or defending team, with each team having five players.
Esports athletes must follow the same guidelines as other sports in the district to be eligible to participate and letter, including maintaining good grades and attendance records and participating in a certain number of practices and matches. —E.E.
