The Esports program at Nogales High School got off to a strong start in its inaugural season, when the Epaches, as the team is called, reached the state championship.
The NHS squad competed in Rocket League, a video game described by maker Psyonix as “a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem.”
Team members Marcel Savinon, Gustavo Duran and Christian Fuentes, led by coaches Robert Lugo and Ramon Maken (an NHS senior) competed against Brophy Iota on April 30 for the Arizona Interscholastic Association state crown.
The Nogalians had defeated the team from Brophy Prep earlier in the season, 4-1. But Brophy turned the tables in the finals, handing the Epaches their first loss of the season.
Still, the NHS competitors returned home with runner-up medals and a chance to take home the title next year, since all are underclassmen.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association added esports to its competitive slate in the fall of 2019, starting with the games League of Legends and Rocket League. Since then, it has added Super Smash Bros Ultimate as its third esports game.
