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By Amy Harris, HCC Teacher & Coach
Bulldog Esports recently completed its seventh year of competition, education, and community at Hart Career Center! The teams competed through the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation (MOSEF) against schools across Missouri.
The fall season started in September with Varsity Overwatch and Varsity, JV, and Middle School Smash Solos. The Overwatch team, the Mambas, is led by captain William Harrison (junior). In addition to the regular challenges of a competitive season, they literally switched to a new game midway through when Overwatch became Overwatch 2.
The Varsity and JV Smash teams, Side B, are led by captain William Bingham (junior). Senior Logan Finch and juniors Bingham and Logan Blackburn made it to the state tournament, with Bingham ultimately finishing fourth in the state. On the middle school side, the team is led by co-captains Aurora Bingham and Kaesin Kibble (7th). Several new players joined the team this year and learned a lot over the course of the season.
For the winter season, two new JV teams formed to take on Halo Infinite. Captain William Church (junior) led the teams through this endeavor.
The spring season saw Side B return for Varsity and Middle School Crew Battles. The Varsity crew made it to the end of the Regional Championship grand finale reset before ultimately falling for the year. The middle school crew finished third in the region. The Valorant team, the Breadwinners, followed captain Finch into their debut Varsity season. The team made a strong comeback in the playoffs to finish third in the region.
In addition to MOSEF competition, Side B also went on the road to Hannibal and Joplin to compete in local tournaments, with William Bingham taking first place in Hannibal. Several juniors and seniors also attended the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD) Leadership Clinic in Des Moines, Iowa, in March.
In January, NAECAD announced Finch as their October High School Player of the Month. He was recognized for his outstanding leadership and competitive performance.
The team participated in the Inclusion Revolution at Mexico High School this spring with a table of accessible video games. They will take their booth to the Special Olympics State Games in Columbia on June 3. They look forward to participating in more service projects next year.
On the education side, the Esports: Beyond the Game classes at HCC continue to grow. Students complete hands-on projects simulating real-world esports ecosystem careers over the multi-year course.
Our team community finished the year with a family dinner where players and their families came together to celebrate their accomplishments. Several new Varsity letters and pins for returning players were handed out.
Bulldog Esports will return in August to prepare for their eighth fall season.