Sports

With the spring season officially wrapped, ORCA Esports teams left it all on the virtual gridiron, pushing through the playoffs, competing in new titles, and walking away with heads held high and a world full of knowledge to take into the 2025-26 seasons.

Overwatch 2

The Stardust Crusaders stormed into the playoffs as the #4 seed after a strong 7-1 regular season. The team swept both the Blazers Overwatch and MECHS Anarchy Eagles 3-0 in back-to-back rounds, punching their ticket to the final 8. Their playoff run ended against the powerhouse Overwasps, but not before securing the deepest postseason run of any ORCA team this spring.

League of Legends

The Silly Gooses entered the playoffs as the #11 seed with a 5-3 record. Despite a strong season, their playoff push was cut short with a 2-0 loss to Bonafide Monafied DCHS. 

Rocket League 

Rocket League 1 entered playoffs flying high as the #9 seed after a standout 6–2 regular season. They rolled past Hunter HS 4-0 in the opening round, but fell to Westwood Community HS in the second round.

Rocket League 3, the #29 seed was taken out in round 1 by Jordan HS. 

Rocket League 2, despite their perseverance, wrapped up the season just outside of playoff range with a 3-5 record.

Marvel Rivals

ORCA’s newest team made their mark in their very first season. With a 5–3 record and a #30 seed, they earned their way into playoffs– an impressive feat for a new roster. They dropped their first match to Overland HS (0–3), but their appearance in the postseason proved they’re a force to be reckoned with as they gain experience.

Super Smash Bros.

The Edgeguards finished 4-4, barely missing the cut for the playoffs. 

ORCA Smash 2 ended at 2-2 in their short spring slate. Both teams will use the offseason to regroup and reload their banana boosts.

From dominant playoff showings to promising new squads, ORCA Esports made this spring one to remember. Every win, every loss, every highlight–they made it count and will be looking to bring home hardware to show for it in the fall.

After a strong start to the spring season, ORCA Esports teams are pushing for continued success, locking in wins and solidifying their standings as the postseason looms.

The Stardust Crusaders, competing in Overwatch 2, secured two wins but suffered a single loss, dropping from ninth to #13 out of 77 teams in the rankings with a 4-1 record. They remain in the upper quartile and are determined to clinch a playoff spot, keeping their championship hopes alive.

Esports’ first Super Smash Bros. team, The Edge Guards, holds a 2-2 record on the season and are ranked #88 out of 139 teams. Meanwhile, ORCA Smash Team 2 is battling through a learning curve, taking a few losses in March to end the month with a 1-4 record. They’re currently sitting as the #109 seed. They’ll need to rally in the coming weeks to regain the momentum they had in the Fall 2024 season to change their trajectory in time to make a playoff berth.

In their debut season, ORCA’s Marvel Rivals team is staying in the mix at #51 of 110 teams. With a 2-3 record, they remain in contention for the postseason – will they make a statement in their debut season?

The Silly Gooses, ORCA’s only League of Legends team, are on their way to glory, proving to be fierce competition with a #16 ranking out of 46 teams and four wins to a mere two losses to show for it.

ORCA’s Rocket League program features three teams with varying success to start the season. Rocket League 1 leads the group’s standings at #18 with a 3-2 record, whereas The GGS faces an uphill battle, recovering from 1-4 and a #58 out of 84 teams. Their final team, ORCA Rocket League 3 holds up the middle of the pack at #41 with two wins and three losses.

Individually, Rocket League player Christopher Winslow stood out in March, placing fourth in the Top 5 for Goals Per Shot percentage, outpacing the fifth-place finisher from Riverton High School in Utah by a firm 8.8%.

With playoff spots still up for grabs, ORCA Esports athletes are gearing up for a final push, determined to end the season on a high note and carry momentum into 2025-2026 seasons.

Want to dive deeper into the ORCA Esports program and the games they compete in? Stay tuned for the results in the May issue.

With 30 players, eight teams, and five games, ORCA Esports is coming into the 2025 spring season bigger, bolder, and hungrier for victory. The mission? The same as last year: to dominate the regular season and to win the league in the postseason. 

The Overwatch 2 team, Stardust Crusaders, is picking up stronger than where they left off. With a 2-0 start, they’ve cracked the top ten, ranking ninth out of 77 teams. But, their unfinished business lingers… After last season’s heartbreaking first-round playoff loss, they’re back, looking for redemption. 

In Super Smash Bros., ORCA’s teams are doubling down. The new Smash Team 2 joins forces with the returning Edge Guards, with both making a bid for a playoff spot after the latter fell short last year. They’ve opened the season with identical .500 records, sitting at #80 and #76, respectively.

But returning hopes aren’t all Esports fans have to look forward to this season. ORCA Esports is adding a new game—Marvel Rivals, a superhero-based shooter title– to the lineup. The debut team is off to a solid start, taking a win and a loss and landing at 42nd out of 110 teams. A strong foundation to kick off the new league, but they’re aiming to much more: to make a statement and earn a playoff berth. 

Meanwhile, the Rocket League craze is reaching new heights, with ORCA fielding three teams this season. Each squad is on a different trajectory with Rocket League 1 off to a strong 2-0 start, securing the #7 ranking, while The GGS has stumbled early at 0-2, sitting at #48. The returning teams have picked up right where they left off at the end of the fall playoffs, but they’ll be looking to make exponential strides this season, dominating their competitors. The new kids on the block, ORCA Rocket League 3, have had a mixed start, going 1-1 and sitting at #26.

Finally, in League of Legends, The Silly Gooses (#11) are battling through a tough division with a 1-1 start, looking to build momentum as the season progresses. 45 teams stand between them and the title; will 2025 be the year they bring it home? 

With the playoffs looming, the big question remains— can they beat the record they set in fall and push a fourth team into the postseason?

Rocket League 1, the top-performing team among the playoff contenders, stormed through their first-round matchup with an impressive 4-0 sweep. Star player, Dalton Robbins, ranked third in Goals Per Shot percentage at an outstanding 56.52% and took the top spot in Score Per Game with a large 649 points.

Their momentum carried them into a second-round face-off against #20 ranked Los Alamos HS, where they kept their winning streak alive. However, their playoff run ended in the third round with a loss to Westwood Community HS.

Meanwhile, the Stardust Crusaders, an Overwatch 2 team, and League of Legends 1 faced tough competition, both ending their playoff seasons in the first round. Despite the early exits, the teams concluded their seasons with fierce matches - the Stardust Crusaders battled against NTO Overwatch in late November, and League of Legends 1 competed against Organ Mountain HS on December 2.

Overall, these teams delivered successful and productive seasons. Esports Director Todd Shaffer is optimistic about their potential, looking forward to regrouping and reloading during the offseason. With renewed energy, they’ll aim to dominate when the Esports spring season kicks off in mid-February.

With the final regular season games before the playoffs, ORCA Esports teams showed up and showed out, clinching playoff spots and preparing to go all the way. Let’s check in on each of the teams before they head into their first postseason games. 

Overwatch 2

The Confuzzled Crusaders ended their season 3-5 and did not qualify for the playoffs, as they were ranked #61 out of 83 teams.

ORCA’s other Overwatch 2 team, the Stardust Crusaders are currently ranked #6 and are looking to make a playoff run. They ended the regular season with six wins and only two losses, that came to the #3 and #4 ranked teams. Their first playoff game will be against the #27 ranked, NTO OW. 

Super Smash Bros.

The school’s only Super Smash Bros. team, the Edge Guards finished the regular season 3-5 and ranked #66 out of 101 teams. They did not qualify for the playoffs.

League of Legends

The Silly Gooses ended up ranked #10 out of 35 teams, and they will be looking to upset #6 Organ Mountain High School in their first-round matchup.

Rocket League

“The GGS” finished the regular season 2-6 but fell short of  qualifying for the playoffs. Their ranking was #50 out of 88 teams. 

ORCA’s other Rocket League team experienced more success, heading into the postseason ranked #4 out of 88. Their only two losses came to top ranked teams, further cementing themselves as championship contenders. They’ll be matching up against #29 Cibola High School soon. 

For the past two weeks, Cody Carter, an ORCA student, has blown competitors in Score Per Game out of the water. In the first week of November, he scored 919 points, leading the second place finisher by a large 183 points. The second week, he trailed the first place competitor by only five points.

The Stardust Crusaders, The Silly Gooses, and ORCA Rocket League 1 will be looking towards the trophy, hoping to take the crown of the Fall 2024 season. 

Stay tuned for more updates to come in The Current next month. 

Five weeks into the fall season, ORCA Esports teams are off to a strong start, making a splash on their opponents and ramping up for post-fall season playoffs.

ORCA’s only League of Legends team, The Silly Gooses are ranked #14 out of 35 teams, with only two losses. They’re sitting comfortably at a winning record of 3-2.

Meanwhile, teams in Overwatch 2 are excelling, with the Stardust Crusaders ranked #13 and the Confuzzled Crusaders ranked #19 out of 83 teams. The Stardust Crusaders boast a 4-1 record currently and are looking towards building on to their  winning streak. 

The Edge Guards, competing in Super Smash Bros have grapple throughout the past couple of weeks, starting the season 2-1 and then taking two losses to establish their 2-3 record, with a #50 ranking out of 101 teams. 

In Rocket League, the last of the four games ORCA Esports competes in, the teams are off to a solid start with their first team having an undefeated record (5-0) and clinching an early playoff spot. They’re currently the #2 ranked team out of 88. ORCA Rocket League 2 (1-4) is ranked #56 out of 88 teams.

Cody Carter, a player for ORCA Rocket League 1, led all scorers last week at 898.5 points. The 2nd place scorer for last week trailed by a massive 50 points. 

With playoffs looming, and more spots available, ORCA’s Esports teams will be attempting to produce some of their best work to date. Stay tuned for more Esports updates.

The ORCA Esports Club is a force to be reckoned with. 

In their recent spring season, ORCA Esports has been on a winning streak, with their teams achieving chart-topping records and dominating the playoffs as the club continues to expand. Behind the force of the teams is high school teacher and Esports Coach Gabriel Elliott. 

Before his role as Esports Coach, Mr. Elliott started his career as a teacher four years ago when he began his first teaching job at ORCA. In 2020, he taught 7th-grade Humanities before switching to the high school level after a year. He now teaches American Government & Economics and U.S. History. 

Describing himself as a “student of history,” Mr. Elliott is always up to learning something new for his classes, whether from fellow social studies teachers, online resources, or his own students. 

“While history is something I find incredibly interesting, I know quite a lot of students don’t share my enthusiasm, so I love trying to make the content as engaging and geared towards their interests as often as I can,” he says. 

As a social studies teacher and Esports coach, Mr. Elliott finds that both roles call for a need to make connections with his students and players, motivate them, and ultimately set goals for them to work on throughout the semester and season. 

While adjusting his style from in-person instruction to online teaching posed a learning curve, Mr. Elliott learned to love it with the support of mentors and the social studies department. The unique experience of connecting with students from across the state made teaching at ORCA a rewarding opportunity.

“The administration I have worked under has been so supportive and gives me great feedback I can use to constantly improve my teaching,” he says. “I love the content we cover in U.S. History and Government and how we can integrate a lot of current events to make the content of the courses feel even more relevant.” 

"I love the ORCA community and how incredibly kind the students and parents are to each other, always being supportive and creating a really inclusive and welcoming environment anytime they interact with each other and staff," he adds.

Community and inclusiveness have also been the cornerstones of building the Esports club, he explains. While competition is the core of Esports, ultimately, its sole purpose is to create a collaborative environment for students to connect with those who share a passion for gaming. Building team cooperation, collaboration, and management are all crucial to further developing their teams. 

“Winning games is great, but the last thing I want is for that to come at the cost of our community's growth and welcoming environment,” he says. 

An athlete in high school, Mr. Elliott has greatly benefited from the experiences and opportunities to learn about leadership, strategy, time management, self-sacrifice, and preservice. 

“All of these students in the club are learning and experiencing the same things,” he says. “I do my best to facilitate these experiences and challenge our players.” The importance of balance is a theme he hammers home to his club members. “I do my best to instill in them ideas such as prioritizing school, encouraging physical and mental health, and taking necessary breaks to prevent burnout.”

Esports players internalize these lessons as they compete in seasonal playoffs and continually strive towards setting new records. 

ORCA Esports has come a long way since its founding in spring 2022 and has experienced exponential growth throughout its history. 

Before becoming the successful and fast-growing club it is today, Esports began with a group of six founding members, with advisors Todd Shaffer and Mr. Elliott on board. Since then, Esports has expanded to include 28 active members participating in seven teams across four different titles.

Mr. Elliott credits Esports Director Mr. Shaffer for initiating the creation of the Esports program. “If it was not for him, and approaching Allison Galvin and Susan Pollnow to search for a coach, I never would have found myself in the position I am in today!” 

He was brought into his role as coach in the winter of 2022, and the team had its debut season in Rocket League with the six founding members. Since then, the club has doubled its number of titles, seeing a substantial increase in members and team development.

Spring of 2023 saw Esport’s first winning season with a playoff berth. Now, five teams have made the playoffs, with two in quarterfinals with their prospective tournaments, continually breaking new school records and advancing in competitions.  

“Our accomplishments are due to the leadership system we have created in the club teams,” he adds, “with captains doing an incredible job of managing game strategies, practices, and even reviewing game film and scouting opponents.” 

As a club advisor, Mr. Elliott initially functioned as a traditional coach, responsible for organizing practices, scheduling games, and devising strategies. As the club grew in membership and number of teams, his role evolved into more of a team manager. He now primarily handles administrative tasks such as managing student enrollment, coordinating team rosters and responsibilities, recruiting for future seasons, liaising with other teams, and representing the club to school staff and board members. A significant part of his role involves overseeing the club's operations.

Although he may not have extensive experience as an esports player, Mr. Elliott leverages his skills to develop game strategies, scout opponents, study film, mentor new players, and create opportunities for experienced players to take on leadership roles.

“The best part for me is getting to see the players invest their time and effort, and watch it pay off in their performance improving, making friends, learning from their mistakes, and watching them challenge themselves by trying new things,” he says. 

In anticipation of the club's future, Mr. Elliott is eager to see the teams grow and progress even further.

Outlining his goals for the teams next year, he emphasizes his aim to establish a more inclusive and welcoming environment for new members.

“While we have an amazing group of experienced players who have been together for two seasons or more, I want to begin investing more in the future success of the club, creating more engagement and mentorship for our new players,” Mr. Elliott explains.

He hopes to achieve this by establishing a more consistent process for welcoming new players and having mentorship with more veteran players. This also means creating more opportunities for them to engage with the community and participate in training.

He also plans to implement a more stringent student code of conduct to uphold ORCA's standards, which includes introducing grade requirements to emphasize the priority that club members are students first.

“My goal is to have veteran players lead by example to cultivate a more healthy and standards driven community,” he says, “And represent our school and its values when competing against other schools.” 

He encourages any students interested in joining to fill out the esports interest form to learn about the game titles and platforms available.

“I am more than happy to answer any questions from students and parents, and my ultimate goal is to find a place for every student who is interested in the club regardless of skill level or game preference.” 

The full interview transcript is featured below: 

The Current: How did you start your teaching career? 

Mr. Elliott: I applied and got my first teaching job here at ORCA in the fall of 2020. I began teaching 7th-grade Humanities and made the switch to High School the year after. 

The Current: How long have you been at ORCA for? What classes do you teach? 

Mr. Elliott: This has been my fourth year here at ORCA. I teach American Government with Economics, sharing live classes with Mrs. Stone, and U.S. History at the high school level. 

The Current: What do you like most about teaching U.S. Gov/Econ/U.S. History and social studies in general? What tie-ins do you see between those and esports?

Mr. Elliott: As a student of history, I love learning new things to teach in my classes either from my fellow social studies teachers, online resources, or my students. While history is something I find incredibly interesting, I know quite a lot of students don’t share my enthusiasm, so I love trying to make the content as engaging and geared toward their interests as often as I can! I find I have a lot of tie-ins between being a content teacher and a coach because I am ultimately trying to make connections with my students or players, figure out how I can motivate them, and ultimately set goals for them to work towards over the course of a semester or a season.

The Current: What has your teaching experience at ORCA been like? 

Mr. Elliott: It has been truly unique as we are an online-based school and have the opportunity to teach students from all over the state. While there was definitely a learning curve at the beginning, coming from in-person experience, the amazing mentors and social studies departments I have worked with made the integration into online teaching a joy! The administration I have worked under has been so supportive and gives me great feedback I can use to constantly improve my teaching. I love the content we cover in U.S. History and Government and how we can integrate a lot of current events to make the content of the courses feel even more relevant. Lastly, I love the ORCA community and how incredibly kind the students and parents are to each other, always being supportive and creating a really inclusive and welcoming environment anytime they interact with each other and staff.

The Current: You are one of the first advisors to start the esports club. Can you tell us a bit about how that started? 

Mr. Elliott: I would like to start off by recognizing Todd Shaffer as the one who had the original idea to create this Esports program, and if it was not for him and approaching Allison Galvin and Susan Pollnow to search for a coach, I never would have found myself in the position I am in today! I was brought on to be the coach in the Winter of 2022, and we played our first season in Rocket League with a founding 6 members. Since then, we have doubled our numbers and the number of titles we offer for them to play. Now, I am incredibly happy to report we are sitting at 28 active club members, playing in 7 teams across 4 different titles, and I am so excited to continue our growth into next year! We did not have our first winning season with a playoff berth until the spring of 2023, and now we had five teams make the playoffs, with two in the quarterfinals in their prospective tournament. I have to credit Todd with the continued support of the program, providing weekly reports on the club to The Current, and acting as the middleman between myself and the administration. Last and certainly not least, our accomplishments are due to the leadership system we have created in the club teams, with captains doing an incredible job of managing game strategies, practices, and even reviewing game film and scouting opponents. 

The Current: Can you tell us about your role as an esports coach? 

Mr. Elliott: While I have the title of “coach” I very much see my role as more of the team manager, making decisions on rosters, creating leadership roles for the teams, introducing and helping to recruit new players, being the final say in any disciplinary or moderation issues, being the point of contact on other teams with PlayVS and communicating with other coaches, and a lot of other small administrative and bureaucratic tasks to help the team and community run smooth. The reality is I am not an experienced player in any of the games our club members play, and so I prefer to create opportunities for players with experience to hold leadership positions, create game strategies, scout opponents, study film, and mentor new players. 

The Current: Athletics are often seen as benefiting students beyond sports. Do you see that in esports? How?

Mr. Elliott: I played high school sports and absolutely loved the experience, teaching me a lot about leadership, management, friendship, cooperation, strategy, time management, self-sacrifice, and perseverance. All of these students in the club are learning and experiencing the same things in our club, and I do my best to facilitate these experiences and challenge our players. One of the most important themes I hammer home to our club members is the importance of balance. I do my best to instill in them ideas such as prioritizing school, encouraging physical and mental health, and taking necessary breaks to prevent burnout. 

The Current: What is the best part about being in esports?

Mr. Elliott: The best part for me is getting to see the players invest their time and effort and watch it pay off in their performance improving, making friends, learning from their mistakes, and watching them challenge themselves by trying new things. 

The Current: What would you like to see next from ORCA esports in terms of growth areas? 

Mr. Elliott: The number one goal I have is to make the club more welcoming and accessible to new players. While we have an amazing group of experienced players who have been together for two seasons or more, I want to begin investing more in the future success of the club, creating more engagement and mentorship for our new players. I hope to accomplish this by creating a more consistent new player introduction and mentorship with more veteran players and creating more opportunities for them to get integrated into the community and involved in practicing. I also would like to implement a more strict student code of conduct to maintain the standards of ORCA’s code of conduct. Additionally, I would like to also create grade requirements to emphasize club members are students first. My goal is to have veteran players lead by example to cultivate a more healthy and standards-driven community, and represent our school and its values when competing against other schools. 

The Current: How would you encourage students to consider joining esports? 

Mr. Elliott: I encourage any students who are interested in joining to fill out an interest form to get an idea of the game titles and platforms we offer. I am more than happy to answer any questions from students and parents, and my ultimate goal is to find a place for every student who is interested in the club regardless of skill level or game preference. 

The Current: Thank you for taking the time to interview today! Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

Mr. Elliott: I’d like to add a thank you to you and The Current for your interviews and the exposure you have given the club and its members. I would also like to thank [Mr. Shaffer] and his invaluable support for the club. While this club does participate in competitive gaming, and we do very much get caught up in the pursuit of our competition goals, ultimately its sole purpose is to create a welcoming environment and community for any student interested to have fun and make friends. Winning games is great, but the last thing I want is for that to come at the cost of our community’s growth and welcoming environment. 

An unprecedented four ORCA Esports teams made the playoffs last month, and one managed to win their way into the Overwatch 2 semifinals. The Stardust Crusaders competed nobly before falling to the #1 ranked team that went on to win the Overwatch 2 tournament. 

“It was great to see at least one team qualify for the playoffs in each of the games and for the Stardust Crusaders to make the semifinals,” comments ORCA Esports Director Todd Shaffer. “That shows great growth within our Esports program.”

Without further ado, let’s see how all the Esports teams did in their respective tournaments. 

Overwatch 2 

Sly Kitsunes qualified for the playoffs as the #27 seed but lost to the #6 team in the first round. 

But ORCA’s other Overwatch 2 team experienced more success. The Stardust Crusaders entered the playoffs as the #5 seed and went on to beat the #28 team in the first round, the #21 seed in the second round, and upset the #4 team in the quarter-finals. This landed them a spot in the semifinals for the first time in ORCA history. They were defeated by the #1 team, which eventually won the tournament, but this strong showering ended their season on a high note as they look towards the fall 2024 season. 

League of Legends

Qualifying as the #13 seed going into their tournament, the Silly Gooses lost in the first round to the #4 team. 

Rocket League 

The players of Unknown Skies, who qualified as the #12 seed going into the playoffs, easily beat the #28 seed in their first-round match and upset the #5 seed in the second round. After a very close battle in the third round, they fell short to the #4 seed. This ended their season, but they have bragging rights as the first ORCA Rocket League team to win two playoff games.

Though the school year is coming to an end, and therefore Esports as well, they will be competing again in the Fall of 2024 and hopefully break more records, continuing to grow the ORCA Esports program.

“Overall, it was a fantastic spring season,” Todd Shaffer continues. “We are excited for next fall!”

Heading into the final weeks of the spring season, ORCA Esports teams geared up for their final stretch of games, and the majority were able to qualify for the playoffs, which took place from the start of late April. 

Overwatch 2

During week five, the Stardust Crusaders were able to clinch a playoff spot, defeating the Pieper Warriors 3 games to 1. Going into week six, they were ranked #4 out of 91 teams. The next week, they dropped to 5-2 after losing to #2-ranked TRHS Blue, but quickly regained themselves and finished the regular season 6-2, the #5 ranked team heading into the playoffs. This is the highest an ORCA Esports team has ever been ranked going into the playoff rounds. 

The Sly Kitsunes went on a winning streak in April, beating the DCIS Phoenix YA team 3-1 games in week five, and besting Pathfinder Overwatch Alpha 3-1 games in week six. In week seven, they had a final win, converting their 2-3 record going into April into a 5-3 record and qualifying for the playoffs as the #27 team.

The ORCA Overwatch 2 teams are experiencing remarkable success, with both of them making a playoff appearance and finishing the regular season with a winning record. 

Super Smash Bros.

The Edge Guards, ORCA’s Super Smash Bros team, started their first season and made a splash with three wins at the beginning of the spring season. For their first showing in Super Smash Bros., they’ve done an incredible job despite not making it to the playoffs after a couple of April losses to the Westland Scorpions JV and the ASU Prep Daredevils.

Rocket League

Unknown Skies ended week five with a loss to #1 ranked Jordan HS RL 1, but hopes were high for them to reach the playoffs, being ranked #11 with a 4-2 record. The following week, they moved to 4-3 with a loss to the #2 ranked team, Prosper Unified RL, but they redeemed themselves in week seven, beating their opponents and securing a playoff spot as the #13 seed.

ORCA’s other Rocket League team, the Gas Guzzlers, did not qualify for the playoffs, finishing their season with a 2-6 record.

League of Legends

The Silly Gooses battled against the #1 ranked AttackDamageCarry in week five and then sat at 4-2 for the next week, going into their off week. They finished the season 4-4 and qualified for the playoffs as the #13 team.

The Ugly Ducklings won in the fifth week of regular season games, beating It Was The Lag, but fell to 3-5 by the end of the season, not able to make an appearance in the playoffs. 

Four out of the seven ORCA Esports teams made an appearance in their respective playoffs. Be sure to cheer on your classmates as they take on some of the region’s best esports teams in the next season! 

Oregon Charter Academy’s Esports teams have been battling hard to maintain their rankings and records throughout the month of March. Let’s take a look at esports’ progress on their Overwatch 2, Super Smash Bros., Rocket League, and League of Legends teams. 

Overwatch 2 

The Stardust Crusaders won their third-week match against Hunter OW 2, defeating them 3-0. They went into the fourth week undefeated but moved to 3-1 after a loss to Storm Blue. They are currently ranked seventh out of 91 teams.

ORCA’s other Overwatch 2 team, Sly Kitsunes, lost to Horizon OW during their third matchup of the season but produced their first win the following week after an intense battle with ASE Overwatch, winning 3-2.

Super Smash Bros.

ORCA’s only Super Smash Bros team, The Edge Guards, defeated Mushroom Mafia, improving their record to 2-1, but moved to 2-2 after a loss to the New Sarepta Saints. They currently rank 44 out of 133 teams.

Rocket League

Unknown Skies (3-1) lost a battle to CCS Cougars, with two wins to the Cougars’ three, and beat the Salt Lake Academy Griffins. That victory boosted their ranking to seventh out of 73 current teams. 

Dalton Robbins once again was in the top five for the “Score Per Game” stat. 

ORCA’s Gas Guzzlers (0-3) lost to Rice Balls 0-3 and in week four of the spring season, lost to Northridge JV 0-3. Despite their losses, Sophia Brennan placed in the top five of “Goals Per Shot %” shooting a perfect 100. 

League of Legends

Silly Gooses improved their record to 2-1 after a blowout 2-0 victory against Jordan HS, and the next week, racked up another win, beating the Star Valley Braves 2024 2-0. They are ranked fifth out of 36 teams and have a 3-1 record going into the fifth week of League of Legends matches. 

ORCA’s other League of Legends team, Ugly Ducklings, fell to 0-3 after a loss to Scottsbluff HS, but their record moved to 1-3 at the end of the fourth week after a forfeit from Scottsbluff Senior HS #2. 

A big congratulations to all esports players and coaches for their strong efforts during March. Be sure to cheer on any friends or classmates you know who are competing, and stay tuned for more updates.

Starting off the spring season with seven teams participating across four games, ORCA’s esports team showed off and showed out during their first week of regular season games. The majority of the teams started out strong, producing a winning record by the end of the first week, and Dalton Robbins, an ORCA sophomore, placed first for Score Per Game in Rocket League.

The Stardust Crusaders, one of the two ORCA esports Overwatch 2 teams, defeated their opponents, Huskies Overwatch 3-0. ORCA’s other Overwatch 2 team, Sly Kitsunes lost their first match to MdN Overwatch. There are currently 90 teams in the Overwatch 2 Mountain Division. 

For the Rocket League competitors, Unknown Skies and ORCA Rocket League #2, they were both able to come out of the battle victorious. ORCA Rocket League #2 won 1-0 due to a forfeit, while Unknown Skies swept the Viewmont Vikings JV 3-0. 

While ORCA only has one Super Smash Bros. team, they are currently competing in a division with 131 other teams. Winning their first match, the esports Smash crew defeated the SRMS Tired Legends, beating them 3-1. 

In addition to emerging victorious against the Pathfinders LoL, with two games to one, the League of Legends group also had a top-scoring player that placed 4th in Overall KDA (kills/deaths/assists) and 2nd in Gold Per Minute. Carlos Cardona, an ORCA junior, topped the charts amongst 36 teams and approximately 180 players.

“We are incredibly proud of how far our teams have come and are excited to have some new players on board,” says Esports Director Todd Shaffer. “Coach Elliott and his veteran players have established a great program that is not only seeing team success but some individual highlights as well, which can be seen in our week one results. It is our hope that esports continues to be a safe and enjoyable space for our students to interact and grow, and selfishly, it is our hope that some of them continue with esports in college or as a part of their future career path.”

Just starting their spring season, ORCA esports teams will no doubt continue to dominate and produce top-scoring players. Stay tuned for more esports updates in the coming issues.

From December 1-14, several of ORCA’s Esports teams participated in the Rocket League, League of Legends, and Overwatch 2 playoffs. For the first time in school history, two of the teams, the #9 “Unknown Skies” and #10 “Silly Gooses,” won their first round and advanced to the second stage of the playoffs.

Esports, referring to electronic sports, is a form of competitive video gaming. At ORCA, three teams, “Unknown Skies,” “Silly Gooses,” and “Stardust Crusaders,” all advanced to the playoffs for their designated games. 

The #9-ranked ORCA Rocket League team, “Unknown Skies,” battled the Bountiful High School “Redhawks,” which ranked #8, and ultimately beat the Utah team, advancing to the next match. 

Rocket League player Cody Carter once again led the pack in highest Goal Per Shot percentage, finishing in third place with a shot percentage of 42.86%

Their next matchup was the #1 seed, Holy Trinity Catholic High School Trojans, based out of Edmonton, Alberta. The ORCA team fell short that round but finished with the fourth-top scoring player, Cody Carter, and had a strong season. 

The #10-ranked “Silly Gooses” team battled it out with Montana-based Polson High School, which ranked #7, for their first playoff matchup on December 5. After losing the first of three rounds, they came back to win the playoff match 2-1 to advance to the next round of the playoffs for the second time in school history. In addition to furthering themselves in the playoffs, they became the first-ever ORCA League of Legends team to make it past the first round of the competition. 

The next matchup for the “Silly Gooses” was the #2-ranked Mission Heights Preparatory Academy “Phantoms” out of Casa Grande, Arizona. The playoff game was scheduled for December 6, and the team ended their season with a loss.

The Overwatch 2 team, “Stardust Crusaders," lost their first playoff match against the #4 “Goal SW team” but bounced back strong with a triumphant nine matches. They finished their season with a 5-4 record.

“I am so extremely proud of all of our esports teams in this fall season,” says ORCA Esports Coach Gabriel Elliott. “Every team has progressed and improved over the last two seasons of play. There have been a lot of firsts ranging from introducing an entirely new game in Super Smash Bros Ultimate to winning our first playoff games!” 

He adds that the club has seen an incredible amount of growth and development in teamwork and community culture. “We want to harness these unique traits and strengths of our club to expand our recruitment and add more players, games, and devices to promote a diversity of choices and resources for our students!” he says.

The esports club looks forward to their next season, with goals to have their Rocket League and League of Legends teams in their prospective playoff finals, which have the most varsity players. 

“We are so excited to see what we can accomplish and how we can continue to grow as a program!” Coach Elliott concludes.

If you’re interested in being a part of the ORCA Esports community, you can fill out the student interest form for the spring season. Esports members can participate in a varsity sports-like environment and must be able to commit to daily practices during the school week. Members will also compete in Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and/or Super Smash Bros. 

To learn more about the Esports program at ORCA, check out our esports spotlight article. 

An ORCA student is climbing the Rocket League leaderboards. Up through the week of November 13, ORCA esports player Cody Carter secured the third leading scorer position for individual points per game. He won 628.08 points overall, competing against over 165 players in the league, and became the first ORCA esports player to make it on the list.

The ORCA Rocket League team finished their season in strong form, with a score of 6-2 against 65 total teams. The team qualifies as #9 in a 16-team playoff, which starts on December 1. 

Carter has seen strong progress in ORCA’s Rocket League team this season. “I feel since joining we've all been more motivated to improve and put more time into practice because of the accomplishments and competition we have faced this season,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in both myself and every one of my teammates.”

For the esports team, it has been rewarding to see their progress improve from last season and begin to see greater success. 

As of the same week, ORCA esports also made strides in their other games. The Overwatch 2 team finished the season 5-3, qualifying as the #13 team in the playoffs starting December 1. The League of Legends crew also made it to the December 4 playoffs as the #10 ranked team, finishing the season 5-3. The Super Smash Bros. group also performed well in their first season with a record of 3-5, but will not be joining the playoffs this year. 

The playoffs are running from December 1 to December 14, depending on the games and how well each team does. 

“I hope we can win the entire tournament this season,” Carter says. “I don’t know if we are at that point this season yet. But I think we have the skill and motivation to get ourselves to a point of realistically winning it all next season.”

At a statewide virtual school, team sports can be hard to come by. But Oregon Charter Academy offers a great opportunity for students to get involved in online sports through the high school esports club. 

Esports are a form of competitive video gaming that helps students engage with classmates, work as a team, and highlight their school’s talent in a fast-paced and collaborative environment. 

The ORCA esports club was created in Spring of 2022. What started as a small group of about six students, with advisors Gabriel Elliott and Todd Shaffer, the esports club has now grown to a team of 18 players and 47 members. 

ORCA’s esports team started only competing in Rocket League in their first year, but now has teams for Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch 2, and Super Smash Bros. 

Members play games competitively, learn interactively as a community, and support each other’s skills as a team, explains eleventh grader Nova Hughes. As esports' Public Representative and Relations Manager, she helps oversee club operations and makes sure everything is running as smoothly as possible. 

“From homework, to getting better at a game, or even general advice, esports is a community oriented to bettering ourselves and each other,” adds Elijah L., the League of Legends team captain. “I love the community that esports has created. My favorite part about esports is meeting new people and watching my peers grow.”

This club offers members an opportunity to participate in a competitive format, developing teamwork, communication, and accountability to be successful. In addition, esports is a great way to introduce STEM topics to students interested in game design, software engineering, and coding.

However, esports is more than just the competition. The club also provides students with an opportunity to socialize with peers who share a passion for gaming. 

“I really enjoy esports and it has helped me be much more social,” says Berry C., a dedicated League of Legends player.  

As a team, community is an important aspect of the club. Members of esports each have their own roles and work together to practice and compete in competitions. 

“I have had the honor of seeing this club grow so much, witnessing the evolution of the culture and comradery amongst its members,” says Coach Elliott. “My favorite part about this club is the incredible personalities of the club members. There is such a diversity of background and personalities amongst the team members, and seeing them all work together for a common goal in competition is amazing to witness!” 

As club advisor, Mr. Elliott explains that his initial role was a traditional coach, in charge of running practices, coordinating games, and developing strategies. As the club expanded in student members and the number of teams, his role has shifted to more of a team manager, primarily acting as an administrator for student enrollment, coordinating team rosters and roles, recruiting for future seasons, and representing the club to school staff and board members.

“I love being in esports,” says Lucy Dias, esports’ moderator and Overwatch co-captain. “I've made many friends and gotten significantly better at the games I play with my team. I'm very proud to have made it to the playoffs last season and I'm excited to see how the club progresses this year!”

The team competed in various competitions and playoffs last year in two different games, sharing many accomplishments and development as a team. 

“I enjoy being able to use my passion for esports to be able to support the school,” says Cody C., a top Rocket League player. “My favorite part is, of course, the competitions. I haven't been here for long enough to have any major accomplishments, but if I had to choose one thing it would be our RL Team's perfect sweep over our opponent [in an October competition].”

Hughes feels pride when thinking back on how the club almost made it to the playoffs last season and notes how well the teams are doing this season. “I personally am proud of the way our Discord server and community is functioning now that I, along with Coach Elliott, have reworked it to be the safest it possibly can be, and also as inclusive as possible,” she adds. 

The team’s next playoff runs from November 27 through December 8. Esports will be streaming the playoffs on their Twitch channel, TheTeenageeSports. 

“I'm super excited for this year because I feel like I have really improved in my main game,” adds Berry. “I'm hoping we make it back to the playoffs and win at least one game there!” 

Esports experienced significant growth in recruitment and expansion over the past three seasons, with plans to expand further this year by recruiting new members and exploring new games. 

“I am really excited to see how our team leaders continue to effectively coordinate, motivate, and hold themselves as well as their peers accountable throughout the competitive season,” Coach Elliott says. He explains this is the first time the club has implemented a robust expansion of leadership to students, hoping to provide opportunities for growth in teamwork and competitive achievement. 

“I joined the eSports club because I wanted to meet people, and engage with people over a common interest,” adds Elijah. “As a result, I've made some of my closest friends and [it’s] an awesome community.”

As an online school, Oregon Charter Academy doesn’t have traditional team athletics like football or basketball (ORCA students can still play them, though) – but that doesn’t mean that the school doesn’t sponsor any sports. ORCA’s very own esports program was founded last school year, and it has grown into one of the school’s most unique and interesting student programs.

Esports are competitive video games, and at the school-sanctioned level, they are used as a way for students to engage with classmates, learn to be a part of a team, and represent their school’s talent. ORCA’s team is part of the Mountain West region of PlayVS, a platform for high school esports. The team plays other schools as close as Portland and as far away as Texas in video game titles Rocket League and League of Legends. Overwatch 2 was added this year.

Esports coach Gabriel Elliott provided details on the inner workings of the program. Much like any other sport, team members have to practice and coordinate with each other to prepare for games. ORCA’s esports team generally practices twice a week for 90 minutes each during the preseason, and in the regular season, one practice and one game per week.

“[In practices] the players of the particular esport will join a voice chat together on our Discord team page and then coordinate games together, usually playing 2 games in League of Legends or 8-10 games of Rocket League,” explained Mr. Elliott. “We also take time to discuss strategies, constructive criticism, and ways we can implement that to improve our practices and game performance.”

At the end of each game, Mr. Elliott adds that the team takes the time to “discuss the results and point out successes and areas of improvement.” 

But the program isn’t all about wins and losses. Players and coaches list the socialization aspect of esports as one of its biggest highlights. 

“Honestly, I think my favorite part of being on the team is the social aspect,” said ORCA student Keagan Daugherty. “I think we're a very social group, we hang out between games and joke around during them and just have fun in general.”

“My favorite part is practicing with the teams,” added senior Eric Traub. “It is really fun and challenging to work with the team and improve together, and build off of each other's skills.”

Mr. Elliott echoed the sentiments of his players. “My favorite part [of esports] has just been getting to know the club members, learning from their awesome personalities, and watching them improve in the game they love to play and make new friends,” he said. “I am really excited to see the students who have been in the club for nearly a year now begin to take charge as the veterans and teach as well as integrate new players and members with each season.”

ORCA’s esports team currently has 14 active members, a number Mr. Elliott hopes will grow as the season continues.

“This is still a very new club and we have big dreams and goals to expand it into a full fledged sport that will represent ORCA, and make our program a unique place to attract new students,” he said. “Because of that, our short term goal is to create a strong base of members we can use to expand our membership, promote our club, and slowly increase our competitiveness.”

Students interested in competing can do so on Xbox Ones and Series Xs, PlayStation 4 and 5s, Nintendo Switches, and gaming PCs and laptops.

Mr. Elliott noted that all the games the team competes in are free-to-play.

ORCA high schoolers who wish to join the esports program can fill out the Student Interest Form.

“If someone was interested in joining I would say go for it!” said team member Berry Cardona-Hurd. “We are a community of nice people of varying skill levels who are willing to help new people and learn from more experienced players! Esports has been a very positive experience for me and I highly recommend it.”

“If you're worried about fitting in or just nervous, don't be. I'll speak on behalf of my team and say we will all be happy to have you,” added Traub.

For students who don’t want to compete in esports but still want to support the club, Mr. Elliott noted that a way for ORCA students to watch live matches is in the works. “We are really optimistic we will be able to do that by the spring season!” he stated.

The PlayVS spring season will begin on February 13.