Pictured are members of the Wayland Green Team: Jordan Weers, Foxx Genther, Scott LaDere, and Isaac Bearss.
Wayland Union High School’s first season of E-Sports ended in a playoff appearance and a fourth place state ranking.
Local teams assembled in February to begin practice and scrimmage on the Play Versus gaming site . There are local matches with neighboring districts and competition against schools across the United States.
The league is sanctioned and supported by the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals. In the state, there are more than 40 teams competing for the league state championships May 7 at Oakland University. Wayland had two teams this spring season (Green and White) with six participants.
The pioneering first season was devoted to one game title, Rocket League, which is an intense airbourne version of soccer with cars. The game offers aerials, a multi-level playing environment, and ample opportunities for scrimmaging.
“What sets Rocket League apart is the amount of communication needed between three players rotating on offense and defense,” a spokesperson said. “Our students make it look seamless transitioning back and forth in a fluid game environment. Matches for the season were highly competitive, stressing communication and good sportsmanship. The Wayland Green Team was impressive to watch in action and was victorious in all but two matches.”
There will be opportunities to compete in other games, such as Hearthstone, Mario Cart, League of Legends, Fortnight and Splatoon. The Wildcats hope to compete in a fall and spring league starting in September.
The E-Sports Club has similar expectations and rules as regular high school sports. Practice and competitions are after school in WHS Computer Aided Design (CAD) lab.
