In the Ultimate Smash Brothers finals on Dec. 11, the MIHS Esports Snails team faced the Heritage High School “EPS Varsity” and won 3-2.
The team leaves undefeated with a five-streak win. In their previous game, they faced off against the “Polars Ultimate A,” the number one team in the league from Prince George Secondary School, last Thursday.
“It was really good [that] we won,” junior Nathan Bautista said. “But that Sonic though… that was hard. All I can say is that it was a Goro miracle.”
Bautista would face their opponent as Captain Falcon first, but they would lose the opening match. After coming so close to losing, Bautista’s victory over King Dedede in the second round turns into a clutch. He remained committed to the same fighter, intent on winning the next one.
Bautista would win the opening match, giving the Snails a 1-0 victory.
Senior captain Charlie Thompson goes up next in the second match as Kirby. Landing hits in the match, he dominates the map. It becomes intense and ultimately leads to a loss when Thompson and the opponent are on one life.
Thompson kept his ground and locked in throughout the second match, giving the Snails a 2-0 victory. Sophomore Henry Barnes takes the third match to end the game with their win possibly. To avoid distracting Barnes, the team watches the game silently and with great attention.
But, in the subsequent matches, Barnes remained calm in the face of defeat and gave his teammates all support and encouragement.
“I got like trashed on. I’m the weakest link, but I’m still trying to have fun in the end,” Barnes said. “I wasn’t playing well. [Nonetheless], I had to rely on my awesome teammates to pick up the win. Charlie unleashed the beast, though.”
In the fourth match, Thompson assumes the role of Kirby once more, exchanging damage with precise maneuvers and shielding. The scenario gets more intense, but not before he launches a surprise attack that excites everyone.
EPS Varsity defeated the Snails 2-2 after a close contest. The last match determines the game’s result. As a surprise, Thompson lands a hit at the last moment and wins the title, ending the match 3-2.
Even though the team had won, it was a bittersweet moment because the season was coming to an end. After more than an hour of competing against their opponents, they applauded and gave hugs. They would make a lasting impression on the Esports Club’s history.
“As a senior captain, the biggest struggle for me is that when I’m gone,” Thompson said. “I don’t know what these guys are going to do just cuz I have always been the carry, but you know, life goes on.”
The Esports team has been invited to the PlayVS Cup where winners from other leagues will face each other from the end of spring to the beginning of summer.
