Yellowjackets eSports team meets their match, drops week 4 to Magnolia Science Academy

Despite loss, team improves their overall ranking in the PlayVS league

Jeremiah Dollins, Pepper Bough Adviser|October 21, 2022

J. Dollins

The Yellowjacket eSports team watches intently as Senior Samuel Duran hits the “Super Smash Brothers” arena to face off against his opponent from Magnolia Science Academy in Carson.

Colton, CA—Colton’s eSports team entered week 4 with high spirits and high expectations, having gone 2-0 in their weeks 2 and 3 matchups and playing as the #17 ranked team in the PlayVS league. With the ranking comes tougher opponents, and this week they faced a challenging match against Magnolia Science Academy from Carson, who defeated the Yellowjackets 2-1.

“We’re matched up with people at our skill level now,” said head coach Alexandra Buskirk. “Sometimes you have to lose to win more.”

In the first game of “Super Smash Brothers” between CHS’s Benjamin Velarde and his opponent from Magnolia, it looked like week 4 would go exactly the same as the previous weeks. Playing as Little Mac, his main from the “Punch-Out” series, he made quick work of the opposition, only losing a single life over the course of two games.

“Last week I was clutch,” Velarde said referring to his come-from-behind efforts in week 3, “but this week I dominated.” The effort ended with Velarde getting a minor bloody nose, leading coach Buskirk to shout out “Do we need to call the athletic trainer?”

Only needing one more victory to take the match, Noah Limon continued with his strategy of playing as random “Smash Brothers” characters. His opposition chose Link from the “Legend of Zelda” series, and upset Limon in straight games, tying the match at one game apiece.

“He was a hard hitting spacer against a glass cannon,” Limon said. “So it was a bad matchup.”

That brought up team leader Samuel Duran, who started out with his main, Dark Pit from “Kid Icarus,” against Terry from the game “Fatal Fury.” Magnolia’s player stomped all over Duran from the start, making him struggle from behind, eventually winning the game and giving the match to Magnolia Science Academy.

“I was playing dumb,” Duran said.

The Yellowjackets were bummed out by the loss, but ultimately optimistic for their chances at the midpoint of the eight week season. At the start of the match, they were ranked no. 17, but afterwards they were bumped up a notch to no. 16. Magnolia Science Academy leaped to no. 8 in the rankings.

Week five’s matchup takes place next Wednesday at 4 p.m. in room 503.