HCC Art Department Hosts 42nd Art Day
Thursday, April 18, marked the 42nd Art Day on the campus of Highland Community College in... Read More
HCC Esports Wins 2 Conference Championships
published April 19, 2024
HCC Rocket League Team is East 14 Conference League Champions!
The Highland Scotties Rocket League team composed of Carter Heiman (Hiawatha), Charles Shaw (East St. Louis, IL) and Chase Beebe (Appleton City, MO) ranked 51st and overcame steep odds versus the 19th ranked Ferris State University.
Highland Scotties Rocket League lost their first round, 2-3. The second game they lost yet again, 3-4. The team found a way to edge out a win in the third round, 2-1. The outcome became bleak when they lost the fourth game, 1-5.
"I was already thinking it was a great season and a great run, but they proved me wrong," coach Matt Ludwick said.
Since it was the best of seven, the Scotties still had a chance, but could not lose another game. On game five, the Scotties won 4-2. They were still alive for game six, and fought for a hard-earned win, 3-2. With the games tied at 6-6, the next winner would take all. The Scotties nailed the coffin shut with a 5-1 dominance and win for the championship.
"They seem to enjoy stressing me out," joked Ludwick. "First, they beat the undefeated team, then came back after being down 1-3 to win 4-3. I am extremely proud of these guys.”
With the win, they are among 16 other top conference winners in the nation in the "Varsity Plus" League sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Esports.
“96 teams were entered into 16 playoff brackets. Our Rocket League team was among the top 16 best teams which is something to be extremely excited about,” Ludwick said.
HCC Valorant Team is East 6 Conference Champions!
The 30th ranked HCC Valorant team composed of Shawn Brady (Wichita), Michael “Drew” McGuire (Goddard), Daniel Silva Filho (Troy), Cale O’Connor (Troy), Ramiro Perez (Wichita) and Tayton Wedman (St. Marys) defeated the 43rd ranked Baldwin Wallace University with a dominating performance.
The finals are the best of three matches, and the Scotties eliminated Baldwin by a score of 13-4 and 13-3. With the win, the Highland Scotties Valorant team were amongst the top 12 elite champions in the "Varsity Plus" League sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Once again, the Valorant team stood out as a top 12 team amongst the 71 teams who were playoff eligible.
“I cannot say enough about this year’s HCC esports student athletes. Their dedication to school while also competing at a collegiate level in esports has been the best performance since I started coaching. We had four teams who were playoff eligible. Two of those teams won championships. It just an exciting season that I’m grateful for,” said Ludwick.
