The Esports “Overwatch” team will compete in a regular season matchup for Texas Scholastic Esports (TexSEF) on Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. The team is led by varsity captain Sampreeth Udaygiri, who was a part of the team that won nationals last year.
During the fall season, the “Overwatch” team fell short in the final round of the National Scholastic Esports League (HSEL) championship. Head coach Kristopher Philips said he is determined to seek redemption and make a comeback in the upcoming spring season.
“Last [fall] was a success, but also a disappointment [because] we expected to win in nationals,” Phillips said. “We had the roster and talent, and we just [came] up short. [However,] the students are hungry and excited to bring home some trophies.”
Coming off nationals last spring, the team lost two seniors who held important roles: in-game leader (IGL) Keith Williams and damage per second (DPS) player Mason Wieland. This season, the team is having a fresh start with new players beginning to play at the varsity level.
“We didn’t have a fully established junior varsity team to bring up into varsity,” Esports president Hanu Kim said. “We’re having [new] players [start] while building off the remaining players from our national championship team last year. The guys are practicing hard, sticking to a good set schedule and [collaborating] effectively to win games.”
The team started the spring season with a matchup against Robert Vela High School on Feb. 11, where they won 3-0.
“It was a good win for us to start off the season,” Udaygiri said. “We were more coordinated and prepared as a team. Everyone brought their best effort, and it paid off. It’s just the beginning, but we’re definitely heading in the right direction.”
In January, Hebron Esports was recognized as the best K-12 Esports team in North America. The “Overwatch” team began practicing together at the Rosemeade Recreation Center, where they sharpened their skills through reviewing scrimmages and built team chemistry.
“Everyone’s role is important because each player brings unique traits that help the team,” Udaygiri said. “These diverse strengths come together to create a strong team dynamic. By combining our individual abilities, we help each player [refine] their skills, which ultimately makes us a more competitive team.”
The team has only lost two games all year — in the state league game and in the nationals final game. TexSEF matchups are adaptive, and place schools with similar records together. Phillips said he is confident that the team’s record will continue to improve, placing them in the playoff bracket.
“We’ll be playing from behind a bit trying to catch up,” Phillips said. “With the [reputation] Hebron Esports has, we just need to keep our heads up, stay focused and get the job done as efficiently as possible — then, avenge ourselves.”
