ATHENS W.Va. (Hinton News) – The Concord University Esports Maroon Team captured a national championship on Wednesday, December 13th at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Elite Division. The team played Brewton-Parker College and consisted of Chase Koger, Ethan Tucker, and Will Jackson (Team Captain).
Ethan Tucker or “E.T.” is a sophomore who transferred from Brewton Parker College. He is a computer science major at Concord. When not grinding out Rocket League, he is playing other games, supporting his fellow esports players, or looking for more players to compete under the Concord banner.
William Jackson or “Pancakes” is a senior who has been playing for Concord since the founding year of Rocket League in the Fall of 2022 and will be finishing up a bachelor’s in computer science. Will is the captain of the team ensuring the team has everything they need for victory before the matches. Outside of being an esports player, Will is a master at coding and solving the Rubik’s Cube.
Chase Koger or “Helix” is a freshman and the only in-state player for the varsity Rocket League team from the town of Iaeger in McDowell County. Helix is also working towards a Computer science degree. He is the jokester of the team and the esports program as a whole. He also helps the academy roster improve in Rocket League.
Esports Director, Austin Clay, says of the achievement, “Going into the season, the staff and I were pretty confident that this young and new roster of mostly unheard-of or overlooked players was going to come out and show they mean business. When we went 7-1 in ECAC regular season only losing to Brewton Parker College, we knew who we had to prepare for in the playoffs. It was clear in the Grand Finals who was better prepared for that match, which allowed us to take home the victory. I am proud of the guys and can’t wait for them to run it back during the spring season.”
In 2019, Concord University was the first public university in the state of West Virginia to develop an esports competition program.
Concord now also offers a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies-Esports, which gives students the opportunity to work with experienced professionals to prepare them for the ever-changing, exciting field of esports. The esports industry is booming with career opportunities, such as Esports Director, Esports Social Media Manager, Esports Caster, Esports Producer, Esports Journalist, Esports Coach, and other digital media careers. Concord University will help students reach their desired goals in this growing field.
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