With the excitement of the new trimester and half the year over, some sports are starting up as well. After school on Thursday (1/18) Esports will have their first ever game of its season in room 406. Directed by Ms. Hunter (Esports coach) games will be taken online against several schools in the area including Ripon for SSBU’s Varsity and JV’s SSBU opponents currently unknown. This also debuts WRHS’s first ever Valorant game for the Valorant players in Esports as well. Updates after games with scores being seen on Instagram on @wrhs_cougarsrising, and @esportsranch.
For the first game of their seasons all teams seem to look forward towards the start and to understand such feelings we have to see what it’s like to be in the program in the first place. Games for both teams often take place on Thursdays, the reason for such a date? A sheer coincidence, as the platforms Esports is stationed on have these days set for both sports. Well said best by the coach Ms. Hunter, “It just happened to be that when the CIF went onto Play Vs they had set the SSBU games on Thursdays, most other games are on different days but Valorant and SSBU are both on Thursdays.”
Many in the program and Ms. Hunter find excitement for their new heights, quote from Ms. Hunter pertaining to thoughts on new season start up, “I am excited for our Varsity SSBU match against Ripon, I had the chance to meet and talk with the Ripon coach, who we played last year for senior night and would like to start the year against the last team we faced. Excited for Valorant as for us it’s our first game for the WRHS team.”
New additions have even been added for this next season, along with the new Valorant team SSBU gains a new way to compete as well. Now with the new format for SSBU, players can expect to play possibly up to double what they used to, the old format being a best of three for each player in an overall best of free has now undergone slight change in which it is now a best of five overall, allowing two players to play extra games if needed. Valorant may be less complicated to understand but with the Valorant Coach’s comment, games may span up to two hours. It is important to keep the support going as Esports heads into this brand-new season of enthusiasm and opposition. Scores being showcased on Instagram with @wrhs_cougarsrising, and @esportsranch, as well as preparations to stream on Twitch and YouTube with Cougars Rising seeming to be likely soon.
