Esports 12/10/2024 11:52:00 PM

Blinn's Overwatch, Call of Duty teams end NJCAA Esports national tournament runs

Both teams will start anew during the spring semester

Esports 12/10/2024 11:52:00 PM

Blinn's Overwatch, Call of Duty teams end NJCAA Esports national tournament runs

Both teams will start anew during the spring semester

The Blinn College esports Overwatch and Call of Duty teams ended their fall seasons in their respective NJCAA Esports national tournaments Tuesday.

The Buccaneer Overwatch team fell to top-seeded Bryant & Stratton College 3-1 in a best-of-five semifinal match, while Blinn Call of Duty was on the short end of a 3-0 sweep at the hands of Brookdale Community College in the quarterfinal round.

Overwatch is a team-based, first-person-shooter in which players select heroes with unique abilities and work together to complete objectives across multiple map modes. Each team can strategically choose its maps based on team strengths and opponent weaknesses.

Each of the four rounds Tuesday included different win conditions based on the following modes:

Control: Teams fight to capture and hold a single point. The first team to reach 100% control wins two rounds in a best-of-three format, where the loser of each round picks the next map.
Escort: The attacking team moves a payload to its destination while defenders try to stop them. The payload moves when attackers are near it, and the attackers aim to complete the route before time runs out.
Hybrid: Teams capture a point and then escort a payload. The match is typically one round for attackers, who must secure the point first before moving the payload.
Push: Teams battle to control a robot and push it toward the opponent's side. The first team to push it farther than their opponents wins, with the loser picking the next map.
Clash: Teams capture consecutive points, with the first team to a set number of points winning.The Bucs' team of Kyoung Lee, Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Donnivan Straight, and Dhruv Pandrangi earned the victory for Blinn on Tuesday.

Blinn's fifth-seeded squad of Kyoung Lee, Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Donnivan Straight, and Dhruv Pandrangi absorbed the loss for the Bucs as their Overwatch team is still searching for its first national championship. Bryant & Stratton has been a consistent thorn in the Bucs' side in recent years, ending Blinn's chances for an Overwatch national title numerous times.

"This loss is undoubtedly a tough one, especially against a team we've faced multiple times in critical matches," said Blinn assistant coach and Overwatch manager Kyle Murto. "However, I'm incredibly proud of how the team performed overall. Aside from the final map, we played spectacularly, making Bryant & Stratton work hard for every win. They already had a strong roster last year, and their new additions have only elevated their play. They were the better team tonight, but this result only motivates us to improve and finally overcome this hurdle."

The Bucs will now turn their attention to the spring season as it prepares to reload for another run at a championship.

Blinn's Call of Duty team also suffered a tough end to its fall in a setback to Brookdale.

The Buccaneers were looking to add a second NJCAA Esports national championship to its resume, but were unable to get past the Jersey Blues.

The matchup pitted four Buccaneers against four Jersey Blues, with each team attempting to collect three wins across three modes of play in the first-person-shooter game:

Hardpoint: Teams secure rotating capture points, earning points for control. A team wins by reaching 250 points first.
Search and Destroy: Teams alternate attacking and defending, with the goal to plant or defuse an objective. The first team to win 6 rounds claims victory.
Control: Teams attack and defend two capture points, with limited lives adding an elimination aspect. The first team to win three rounds claims victory.

The team of Joshua Russell, Michael Allen, and Isaias Nieto competed for the Bucs.

"It was a disappointing end to a very bright season, as going into the semester we really didn't know what to expect from our team," said Blinn assistant coach and Call of Duty manager Ryan Lucich. "I couldn't be prouder of my players. They devoted so much time and effort towards improving and growing together, and it's unfortunate that our final placement will not reflect that. We were never able to find our footing in this series, but that's just the way it goes sometimes."

Blinn Call of Duty will also get another shot to bring home a championship in the spring.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 NJCAA national championships since 1987.

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