Esports 10/26/2026 10:42:00 PM

Blinn splits matches in Overwatch, League of Legends

The Buccaneers improved to 2-1 in NACE Overwatch play and 2-2 in LOL NJCAAe competition

Esports 10/26/2026 10:42:00 PM

Blinn splits matches in Overwatch, League of Legends

The Buccaneers improved to 2-1 in NACE Overwatch play and 2-2 in LOL NJCAAe competition

The Blinn College esports Overwatch team earned a 3-1 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic in a National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) non-conference matchup Monday, while the Buccaneers' League of Legends team fell 2-0 to Camden County College in National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAe) play.

Blinn's Overwatch team, ranked No. 11 nationally by the Overwatch Collegiate Rankings and Analytics (OWCRA), improved to 2-1 overall with the win. The League of Legends team dropped to 2-2 in NJCAAe play.

OVERWATCH
Blinn opened its series against Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic with a dominant 2-0 victory on Oasis, a Control map in which teams compete to capture and maintain control of an objective area. The Bucs controlled the pace throughout both rounds and limited their opponents' opportunities to build momentum.

The Bucs continued their strong play on New Junk City, a Flashpoint map that requires teams to capture a series of objective areas across the map. Blinn secured a 3-0 victory to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

With the Bucs in control, the team made several substitutions to give reserve players valuable competitive experience. Donnivan Straight and Jose Soliz rotated out, while Carter Lenahan and Charles Tomlinson entered the lineup.

The adjustments presented challenges on Esperança, a Push map in which teams compete to control a robot that pushes a barrier toward the opposing team's side of the map. Communication issues and an early deficit put Blinn in a difficult position. The Bucs mounted a late comeback attempt but ultimately fell 2-1.

Blinn kept the same lineup for Watchpoint: Grímsvötn, an Escort map in which the attacking team advances a payload while the opposing team attempts to stop its progress.

"I am proud of how Carter and Charles responded after the loss on Esperança," Blinn head coach and Overwatch manager Kyle Murto said. "Coming into a match as a substitute is never easy. There is pressure to perform, pressure to fit in with the established lineup, and pressure to meet expectations. When the first map doesn't go your way, it can be easy for confidence to disappear. Instead, they stayed composed, learned from their mistakes, and bounced back with a strong performance on Watchpoint: Grímsvötn."

The Bucs battled through several difficult defensive holds by Wisconsin-Stout to secure the second point on attack. After the sides switched, Blinn's defense shut down its opponent, preventing Wisconsin-Stout from capturing a point. The Bucs won the map 2-0 to clinch the 3-1 series victory.

Murto said the match provided valuable experience for the reserves while reinforcing the importance of maintaining focus after building an early lead.

Blinn's Overwatch roster featured Straight, Soliz, Antony Luna, Dylan Wiley, Salvador Castaneda, Tomlinson, and Lenahan.

The Bucs return to action when they face Pearl River Community College in an NJCAAe bout at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS
Blinn fell 2-0 to Camden County College in its fourth week of NJCAAe competition.

"We felt decent going into the game and had a good game plan," Blinn assistant esports coach and League of Legends manager Ryan Lucich said. "Unfortunately, early plays in both games allowed Camden to jump out to a huge lead that proved too much to come back from."

League of Legends is a five-versus-five multiplayer online battle arena game in which teams select champions with unique abilities and work together to destroy the opposing team's Nexus. Teams battle for map control, take down defensive structures, and contest neutral objectives to gain strategic advantages.

Camden County established an early advantage in both games, leaving the Bucs facing significant deficits. Blinn showed improvement in the second game, making several promising plays later in the contest.

Lucich credited Andrew Vo and Carlos Dickens for their shot calling as the Bucs attempted to rally, but Camden County's early lead proved insurmountable.

Blinn's League of Legends roster featured Vo, Long Nguyen, Johnson Le, Dickens, and Jose Rios.

The Bucs will look to improve their early-game execution and laning phase in upcoming matchups as they pursue a postseason berth in NJCAAe competition.

Blinn continues its League of Legends season with an NJCAAe tilt against Chippewa Valley Technical College at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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Players Mentioned

Jose Rios: Sophomore; Overwatch

Carlos Dickens: Sophomore; League of Legends

Long Nguyen: Freshman; League of Legends

Johnson Le: Freshman; League of Legends

Andrew Vo: Sophomore; League of Legends

Charles Tomlinson: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dylan Wiley: Freshman; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Soliz: Freshman; Overwatch

Carter Lenahan: Freshman; Overwatch

Players Mentioned

Jose Rios
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Carlos Dickens
: Sophomore; League of Legends

Long Nguyen
: Freshman; League of Legends

Johnson Le
: Freshman; League of Legends

Andrew Vo
: Sophomore; League of Legends

Charles Tomlinson
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dylan Wiley
: Freshman; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Soliz
: Freshman; Overwatch

Carter Lenahan
: Freshman; Overwatch