Esports 11/11/2026 11:43:00 AM

Blinn teams earn victories in NJCAAe, NACE competition

The Buccaneers Rocket League team collects two forfeit wins, Call of Duty sweeps NEO

Esports 11/11/2026 11:43:00 AM

Blinn teams earn victories in NJCAAe, NACE competition

The Buccaneers Rocket League team collects two forfeit wins, Call of Duty sweeps NEO

The Blinn College esports program wrapped up another night of competition Tuesday, with Rocket League earning two forfeit victories and Call of Duty sweeping Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College 3-0 in NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) competition.

ROCKET LEAGUE
The Buccaneers Rocket League team earned a pair of 3-0 forfeit victories over the University of South Carolina-Lancaster and Wake Technical Community College before falling 3-2 to James Madison University in National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) competition.

Blinn improved to 9-4 in NJCAA Esports competition and 1-5 in NACE play, including a 1-2 record in West-Central Conference competition.

The Bucs' lineup included Cooper Bullinger, Andrew Corley, and Jared Kissee.

Rocket League combines elements of soccer with fast-paced car mechanics. Teams of three players use rocket-powered vehicles to hit a ball into the opponent's goal, with the team scoring the most goals in each five-minute game earning the victory.

Blinn was scheduled to face South Carolina-Lancaster and Wake Technical in NJCAA Esports competition, but both opponents were unable to field complete rosters and were forced to forfeit. With the regular season nearing its conclusion, NJCAAe rules no longer allowed the matches to be rescheduled, resulting in two victories for the Bucs.

The wins were particularly important as Blinn continues its pursuit of a Tier I postseason berth. Under the NJCAAe postseason format, teams are placed into different playoff tiers based on their regular-season performance, with every team qualifying for postseason competition.

"These wins are extremely important as we continue our push toward Tier I Nationals," head coach and Rocket League manager Kyle Murto said. "Based on the current standings, we believe we are in position to earn a Tier I playoff berth if we can continue taking care of business down the stretch."

Blinn then turned its attention to James Madison in a NACE non-conference matchup. The Buccaneers fell 3-2 in the five-game series, with game scores of 3-2, 1-3, 3-2, 1-5, and 0-1.

Despite the loss, Murto was encouraged by the team's performance. The Bucs controlled possession for much of the series and consistently created scoring opportunities against a strong opponent. However, finishing those opportunities proved difficult.

The fourth game was a particular struggle, but the series came down to a scoreless fifth game that extended several minutes into overtime. Blinn registered 15 shots on target but couldn't find the back of the net. The Buccaneers also missed an open-net opportunity in overtime that would have secured the game and the series.

"Our mechanics, rotations, and overall teamwork continue to trend upward, and we're proving week after week that we can compete with strong NACE opponents," Murto said. "The final piece of the puzzle is finding consistency in front of goal. If we can start converting the chances we're creating, many of these close losses will quickly turn into wins."

The Bucs will close their NJCAA Esports regular season Thursday against Walters State Community College at 6 p.m. With postseason positioning still on the line, the matchup carries significant importance in Blinn's pursuit of a Tier I Nationals berth.

CALL OF DUTY
Blinn's Call of Duty team closed its NJCAA Esports regular season with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

The Bucs improved to 4-2 in NJCAA Esports competition.

Blinn's lineup included Jaden Navarro, Marcus Simon, Pablo Tarazaga, and Daniel Gonzalez.

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter in which teams compete across different maps and game modes that emphasize strategy, teamwork, accuracy, and objective control. Competitive matches feature modes such as Hardpoint, Search and Destroy, and Overload, each requiring teams to use different strategies to secure victories.

Blinn opened on Colossus, building an 80-30 advantage before taking control of the remainder of the map to secure a 250-78 victory.

The Buccaneers carried that momentum into Den, a Search and Destroy map in which teams alternate between attacking and defending objectives. Blinn jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind strong sniping from Marcus Simon and opening eliminations from Jaden Navarro. Northeastern Oklahoma A&M claimed two rounds before the Bucs closed out a 6-2 victory.

Blinn finished the sweep on Scar in Overload, a mode that challenges teams to capture and deliver an objective. The Buccaneers quickly captured four points in each half to cruise to an 8-0 victory.

"We were heavy favorites going in based on the standings, and we proved why that was the case," assistant coach and Call of Duty manager Ryan Lucich said. "I'm really happy with our performance today, and hopefully it sets the pace for our playoff run beginning next week."

The victory marked the end of Blinn's NJCAA Esports regular-season schedule, with the Bucs now turning their attention to postseason competition. Playoff matches, dates, and times have yet to be announced.

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

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Players Mentioned

Pablo Tarazaga: Sophomore; Call of Duty

Marcus Simon: Freshman; Call of Duty

Jaden Navarro: Sophomore; Call of Duty

Daniel Gonzalez: Sophomore; Call of Duty

Cooper Bullinger: Freshman; Rocket League

Jared Kissee: Freshman; Rocket League

Andrew Corley: Sophomore; Rocket League

Players Mentioned

Pablo Tarazaga
: Sophomore; Call of Duty

Marcus Simon
: Freshman; Call of Duty

Jaden Navarro
: Sophomore; Call of Duty

Daniel Gonzalez
: Sophomore; Call of Duty

Cooper Bullinger
: Freshman; Rocket League

Jared Kissee
: Freshman; Rocket League

Andrew Corley
: Sophomore; Rocket League