Sports and technology are now running side by side as Bowling Green starts up its first ever esports team. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) sanctioned esports last year in October, and it’s already making a mark in high school sports. As of time of publication, there are three KHSAA approved video games: Rocket League, Smite, and League of Legends. While Bowling Green High’s team is only a part of Rocket League, a game where competitors play soccer while driving boosted cars, they are still dominating the state with an early record of 4-0.
Each match is a 3 vs 3, and the best of 5 round wins, with our team winning their last game 3-2. The scoring deficit for the team against other schools has been tremendous, with one game having a 39-0 win deficit - an average of 15 goals per round.
Team members practice after school against each other, as well as other players or “pros” who come in and help improve individual players skill levels. John Klein, a leading scorer for the team, describes these people as an “incredible group of guys who set up and work with the team.”
“We got a bunch of kids that are try-hards and work their best,” head coach Craig Widener said. “They work hard, they practice, and we will see how it ends up in the end, but right now we have a lot of work to do to be competitive in a competitive environment”
The origins of this team apparently stemmed from a joke tweet sent out by Mr. Widener, who, after looking at brackets and announcements from KHSAA’s Twitter feed, tweeted, “I hereby pledge my services next year to make this (esports) a reality. Word is Bond[sic]” From there, interest was piqued.
“I’ve always had a lifelong passion to encourage students to do great things, especially in video games. It’s something I have dreamed about since I was a young boy, early out of the crib,” said Coach Widener. Now his passion to help kids pursue their desire to game is a reality as three seniors, Josh West, Cole Rubin, Aziz Umarov, and two juniors, Parker Evans and John Klein, make a run to state and pursue the dub in February playoffs.
It’s apparent that there is support from both the school and coaches to bring esports into a new light and help bring the team to a state championship. Time will only tell how this first year of esports will drive the future of the program, but the team has already set a good foundation and is bound and determined to keep winning. As Coach Widener put it, “May our bumpers stay strong and the ball roll true” as they carry on in the 2019-2020 season.
By: Tucker Strode