Republic will send competitors to the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation (MOSEF) championships December 6-7 in Union, with players competing in two different games: Super Smash Bros and Rocket League.
Rocket League combines soccer and racing, with players using rocket-powered cars to hit a large ball into their opponent’s goal. Smash Bros is a fighting game where players choose from Nintendo’s most popular characters, attempting to knock their opponents off various platforms and stages.
The school’s esports program has achieved recent success, with its Valorant team finishing second at last fall’s MOSEF state tournament. Alex Cowden and Brayden Jones form the primary two-player team for Rocket League, with Nevan Kulp serving as substitute. (Kulp joins them for three-person Rocket League play in the spring.)
“Since it’s me and him, we play good together,” Cowden said of his partnership with Jones. “If one of us is in a bad mood, it usually radiates. But if we’re in a good mood, it does the same thing.”
Jones said he and Cowden have developed chemistry through consistent practice. “When you play with the same guys every day, you understand their play style and how they think of the game,” Jones said. “You adapt to their play style.”
As substitute, Kulp must be ready to step in and adapt to either teammate’s style. “When I’m playing with Brayden, he’s more of a ball-controlling type of player, so I have to adapt to play more passively,” Kulp said.
Brody Bryant, who was part of last year’s state runner-up Valorant team, will represent Republic in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Bryant prepares by competing at local tournaments.
“I play the best in the state,” Bryant said of his preparation. “There’s local tournaments that I go to that have good players from the Springfield area that aren’t just high school or middle school players.”
Bryant said he appreciates the strategic depth of Super Smash Bros Ultimate. “There’s 84 characters in the game, so I can pick any (character) I want, and there’s a lot of different play styles,” he said.
For Jones, the state tournament represents an opportunity to further his competitive gaming goals. “I’m looking forward to getting noticed,” he said. “I already got two that noticed me so far.”
Super Smash Bros competition begins December 6, with Rocket League following on December 7.
