In the world of AHSAA sports, most students know the staples — Friday night football, basketball tournaments on the weekends and spring tennis matches across the state. However, a lesser-known high school sports league was introduced in 2019 and is filled with student gaming prodigies who share the love of competition and video games.
Now in its sixth year, Homewood High’s esports team has solidified itself in the AHSAA esports field. From Rocket League to this season’s pick of Super Smash Bros Ultimate, the team has showcased skill across multiple games, earning a spot in the playoffs every year since its inception.
High school esports are facilitated through a website called PlayVS, where any high school can enter a team and select the game options they want to participate in. From there, the website handles all scheduling, match-making and record-keeping for the season.
Popular game choices include Madden, Rocket League, NBA 2k and Fortnite. In previous years, Homewood has participated in Madden, Rocket League and 2k, but this season, they opted for Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
“There is great camaraderie for everyone involved,” said Jason Kennah, sponsor of the esports team. “Even if they are in it just to be with their friends or are taking it very seriously, there is camaraderie between the players, and they really enjoy being on the team with each other.”
Smash Bros is a crossover fighting game in which players select characters and battle opponents through knockout-style matches. In esports competitions, players go head-to-head in a best-of-three format, each victory contributing to the team’s overall record and playoff standing.
The season lasts eight weeks, starting at the end of February and lasting until the end of April. The team meets on Monday afternoons to practice, preparing them for weekly competitions against opponents from across the country, facilitated through PlayVS.
“At practices, they practice scrimmaging and practice skills against other teams,” Kennah said. “We can play teams from Canada and around the country. Because Smash is an independent-player game, they get exposure to practicing and going against different players.”
Matches are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, depending on the week. The first match of the season plays a crucial role in determining future opponents as well as playoff contentions.
Senior Dante Hall has been on the esports team for three years.
“Typically, the first game of the season, we will not know who we are playing against,” Hall said. “The first game will determine the rest of our season and who we will be matched up against in playoffs.”
The team has maintained a high ranking since 2019 and was ranked in the top 20 out of 60 in the state for the 2024 season.
With just one match per week, every game impacts the team’s seeding for playoffs.
“The winner of the match that week gets placed in a higher seed,” Hall said. “Basically, the season determines your seed for playoffs, and you continue to play teams through the season to get as high in the rankings as you can. The top 20 teams in the state will make it to playoffs.”
In 2020, the team made it to the final four playing Rocket League, its furthest playoff run to date.
Like every other AHSAA sport, players can earn college scholarships for esports. Yair Lopez, a 2022 HHS graduate, went to Mississippi State with a scholarship from his success on the esports team.
Kennah has enjoyed getting to see the team dynamic flourish this season.
“You can’t actually watch everyone else play Smash, but I love how excited they get,” Kennah said. “They start talking a lot of crap to each other, they take it super seriously. I doubt that these kids would talk to each other without esports, so it is really special to see.”
Hall echoed the complement of the team dynamic, emphasizing teamwork despite Smash being a solo-player game.
“We all give tips to each other and our personal thoughts of how we can all improve to be our best,” he said.
Despite Smash Bros being an individual-player game, communication is a vital part of the team’s success.
“Because it’s just one-on-one in Smash, having your teammates in your ear is very helpful, and being able to keep them up to date as to what’s happening in the match helps us to do better,” Hall said.
As the team heads into the final month of their season, this teamwork will continue to set them apart. With their six-year playoff streak and strong performances, the team is proving esports is more than just video games— it is a real, competitive sport that will continue to grow in the future.
