Carrollton High School was one of the first schools in the state to roll out a Georgia High School Association-sanctioned eSports coed team, and this year, the team brought home a state championship title.
The Trojan Mario Kart team competed against Discovery High School in the GHSA State Championship Dec. 14 and brought home the winning trophy — the first GHSA state championship ever won for a Mario Kart team, according to Robby Blakemore, CHS eSports coach.
“I am so proud of these kids,” he said. “The Trojans fell behind early as Discovery High took a 2-1 lead. But we didn’t give up — we kept fighting and won the next 2 sets to win the title 3-2.”
The team was led by seniors Jack Huett and Brantley Colquitt. Other team members are Michael Fitzgerald and Omar DeJesus.
Blakemore noted that going into the playoffs, the team liked its role as underdogs.
“We had already lost to very good Toombs County and Lowndes County teams, but we knew we were improving throughout the season,” he said. “As the #11 seed, there were no easy matches. Playing the number two, three, and six leading up to the finals definitely prepared us for the toughest opponent of the year — Discovery High School.”
Trojan eSports launched at Carrollton High School in 2018 with League of Legends, but more opportunities were quickly created as interest in the sport continued to grow. In 2019, Rocket League and Smite were added as games. Currently, GHSA recognizes League of Legends, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Mario Kart as fall season games. GHSA recognizes Splatoon 3, NBA2K, Madden and Rocket League as games in the spring season.
CHS Athletic Director Paul Fitz-Simons said he has been impressed with the evolution of this new sport and the interest it has generated among students
“I am proud of how this program has grown since its inception,” he said. “Coach Blakemore has done a great job growing interest and this state championship is well deserved for him and our kids.”
The Trojan eSports Mario Kart team ended the season with a 24-6 record overall.
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