Smash Bros End of Season Review

By: Erik Arvis

The Fall 2021 season has been completed for Concordia University Wisconsin Esports program with individual teams, like the Super Smash Bros Ultimate team, finishing their season with a lot to be proud of. They finished with an overall Win/Loss record of 7-1 (for the A-team) and 4/4 (for the B-team), with both teams making it to the Semifinals and finishing in the 3rd and 4th place spots in the META conference. 

This was the first year that the team competed in the 3v3 trio format so practice and strategic planning were essential as the season began. However, as practices, scrimmages, and matches took place, it became clear that the talented pool of players was prepared enough to remain successful throughout the season.

The Smash team is led by Captain De'Shawn Ford, who plays on the A-team with Angel Uriostegui and Kellen Gonzales. While the team performed very well this season, Captain Ford acknowledges that "We struggled at some points and faced some very good competition throughout. I'm proud of our 3rd place ranking because it indicates how much progress we've made." The members of the B-team include Joe Struble, Nathanael Quezada, and Sam Goebel. 

Starting the semester strong, the A team went 7-0 until the final week, showing dominance in the conference. Also holding a competitive position in the conference was the B team, who only lost to the 1st and 2nd seeds, Colorado and San Antonio, throughout the season and were able to make it through the first round of playoffs against a team who had beaten them twice previously in Lawrence Tech.   

As the team prepared for their first season competing in the trio format, Head Coach Lewis Smith was excited for the opportunity to grow as a team and apply this experience to other competition formats. Coach Smith praises the team's dedication to their game, as he notices they spend ample time learning from one another and enjoying Smash Bros as both competitors and students of the game. He is proud of both teams' strong start to the season and ability to remain competitive throughout, losing only to other top competitors in the conference.

Looking forward, the team is looking forward to offline and individual, in-person events for next semester. The growth and success that the Smash team exhibited this semester are promising for the upcoming spring semester where larger events will be popping back up. Congrats on a great season!