April 6, 2022
By News Director Jared Atha
Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s new Esports Arena was the site for the Oklahoma Scholastic Esports High School State Tournament on Friday, on the Weatherford campus.
Eighty high school students, including students from local schools, competed in various competitions at the event with multiple local students taking home high honors.
Local winners included from Elk City Chase Warren and Andrew Gordon winning first place in Rocket League Duos. Chase Warren, Andrew Gordon and Lake Hargrove winning runner-up honors in Rocket League Trios, and Aaron Frye, Chase Warren, Keaton Twyman and Brayden Leyja taking home first place in Fortnite.
From Arapaho-Butler Logan Pierce, Xavier Sawatzky, Damien Alexander, Eli Marshall and James Nguyen took home runner-up honors in Paladins while Canute’s Trey Shelton, Mason Hoffman, Colton Estes, Lane Greteman and Brance Pitzer took home the State Championship.
Canute’s Landon McKinley was state runner-up in Madden.
Founder and Executive Director of Oklahoma Scholastic Esports Brian Morris, who also doubles as Canute’s coach, says the popularity of esports events in Oklahoma has grown exponentially over the last three years, and says he doesn’t expect it to slow down anytime soon.
Morris noted that he has a student that will be attending Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva on an Esports scholarship. He said other students who are looking for ways to get to college, or any other way to continue their education after high school – Esports could provide them with that opportunity.
Other schools from the area that competed in last week’s event included Clinton, Weatherford, and Altus.
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