First-Ever Spring Esports Champions To Be Crowned Friday in Lakewood

Host Site: Localhost (1882 S Wadsworth Blvd. Lakewood, CO 80232)

AURORA, Co. – The first-ever Colorado High School Activities Association Esports Spring Championships is finally here!
 
Previously a pilot program, this spring’s first-ever CHSAA-sanctioned state tournament will be held in person at Localhost, in Lakewood, this Friday, April 21. The top-16 teams from across the state have earned their spot to play for the championship in Super Smash Bros., while the in-person Mario Kart final will consist of the top-8 teams.

Bracket play for the Super Smash Bros. tournament began with the first round on April 10 and followed with the second round on April 12. The 16 teams remaining from those competitions have advanced to the finals site and will begin play with the third round on Friday at 9 a.m. The quarterfinal round will then take place at 10 a.m., followed by the semifinals at 11 a.m., and the finals at noon. The trophy presentation will take place immediately after the final game.

Play in the Mario Kart bracket has also already started with the 16-team first round taking place on Monday, April 17. The eight teams that advanced will begin their quarterfinal round games on Friday at 1 p.m. The semifinals will follow at 3 p.m., and the championship game is scheduled for 5 p.m. The trophy presentation will take place immediately after the final game.
 
In total, 19 schools will be represented at the final site throughout the two tournaments with three schools fielding multiple teams. Rocky Mountain High School leads the way with four total teams competing, including the top seed in both tournaments and two of the top three seeds in the Super Smash Bros. Championship. George Washington and Pueblo West will also be represented in both tournaments, as both schools have one team in each field. 

Both championships will be broadcast live on Twitch, with the Super Smash Bros. broadcast beginning at 11 a.m., and the Mario Kart broadcast beginning at 5 p.m.

Spectators are also welcome to come to Localhost and view the games in person.

Tickets are good for all-day admission and there will be no cash sales on site. All tickets are sold through GoFan. General admission tickets are $10, student (K-12) and senior (60+) tickets are $7, and children age 5 and under are admitted free of charge. 

The food truck Bakery of Sweetness, which started as an at-home bakery and now offers pizza and subs along with delicious sweet treats, will be on site for all attendees to purchase meals. The Kukulski Brothers will also have championship merchandise on-site for purchase.  
 

Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate Championship
Super Smash Bros. play will begin at 10 a.m. with eight Round 3 games. The winners will advance to the quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds, respectively. The quarterfinal round will begin at 10 a.m., the semifinals at 11 a.m., and the finals at noon. The trophy presentation will take place immediately after the final round.
 
Round 3 (click here to learn more about the individual teams)
Game 1: RMHS Lobos Varsity A vs. HORNETS SSBU – A
Game 2: Eaglecrest Pro vs. Varsity Patriot Smash
Game 3: Gold Bear Creek Smash vs. CHS Smash 1
Game 4: VISTA SMASH VARSITY vs. The JFK BOM Squad
Game 5: Super Smash Wolves Black vs. DCHS Varsity Smash
Game 6: Fossil Ridge Smash Bros. vs. Bad Decisions
Game 7: RMHS Lobos Varsity C vs. Pueblo West Smash JV
Game 8: SMT SMASH Bros. 1 vs. Creek Smash 1

Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe Championship
Mario Kart play will begin at 1 p.m. with four Round 2 quarterfinal games. The winners will advance to the semifinals at 3 p.m. and finals at 5 p.m. The trophy presentation will take place immediately after the final round.

Round 2: Quarterfinals (click here to learn more about the individual teams)
Game 1: RMHS Lobos Varsity vs. Mario Kart Team A
Game 2: Engineers vs. ThunderHawks
Game 3: Falcon Awesome Go Kart vs. Varsity Patriot Kart
Game 4: Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity vs. RMHS Lobos JV

Super Smash Bros. Final 16 Teams

No. 1 RMHS Lobos Varsity A

•   High School: Rocky Mountain High School
•   Players: Samuel Gordon, Maya McCaughan, Oliver Bunnell
• The RMHS Lobos Varsity A team enters the inaugural tournament as the top seed. They’ve already knocked off No. 64 Digger Smash Gold and No. 33 Ponderosa High School Varsity. They’ll face No. 16 Hornets SSBU – A in the third round. With a win, they’d advance to Round 4, where they’d face the winners of No. 8 Eaglecrest Pro vs. No. 24 Varsity Patriot Smash. 

No. 2 Super Smash Wolves Black

• High School: Grandview High School
• Players: Eliseo Galdamez, Jonathan Bannoura, Aiden Welter
• The Super Smash Wolves Black earned a spot in the third round by defeating No. 63 Pagosa Springs Varsity and No. 31 Riverdale Ridge Smash A. With a win over No. 18 DCHS Varsity Smash, the inaugural tournament’s No. 2 seed would advance to the fourth round to face the winner of No. 26 Fossil Ridge Smash Bros. vs. No. 10 Bad Decisions. 

No. 3 RMHS Lobos Varsity C

• High School: Rocky Mountain High School
• Players: Nathan May, Cooper White, Jack Ham
• RMHS Lobos Varsity C is the third-ranked team in the tournament. They’ve cruised to the third round with wins over No. 62 Mancos Team B and No. 35 ACHS-Varisty SSBU. They’ll face No. 19 Pueblo West Smash JV in the third round for a chance to face the winners of No. 6 SMT SMASH Bros. 1 vs. No. 11 Creek Smash 1 in the fourth round. 

No. 5 VISTA SMASH VARSITY

• High School: Mountain Vista High School
• Players: Penn Hoang, Briston Stewart, Avery Wilson
• VISTA SMASH VARSITY entered the tournament with the No. 5 seed. They defeated No. 60 phat ginger spine in the first round, and then followed it up with a win over No. 37 Poudre Global Trotters in the second round. They’ll face No. 21 The JFK BOM Squad in the third round, where a win would send them to Round 4 to face the winners of No. 29 Gold Bear Creek Smash vs. No. 13 CHS Smash 1. 

No. 6 SMT SMASH Bros. 1

• High School: Strive Prep – Smart Academy
• Players: Ivan Ochoa, Joy Avila, Mario Flores
• SMT SMASH Bros. 1 have advanced to the third round by defeating No. 59 San Pedro Gaming and No. 38 Joycon Drifters. With a win over No. 11 Creek Smash 1, the tournament’s No. 6 seed would advance to the fourth round to face the winners of No. 3 RMHS Lobos Varsity C vs. No. 19 Pueblo West Smash JV.

No. 8 Eaglecrest Pro

• High School: Eaglecrest Pro High School
• Players: Ronan Goodline, John Hope, Kyle Cozort
• Eaglecrest Pro enters the tournament as the No. 8 seed. They enter Round 3 with wins over No. 57 JV Patriot Smash and No. 25 Chatfield Smash Team. With a third-round victory over No. 24 Varsity Patriot Smash, they’d advance to face the winners of No. 1 seed RMHS Lobos Varsity A vs. HORNETS SSBU – A.

No. 10 Bad Decisions

• High School: Lakewood High School
• Players: Murphy Goodloe, Kayla Kuntsscher, Finn Goodloe
• Bad Decisions, the No. 10 seed in the tournament, has earned wins over No. 55 Mesa Ridge Smash and No. 23 PHS Silver Impalas so far. With a third-round victory over No. 26 Fossil Ridge Smash Bros., they would advance to Round 4 to face the  winner of No. 2 Super Smash Wolves – Blue vs. No. 18 DCHS Varsity Smash.

No. 11 Creek Smash 1

• High School: Cherry Creek High School
• Players: Lev Kryvenko, Samuel Dempsey, Harry Bunker
• Creek Smash 1 has advanced to the third round with victories over No. 54 Los Pollos Hermanos and No. 43 BHS Bulldogs Varsity Smash. A third-round victory over No. 6 SMT SMASH Bros. 1 would set the tournament’s No. 11 seed up for a match-up against the winners of No. 3 RMHS Lobos Varsity C vs. No. 19 Pueblo West Smash JV. 

No. 13 CHS Smash 1

• High School: Centaurus High School
• Players: Van Jackson, Ethan Guymon, Logan Goff
• CHS Smash 1 is the tournament’s No. 13 seed. They’ve knocked off No. 52 VISTA SMASH JV and No. 45 SCHS Smash through the first two rounds. A win over No. 29 Gold Bear Creek Smash would put them in the fourth round against the winners of No. 5 VISTA SMASH VARSITY vs. No. 21 The JFK BOM Squad.

No. 16 HORNETS SSBU – A

• High School: Pueblo County High School
• Players: Jaden Cosato, Adan Tafoya, David Tafoya
• HORNETS SSBU – A is playing as the No. 16 seed in the tournament. They’ve already logged wins over No. 49 Smash the 2nd and No. 17 Lab Rats Varsity. A win would over No. 1 seed RMHS Lobos Varisty A would place them in Round 4 against the winners of No. 8 Eaglecrest Pro vs. No. 24 Varsity Patriot Smash.

No. 18 DCHS Varsity Smash

• High School: Douglas County High School
• Players: Lea Cottle Hezzie Ortiz, Viggo Garrett
• DCHS Varsity Smash opened the tournament with a win over No. 47 Platte Valley Bronco before upsetting No. 15 Filibuster in the second round. The tournament’s No. 18 seed will face No. 2 Super Smash Wolves Black in the third round for a chance to take on the winner of No. 26 Fossil Ridge Smash Bros. vs. No. 10 Bad Decisions.

No. 19 Pueblo West Smash JV

• High School: Pueblo West High School
• Players: Rowan Corona, Bradley Johnson, Angel Coronel
• Pueblo West Smash JV earned the No. 19 seed in the tournament. With a win over No. 46 The JFK Commanders and an upset victory over No. 14 HORNETS SSBU – B, Pueblo West Smash JV will face No. 3 RMHS Lobos Varsity C in the third round. The winner will advance to Round 4 to face the winners of No. 6 SMT SMASH Bros. 1 vs. No. 11 Creek Smash 1. 

No. 21 The JFK BOM Squad

• High School: John F. Kennedy High School
• Players: Meagan Kreinbrink, Zack Cole, Lansen Jaramillo
• The JFK BOM Squad earned the No. 21 seed in the tournament. They picked up a win over No. 44 Super Smash Bears in the first round before upsetting No. 12 Saber Smash in the second round. With a second-straight upset victory, this time over No. 5 VISTA SMASH VARSITY, they’d advance to Round 4 to face the winners of No. 29 Gold Bear Creek Smash vs. No. 13 CHS Smash 1.

No. 24 Varsity Patriot Smash

• High School: George Washington High School
• Players: William Waters, Finn Squires, Jackson Withers
• Varsity Patriot Smash is the No. 24 seed in the tournament. They recorded a first-round victory over No. 41 Pagosa Springs Phantom before upsetting No. 9 Eaglecrest Smash Pro 2 in the second round. With a third-round win over No. 9 Eaglecrest Pro, they’d secure a spot in Round 4 against the winners of No. 1 seed RMHS Lobos Varsity A vs. HORNETS SSBU – A. 

No. 26 Fossil Ridge Smash Bros.

• High School: Fossil Ridge High School
• Players: Aidan Lewis, Kye Mahoney, Braden Modafferi
• Fossil Ridge is the tournament’s No. 26 seed. They beat No. 39 Squirtle Squad in the first round and then knocked off higher-seeded No. 7 Pueblo West Smash Varsity in the second round. With a Round 3 win over No. 10 Bad Decisions, they’ve advance to the fourth round to face the winner of No. 2 Super Smash Wolves Black vs. No. 18 DCHS Varsity Smash.

No. 29 Gold Bear Creek Smash

• High School: Bear Creek High School
• Players: Gwyn Kaupman, Jason Fye, Leo Ke
• Gold Bear Creek Smash entered the tournament as the No. 29 seed. They defeated No. 36 Smoky Hill Mountain in the first round and then took down No. 4 ThunderRidge Green Team in the second round. With a win over No. 13 CHS Smash 1 in Round 3, they’ve face the winners of No. 5 VISTA SMASH VARSITY vs. No. 21 The JFK BOM Squad in the fourth round. 

Mario Kart Final 8 Teams

No. 1 RMHS Lobos Varsity

• High School: Rocky Mountain High School
• Players: Cooper White, Drake Jones, Jack Ham, James Baird
• RMHS Lobos Varsity are the inaugural tournament’s No. 1 seed. They opened the tournament with a win over No. 16 WarriorKart, and will face No. 9 Mario Kart Team A in the second round. The winner will advance to Round 3 where they’ll face the winners of No. 4 Engineers vs. No. 5 ThunderHawks. 

No. 2 Falcon Awesome Go Kart

• High School: Highlands Ranch High School
• Players: Carter Rini, Landon Sosbe, Dane Killion, Jordan Dougherty
• Falcon Awesome Go Kart earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament and continue on after a win over No. 15 SparkleGurlz in the first round. They’ll face No. 7 Varsity Patriot Kart in the second round with the winner advancing to Round 3 where they’ll await the winner of No. 3 Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity vs. No. 6 RMHS Lobos JV.

No. 3 Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity

• High School: Pueblo West High School
• Players: Ayres Ritchey, Jesse Wardle, Bradley Johnson, Mason Stanley
• Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament. They opened play with a win over No. 14 Grandview Mario Kart and will face No. 6 RMHS Lobos JV in the second round. With a win, they’d advance to Round 3 to face the winners of No. 2 Falcon Awesome Go Kart vs. No. 7 Varsity Patriot Kart.

No. 4 Engineers

• High School: Power Technical Early College
• Players: Nathan Helart, Dylan Dornbusch, Shila Howell, Austin Bazzo
• The Engineers, the No. 4 seed, earned a win over No. 13 CHS Mario Kart in the first round. They’ll take on No. 5 ThunderHawks in Round 2 for a chance to face the winners of No. 1 RMHS Lobos Varsity vs. No. 9 Mario Kart Team A in Round 3.

No. 5 ThunderHawks

• High School: Ellicott Senior High School
• Players: Jorge Luna, Austinn Obrien, Alexander Bills, Marlena Henley
• The ThunderHawks knocked off No. 13 CHS MarioKart to earn the right to face the No. 4 Engineers in the second round. With a win, the fifth-ranked team would advance to the third round to face the winners of No. 1 RMHS Lobos Varsity vs. No. 9 Mario Kart Team A.

No. 6 RMHS Lobos JV

• High School: Rocky Mountain High School
• Players: Sawyer Hicks, Alyson Cathcart, Thomas Kickligher, Brennan Lyman
• RMHS Lobos JV is playing the tournament as the No. 6 seed. After a win over No. 11 Gotta Go Fast, RMHS Lobos JV will face No. 3 Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity in the second round. A win would send them to Round 3 to face the winners of No. 2 Falcon Awesome Go Kart vs. No. 7 Varsity Patriot Kart.

No. 7 Varsity Patriot Kart

• High School: George Washington High School
• Players: Christian Gonzalez, Keira Miller, William Waters, Rafael Hernandez
• Varsity Patriot Kart, the No. 7 seed in the tournament, advanced to the second round by earning a win over No. 10 Here Comes The Red Shells in the first round. With a Round 2 win over No. 2 Falcon Awesome Go Kart, they’d advance to Round 3 to face the winner of No. 3 Pueblo West Mario Kart Varsity vs. No. 6 RMHS Lobos JV.

No. 9 Mario Kart Team A

• High School: Vista Peak 9-12 Preparatory
• Players: Jayden Tandy, Matej Vesely, Maya Washington, Jermiah Little
• Mario Kart Team A entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed and earned the first upset victory in the bracket, knocking off No. 8 North Kart. They’ll go for a second-straight upset in Round 2 when they take on top-seeded RMHS Lobos Varsity. The winner of that match-up will advance to face the winners of No. 4 Engineers vs. No. 5 ThunderHawks.