CNSTC: February 10, 2021

Area high schools compete in the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation which brings video gamers together to battle for school pride

College scholarships, professional contracts, sold out arenas; what was once limited to ball and stick sports has filtered into video gaming, the bane of most teenage parents.

The fastest growing sport in the world is esports, with millions of players and billions of dollars at stake. At the high school level, interest is growing at fervent clip and St. Charles County boasts the envy of the region.

Francis Howell Central High School captured the inaugural Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation Overwatch state championship

over Christian Brothers College High School in January. The championship was the culmination of MOSEF’s inaugural season for two separate games, Overwatch and Rocket League. An eight-game regular season was played to seed the top eight teams in the state. Howell Central lost only once all season and CBC esports director Jim Brockman told STLToday.com that Howell Central is the program everyone wants to emulate.

Eports is competitive video game playing and many games, each with its own format and team structure. Overwatch is a game

that puts two teams of six players against each other to complete objectives. Howell Central players included Cooper Raubach (captain), Ethan Mitchell (captain), Ethan Montgomery, Alex Keagy, Josh Green and Zach Buchholz. Subs were Gideon Masters and Caelen Hellmann. Among other games Howell Central has teams for include Smash Bros: Ultimate, League of Legends, Rainbow 6 and Valorant.

MOSEF went from nine high schools in 2019 to 50. Eighty schools are expected

to compete next year. Miller and Howell Central have been around since day one.

Kris Miller is the FHC esports sponsor. Miller brainstormed ways to make a team and the first squad was put together via word of mouth. By the second year, word had spread.

“That first year, we were reluctant to do too much and limited ourselves to two games,” Miller said. “Last year, we played eight games and had 80 kids. This year, we pulled it back to six games and 50 active players. So many wanted to play, but we didn’t have the support.”

This spring, MOSEF will put together another slate of games and tournaments for teams to compete in. In the future, the league is looking forward to building community rivalries and in-person competition with fans in the stands, once COVID-19

restrictions are lifted. In the immediate, Miller and Howell Central are turning its attention to a national competition this month.

“A lot of these kids haven’t played sports for the school before,” Miller said. “This is an engagement they haven’t had before as far as being a proud part of the school.”

With the addition of more competitors, more funding for assistance and as technology continues to expand, you can expect esports to notch its place in the livelihood of future high schoolers.

“I don’t see it slowing down,” Miller said. “With the growth in college and in the pros, I see esports picking up more support and it will gain a foothold as another run of the mill sport on campus alongside volleyball, soccer, and things of that nature.”

By Brett Auten