SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The "Super Smash Bros." video game series may bring up feelings of nostalgia and competitive fun from one's childhood.
But for the Northview High School esports team, it means business.
“It’s like the drive of winning and doing well in these tournaments that helped improve me and my characters," said team member Gavin Mack, a Northview senior.
With around 80 characters to choose from in the game, every team member must know how to defeat each one individually, which is something Mack does exceptionally well.
"Throughout last year he got so much better, especially outside of practice, whether it be playing online with friends or in tournaments," said assistant coach Nathaniel Long. "Every time he sits down he just seems so composed, ready to play, ready to be there in the moment and that really helps the rest of the team come together behind or before him knowing that he can be a consistent member of the team during the matches."
That composure helped bring Northview back to a state appearance this past weekend. The team made it to the state tournament last year but fell short of the championship. This time, they made a point to return home with hardware from
"I remember last year, specifically during regionals, I was just nervous because Northview had never been to something like that," Long said. “This year Gavin was able to, with a little bit of help from the rest of the team, take out an entire team in our first round of quarterfinals."
Mack said he did not know what to expect on the first day of the state tournament but got in the groove after their first match win.
“I was just looking to beat most of the players and take as many stocks as possible and just set up a good lead for the rest of our team," he said.
"Stocks" is the term used for how many lives a character has in "Smash Bros."
"It felt pretty good because I put so many hours into the game and time from online," Mack said. "It was fun."
Mack is looking at potentially playing competitive "Smash Bros." in college, too, and will be taking the great times his high school team created with him.
“Him being the oldest guy in the room and kind of being our rock, I think that it’s going to be a challenge next year without him, I really do," Long said. "I think he was such a stable member of our cast and there’s not going to be as many kids that can fill his role the way he can, both from his experience and from his personality. So I’m a little bit worried but I’m hopeful we can continue.”