BPC Barons Esports Earn Program’s First National Titles
Courtesy of BPC
Brewton-Parker College Esports continues to build the foundation of a nationally recognized program after the BPC Fortnite Trio and Valorant teams earned National Championships in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) this week.
The collegiate esports scene across the country has risen in popularity and the Barons of Mount Vernon, Georgia, are no exception to the expansion of industry. Within the last few years, Brewton-Parker Esports has grown from boasting a well-regarded Rocket League squad to now having a pair of national title-earning teams in the arena.
“I’m proud of the accomplishments of each of our teams this semester, both inside and outside of our arena,” Director of Esports Adam Stanley mentioned. “These championships are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students.”
Both the Fortnite and Valorant teams are in their first semesters of official competition and already have secured hardware for the BPC Esports program. While both earned national titles this week, the two teams had completely different paths to success this season.
The Fortnite Trio came together unusually as one member joined at the start of the semester while two others shifted into the game title after competing elsewhere on campus. The trio built up to national success by disregarding their different paths and overcoming their challenges together. As for the Valorant program, success came early and remained a constant element of the team. Recruitment was strong for the game title and the individual success of each student provided a unique opportunity for a fast track to the national stage.
“At this level of competition, it is beyond simple gaming,” Stanley added. “It requires incredible amounts of discipline, communication, problem-solving, and introspection. They work so hard, and I’m overjoyed for them to receive any recognition for their efforts.”
Earlier this week, the Fortnite Trio of Sam En, Will Grant, and Kanan St. Rose battled it out in the ECAC National Playoffs after completing a grueling regular season that spanned eight weeks of competition. The trio finished the regular season in fourth out of 63 teams and grinded up the ranks in the postseason to secure the top spot.
The trio completed a three-game final series, producing a victory in the first game before slipping in a poor result in the second contest. They secured the program’s first championship in a national competition by bouncing back in the third and final installment, producing a total of 282 points for the first-place finish in the ECAC Finals.
Brewton-Parker Valorant completed the path to a national title with a much different method, showing signs of success early and not slowing down at all. The squad was brought together by Stanley with the assistance of Peter Kremer and the search of players reached the corners of the world.
“I’m honored to be part of such a hardworking project,” Kremer stated. “With Adam at the helm, it was a matter of just making sure that we were prepared and practicing higher-level concepts of the game.”
The Valorant squad is comprised of student-athletes from England, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, and Flowery Branch, Georgia. The five-man team of Sam Ellis, Alessandro Ferri, Gabrielius Jakas, Jase Parks, continued from page
and Kaspar Saare showcased their talents early by opening the regular season with an unblemished 7-0 competition record without dropping a single match in each of the best-of-three series.
After a successful regular season, the squad followed with a clean 4-0 record in postseason play en route to a national title and an invitation to the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC) May Madness. On May 3-5, BPC Valorant will have a chance to compete as one of the nation’s top collegiate Valorant teams against the best of the best.
“The boys all performed over expectation, not just in this best-of-five series, but throughout the season,” Kremer added. “I know I can say with my chest, we’re just getting started.”
BPC Valorant will be the second team in program history to earn the honor of playing in CECC May Madness. Last season, the Rocket League Premier team traveled to Texas to compete on the national stage in the LAN event.
If you’d like to join the BPC Esports program, or for more information, please reach out to Coach Stanley via email at astanley@bpc. edu.
