UM's esports team. Photo by Carter James. By M.K. Bryant, News editor
The University of Montevallo’s Esports’ Rocket League and Smash teams participated in the Peach Belt Conference playoffs, lasting from Oct. 27-28.
Montevallo Esports’ Rocket League team entered the championship as the number one seed for the first time. This followed an undefeated season of 8-0. The team defeated some of their strongest opponents, including the University of Alabama and Auburn University, in scrimmages leading up to the championships.
UM beat both teams that they were put up against during day one of the playoffs, including the team from Florida Southern College, where former UM Esports head coach Brandon Parramore now coaches. At the start of day two, however, UM’s team lost against Converse University. Later in the day, they had a rematch with Florida Southern.
“They made an impressive losers’ bracket run and ended up taking that momentum into our match, where we couldn’t quite pull ourselves back together,” said Ethan Baggett, UM’s head esports coach.
The students that played for the Rocket League team were Daultyn Bradley, Daylon Drews and Nate Smith.
“Daultyn and Daylon had played together the previous semester, but Nate was an incoming freshman who was new to the collegiate esports scene. Nate showed that he had what it takes, and the trio, despite their differences and against all odds, banded together for an incredible run against the entire Peach Belt Conference,” said Baggett.
This concluded the Rocket League portion of the competition, where the team ultimately won third place in the tournament.
“Rocket League had an incredible season—record setting for UM Esports,” Baggett said.
Baggett said that he has no doubts that, next year, a championship win is possible for the Rocket League team.
“Meanwhile, the Smash crew, who compete individually, were cleaning out the bracket until it came down to only the three UM players,” Baggett said.
The UM team, consisting of Angel Martinez, DeAundre Phelps and Darius Allen, ended up winning first, second and third place in the tournament, with Martinez taking the lead.
M.K. Bryant is a contributing journalist for The Alabamian. She’s majoring in mass communication with a concentration in multimedia journalism, and she’s double-minoring in theatre and creative writing. When she’s not busy watering her plants or writing, M.K. can probably be found wandering around an art museum or a library.
