E-Sports team excels in Minecraft, chess

The Sandpoint High School E-Sports club started its season in mid-February and has been competing in Minecraft and Rocket League.

Nicholas Weisgram, Gavan Miles, and Robert Newsom, makeup Sandpoint’s Rocket League team.

The team has struggled this year, according to club advisor Dalton Hawkins.

“They haven’t been doing too great,” Hawkins said. “(Robert) Newsom had wrestling so that gave the team a bit of a late start. Track also started, which makes it difficult for the kids to compete.”

Minecraft is where the Bulldogs excel. It plays “survival games” inside the Minecraft servers. The game is based on The Hunger Games. It’s a 20-person player vs player game where they collect random loot and compete to be the last person standing.

“It’s super random,” Hawkins said. “You can search a chest and come out with a sword and some armor, or you can pull out a snowball and a chicken.”

The game has already received several critiques for its random loot throughout the first half of the season.

“It goes off an RNG (random number generator) which isn’t a great indicator of skill,” Hawkins said. “It is helpful with strategy because you need to know when to hide and when to come out and get eliminations.”

The players get rewarded points throughout the season based on how well they do in-game. Every time a player reaches the top 10, they receive a point. Each elimination a player gets in-game, results in two points..

Junior Shirley Kin is the captain of the Minecraft team. Her strategy and knowledge has helped develop the other players.

The Bulldogs are at the mid-way point of their season, and according to Hawkins, there is still room for improvement, but the kids are having a great time.

“They’re out here getting player interactions and that’s really what this club is about,” Hawkins said. “We’re starting to have a group of kids that are committed, which also helps.”

The last leg to the Bulldogs’ competitive lineup is junior Elliott Lowman.

Lowman plays virtual chess for the Bulldogs.

Lowman recently placed second at chess regionals and will be competing in the state chess competition next weekend.

Sandpoint has made it to the national playoffs every year since the program began five years ago.

Hawkins said that streak may come to an end this year.

“I’m hopeful we can get back there, but I’m not too confident,” Hawkins said. “Sherily has been playing extremely well and can make it.