I t may be hard to believe this based on the amount of success the program has attained, but esports at Gilbert High School really is still in its infancy. Yes, the Tigers have become a state tournament mainstay across differ- ent game titles, and yet this is only the fourth full year the program has existed. And what has been the secret to all of the success, which includes back-to-back spring season Mario Kart state cham- pionships? The first thing that comes to mind is an outstand- ing class of gamers that made Gilbert competitive and successful across all of the titles. Names like Miles Britt, Carter Hodgen, and Evan and Ian Larwick put the Gilbert program on the map. It was a special class and, in many ways, they will be known as the godfathers of the program. That fact is not lost on Jason Chung, who is the head coach of the Tigers’ fall Super Smash Bros team. “That group definitely put the program on their shoulders in a lot of ways and they will be missed,” Chung said of the group that graduated this past May. “They were the leaders even when they were underclassmen, and as seniors (last year), they ran everything. They had all of the ins and outs of the game better than I probably ever will, which is why some of those guys are now going to college to play.” Mario Kart was where that class truly hung its hat, but it was pretty good at Super Smash Bros too. In each of the three years in which it has played the game, Gilbert has reached the state tournament. Now in year No. 4, Chung knows this will be a bit of a re- invention of his team. With so many holes to plug, there will be new faces in the lineup and that has him excited. “We graduated eight players with varsity experience, so we have giant shoes to fill,” Chung said. “But that pushes me as a coach, and this group has already shown some growth (during the first week of practice). We have a lot of kids who can be competitive.” Gilbert’s Super Smash Bros team includes 12 players,
highlighted by senior captains Sam Ellingson and Jackson Riesselman, both of whom are plenty familiar with the varsity level. Ellingson was one of the Tigers’ top players a season ago and he will be the leader of this team, both in his gaming ability and the positive attitude he brings around his team- mates. “We’re going to rely on (Ellingson and Riesselman) a lot,” Chung said. “They have a lot of experience with this game and they understand a lot of the nuances of the game. Only when you play the game are you experiencing what the game designers made the game into. Those guys have done the research, they know what happens when you press a button one too many times and things like that. They’ve al- ready stepped up a lot too. They’ve made the new players feel welcome, so I’m proud of them and I’m confident that I have two strong leaders there." As for the rest of the lineup, Chung says that will all play out during the early portion of the season. With so many new faces, it’s going to take him a while to understand his players’ strengths and weaknesses. “Everybody else will be able to fill in the gaps where they can,” Chung said. Continuing Gilbert’s streak of reaching the state tournament is an obvious goal, but Chung isn’t about to put that pressure on his young group of players. He’s just proud of the program and the trajectory it has taken in such a short time. “For me, this has been a great opportunity because I never thought I would be able to share my passion of gaming with my students,” he said. “The opportunities that Gilbert gives the kids is amazing. In a district this size, I’m shocked at how often a kid wants to do something and they can, and esports is a part of that. This has given our kids opportunities in a field they didn’t even know existed. These kids have scholar- ships from esports, they have a career path from esports. The special part is those connections they get that they may not get in any other area.” The program truly has been a gift to the students. And all of that success? That’s just a bonus.
FALL 2025 | GAME ON 71
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