The Esports team at Valley Christian has competed in games such as Super Smash Bros and Rocket League, even winning the national title for Rocket League in 2025. So, what is the "big deal" with E-sports? Although some question the "sport", it indeed requires a motivated mentality with the grit to keep going. Super Smash Bros is a platform fighting video game where you choose a Nintendo character and battle your opponent by trying to knock each other off the stage. Rocket League is a video game that combines soccer and driving cars into one. Players work together to advance the ball down the field and score goals in their opponent's net.
 
Last year, the Valley Christian Trojans swept the competition nation-wide for Rocket League in E-Sports, taking victory with them from their hometown of Chandler, Arizona all the way to Biloxi, Mississippi. Coming off a winning season, the Trojan Rocket League team is hoping to defend their title of champion for a second year in a row. Even though the team did suffer a loss of their exceptional seniors at the end of their last season, the team this year remains an absolute powerhouse with its returning members like Chris Meier, Jackson Kuyoth, and Daniel Hammond. Also, with new substantial additions to the team like freshman, Kristoffer Sorbo and even senior wide receiver; Asher Hanzal.
 
As for the Super Smash Bros Ultimate team, with a new rule change to the format of game it's safe to say they have their work cut out. Instead of the matches being best 2 out of 3, it now must be 3-0 which essentially allows all three members of each game to go at least once. On paper this sounds like a good rule change, it allows the third player on each team to play and compete. The problem now being that not only games take longer but, say, the third player losing on the team that was leading 2-0, well now the teams have to keep playing until one of them wins 3 games, thus opening up chances for opponents to make comebacks. Nonetheless, as demonstrated by the teams above average pre-season records, this team can rise to the occasion. As stated by the varsity team captain, Mecca Brisbon "My team is full of a bunch of sponges, they absorb the information that is given in practice, they adapt from their losses and just keep getting better and better day in and day out."
 
The 2026 season comes with a new wave of Valley fever, as we're adding our most exciting game yet: Marvel Rivals. Marvel Rivals is a 6v6, team-based PvP hero shooter where players choose Marvel themed heroes and villains to fight in destructible environments. It focuses on strategic teamwork with all the characters being divided into three classes: Vanguard, Duelist and Strategist. This essentially boils down to Tank class, Damage class and Healer class to destroy enemies using combinations of specific characters' powers.

This year, the Rivals team at Valley get to start with a blank slate, and Coach Jon Hunsaker believes "[the] Marvel Rivals team has a great opportunity to compete in a new game that hasn't been done in Arizona before, I think we will be extremely competitive and will contend for a state title."
 
Considering it's the Rivals team's first year, they're already off to a strong start, winning all but one of their pre-season games. Some shining stars on the team stand out to me, including Seth Gentala, who makes up a core part of their team composition. With a tank-based hero, he allows his teammates to get damage in because of him taking most of the opposition fire. Another name to mention is Giovanni Pasqua, as he strategies for the team, coming up with battle plans, studying character technicalities, and researching opponents' statistics. All 6 players are very talented when you take into account how new the game is to the E-Sports scene, only being added to the AIA less than a year ago.

We're proud to welcome this team to the E-Sports community, and we wish them all the best in their first official season.