After a triumphant inaugural year, Brookdale Esports is back with an electrifying lineup of games for the fall season. This season is set to have even more variety of games for the varsity teams than last year, including Valorant, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Call of Duty, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Madden NFL 25, Street Fighter 6, and additional games in the open series league with play starting in October.
The Premier Valorant team is coming into this season with many eyes on them after winning the national championship last spring. One could wonder if the players feel any pressure coming into this season; team member Dresdan Lewis doesn’t think so.
“I don’t feel much pressure, mainly because I know my teammates and I are here to win and have fun,” Lewis said. “I’ve played a lot with these guys over the past year, so we have a type of trust that we have each other’s backs both in and out of the game.”
We also spoke to Chris Boehmer, the director of the Brookdale Esports program, who said he is very excited about this season.
“Our Valorant team set high the bar in their first year. Our expectations remain high, with most of our core players returning for the Fall ’24 season. They proved they have the passion, determination and discipline to bring home consistently positive results,” Boehmer said. “I couldn’t be prouder of them. I can’t wait to get the season underway and see them return to form.”
After making a deep playoff run, the Overwatch 2 Premier team is set for their first match on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Morale is very high across the players, and a championship is unanimously on their minds.
We spoke to one of the team captains, Jack Stryker, who gave us a very in-depth look at his training and his expectations as a team. “This season, I’ve already made significant improvements on how I run the team behind the scenes… We completely reworked and overhauled how we utilize reserve players, and I’m blessed to have a powerful and flexible roster this year… We’ve been participating in the official FaceIt Overwatch League as well as the Overwatch Championship Series, and our team placed 42nd out of over 200 participating… I would be lying if I said we didn’t have a chance at a championship. I believe that our team is solid, flexible and well-rounded.”
Players entering new games for the college’s programs are also very confident in what they can accomplish for their team. “I am thrilled that Street Fighter 6 is finally happening at Brookdale,” said Street Fighter 6 player Thomas Liu. “It feels nice to be on the team. I’m excited for the matches, and I hope we set a good start for the team.”
The overall sense of dedication and strength is running rampant throughout all BCC’s Esports teams. With high morale and eyes on the trophy, the Brookdale Esports teams are set to make a splash. You can tune in to all the action on the Brookdale Esports’ Twitch page and cheer on the Jersey Blues.