RAYMOND – Seven members of the «Ӱҵ esports team begin playoff competition Tuesday with an eye toward a championship.
Taking their gaming controllers in Smash Ultimate, the crossover fighting game series, their records this season and their playoff seed, are:
- Iquez Common, of Jackson, 9-0, 11
- Rashaan Dennie, of Jackson, 7-2, 34
- Jalen Haymer, of Jackson, 7-2, 42
- Glendon Jeffery, of Jackson, 6-3, 62
- Timothy Riggs, of Jackson, 7-2, 48
- Karvin Wade, of Greenville, 9-0, 4
- Mordecai Wilson, of Port Gibson, 7-2, 57
Competition takes place on the Generation Esports gaming platform and features 64 players from colleges nationwide.
Players are stoked heading into playoff competition.
“There’s an adrenaline rush that comes from knowing you might possibly lose a match,” Wade said, adding he plans to pursue a career in video game design after he earns his «Ӱҵ degree. “I get really fired up while playing.”
Haymer enters the tournament as a veteran of playing older-generation games, such as Donkey Kong, and has big plans after «Ӱҵ.
“I’m studying chemistry and plan to go into being a pharmacist,” he said. “I enjoy helping people and will enjoy learning to mix medicine.”