Zachery Simpkins
zas004@marietta.edu
This August, the Esport teams began practicing towards the start of their season. The new first-year students finally got to meet their teammates and had their first taste of collegiate Esports. The team that had the most success was the Overwatch 2 team. Marietta’s Overwatch 2 team went 6-0 in their regular NACE (National Association of Collegiate Esports) season. This is a product of their hard work and dedication.
The roster consisted of senior Baili Matheny on support, sophomore Jeffrey Dolby on damage, sophomore Corey McFann on damage, sophomore Eric Schnegg on support, freshmen Zachery Simpkins on tank, and freshmen Jason VonFeldt on support.
The roles of everyone on the roster changed frequently during the first weeks of practice. Multiple team members were tried out in the separate roles of Overwatch 2 before the roster was set before game day. The communication between all team members is what solidified the roles.
In a game like Overwatch 2, where misplaying once in an engagement can result in losing the round, it is essential that a team is on the same page. This is why the more experienced members of the team took a gamble with the first-year student Zachery Simpkins by putting him on the tank role due to his communication skills.
The glue of the team would have to be the senior Baili Matheny. Battling through the mountain of homework he gets as a senior, he had something to teach everyone, and everyone on the team got better for it. He was the keystone in the first-year students’ development of their teamwork and skills. This is seen especially with freshmen Jason VonFeldt. Baili took Jason under his wing and showed him how to perform at his best when it came to game time. This companionship and trust of one another is what elevated the Overwatch 2 team to their undefeated status.
