The Bobcats are coming off playoff appearances in Splatoon 3 and Madden, with the school boasting two players in the top 10 in Georgia.BLAKELY, Ga. - At Early County High School’s Whitehurst Gymnasium, there is a room where a unique group of student-athletes gathers to practice.Gaming has evolved over the past years and for Georgia high schoolers. Since becoming a sanctioned sport under the Georgia High School Association a few years ago, the program has grown.
”It’s a great thing. It goes across spectrums. It does not matter if you are an athlete, if you are in shape, not in shape. It does not matter if you have money or not, everyone is on equal footing, it is about if you have the skill,” Early County Esports Coach Chris Peace said.“It is not just playing video games. That is what everybody thinks when they hear Esports and that’s how we have to explain it, it is a video game but our students do the same thing other athletes do.
The Bobcats Esports team is coming off of playoff appearances for Splatoon 3, a third person arena shooter developed by Nintendo, and Madden, an NFL simulation game developed by Electronic Arts .Coach Peace was also recognized for his effort in spreading the sport to more rural areas by PlayVS, the platform utilized by GHSA for the sport.“I just want them to get communication skills, teamwork, learn how to problem solve and work through problems.
Brandon’s younger brother, Braxton, has followed in his footsteps. He says his time on the Esports team has been meaningful. “It has helped me see like-minded people, because I would have never met any of these people if it were not for me coming here. I also would have never thought about playing it competitively, had it not been for Esports,” Braxton said.and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.