TCHS Esports Gearing Up

Courtesy of TCHS

The start of the Spring 2023 esports season at Toombs County High School is just around the corner, and the team is looking to improve on their impressive performance from the Fall 2022 season. After a State Runner- up finish in the Fall and with the popularity of esports on the rise, Toombs County High School looks to position itself as one of the premier esports programs in Georgia.

The Spring 2023 program will feature two competitive teams: one for the popular game 'Rocket League “ and one for 'Splatoon 3.' Each team will consist of three to four students who will represent the school in online competitions against other high schools in Georgia and across the United States.

Toombs County High School has offered an esports program since the program’s launch in the Fall of 2020. The school has invested in state of the art equipment and software to ensure that the teams have everything they need to compete at a high level. Additionally, all Toombs County Esports matches are livestreamed for the public to view at https://www.twitch.tv/ toombsesports.

'The start of a new esports season is an exciting time for our players,' said Tyler Corley, the program’s head coach. 'We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity to our students, and we are confident that our teams will continue to build on the success we enjoyed last season.'

One of the most exciting aspects of offering esports is that it provides students with a way to connect with their peers and form friendships. Many students have found a sense of community through esports and the program has had a positive impact on student engagement and well-being.

The Toombs County High School esports program is also seen as a way to prepare students for the future. Many colleges and universities now offer scholarships specifically for esports, and professional teams and organizations are hiring and providing career opportunities, thus, Toombs County High School wants to give students a head start in this growing field.

The Toombs County Esports team will begin practice on January 17 and the season will begin the week of January 30. Both the Rocket League and Splatoon 3 teams will be led by senior captains Adam Copeland and Tyler James.

For updates, follow and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ ToombsEsports.

for BPC with 24 points while also snagging eight boards. Terry scored 15 points while Angel McRae returned to her usual double-double ways with a 12-point and 13-rebound performance. Clay wrapped up the Lady Barons in double figures with 11 points.

Brewton-Parker dominated off the glass, outrebounding Life 5333. The Lady Barons were held to their second- lowest three-point shooting performance of the season. Defensively, BPC has held their opponents to 65 points or less 10 times this season.

Men

The Barons (4-13, 2-7 SSAC) dropped a hard-fought battle against a tough Running Eagles (13-4, 6-4 SSAC) in a 6658 defeat in the Eagles’ Nest.

Chance Hatcher opened the game with a fastbreak score off a steal and assist from Lance Smith nearly two minutes into the game before Smith boosted the Barons to a 4-1 lead at the 14:52 mark. Life leveled the score a minute later with a trey before Corey Thomas connected on a jumper to give BPC the 6-4 lead.

The Running Eagles quickly answered with a deep three to take the lead. After a layup from Smith, Life utilized the deep ball yet again to lead 10-8 with 11:47 on the clock. BPC responded with a dunk from Thomas and a lay from Aaron Udell to reclaim a two-point lead. Life produced an 11-2 run over the next three minutes of play to lead 21-15 with just over seven minutes remaining in the half.

Zailan Blue connected on a jumper to bring down the deficit to just a two-possession game, but the Running Eagles knocked down another deep ball to take an eight-point lead. Brewton- Parker moved to just four points behind the hosts with two free throws from Damarcus Johnson Jr. and a layup from Hatcher with five minutes left. The Barons closed out the final five minutes of the half with an 11-5 run to lead 31-29 at the break.

The Barons jumped out to a six-point advantage with back-to-back scores from Johnson Jr. before the Running Eagles produced two points from the charity stripe and another trey to pull within one point. Hatcher put three in the basket to give BPC a four-point edge with 15:49 on the clock, but Life remained within reach from the Barons.

After a jumper from the hosts, Brewton-Parker moved back to a two-possession lead nearly two minutes later. BPC then moved to a sixpoint advantage with Dane Fisher converting three free throws at the 11:51 mark.

Life knocked down a trey fifty seconds later, but Hatcher and Johnson Jr. gave BPC a 48-41 lead with just over nine minutes left in the game. The Running Eagles surged to a 16-2 run over the next five minutes of play to pull out to a 57-50 lead with four and a half minutes remaining. Unfortunately for Brewton-Parker, Life was able to narrowly outscore BPC 9-8 in the final minutes of the game to hold on to their advantage and secure the 66-58 win.

Brewton-Parker finished the afternoon shooting for 37.7% (23of-61) from the field, just 8.7% (2-of-23) from three, and 55.6% (10-of-18) from the charity stripe. Hatcher led the efforts for BPC with 19 points and 11 rebounds followed by Smith and Johnson Jr. with 11 points each. Defensively, both Hatcher and Smith produced three steals each with Johnson Jr. gathering two. Life held a narrow 43-40 edge on rebounds while also winning a tight 21-20 turnover battle.

Brewton-Parker produced 34 points in the paint while Life produced 20. BPC produced 12 points off turnovers while notching 11 steals on the day.