Buccaneers earn Super Smash Bros, Valorant sweeps

The Blinn College esports team earned three victories in an NJCAA Esports Super Smash Bros match Wednesday.

In a trio of one-versus-one matches, the Buccaneers went 3-0.

Jaydon Flores earned a 3-0 win over Southwestern Oregon Community College to maintain his No. 1 ranking in Group 1. Flores never lost a life during his three rounds of play.

"Jaydon Flores once again put on a clinic. He nine stocked his opponent, giving him one of the cleanest victories we have had as a program," Blinn assistant Kyle Murto said. "He continues to improve every week and is already preparing for a long playoff run."

Christian Ekpenike remained tied for second place in Group 2 with a 2-1 triumph over Guilford Technical Community College.

Brett Fahrenholz earned a 3-0 win, also against Guilford Technical Community College, and is ranked first in Group 3.

"Overall, today was a really solid day for our team," Murto added. "We will look to continue to improve, as we have a couple of strong matchups next week that could give us some trouble."

In other esports action, Blinn's second-ranked Valorant team earned a 2-0 victory over Grand Valley State in a National Association of Collegiate Esports match.

Competing for the Bucs were Hayden Whitaker, Adam Laamoumi, Bruce Nguyen, Teague Morgan, and Austin Ray.

"Tonight was a solid performance from the team, and a very dominant performance on both maps as we prepare for a big weekend," Blinn head coach Aaron Kapiko said.

Up next, Blinn Valorant will battle South Puget Sound Community College at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 2. Super Smash Bros will return to action at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.