Stay Plugged In recruiting specialist, Nick Suarez, spoke with the coach Jonathan Large at Early College Academy to learn more about their esports program. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Early College Academy (ECA) is an early college APS magnet high school that focuses on a personalized college and career-readiness learning experience. The school began its esports program two years ago and has approximately 20 students participating. Large has been coaching the team for the past eight months and shared that even though ECA is a small school, they are able to compete against larger schools and even some universities.
ECA’s esports program currently includes three varsity teams and two junior varsity teams with players competing in Rocket League, Smash Ultimate, and League of Legends through PlayVs and HSEL.
The team consists of players of all skill levels and considers itself the underdog as they do not currently have the proper facilities to accommodate their esports team. Large noted that the school is undergoing renovations and hopefully the team will be able to gain an esports lab. Nonetheless, the students are excited about competing in esports and have worked hard to level up their gaming skills.
Coach Large mentioned a few players who have really helped the team find success. One player who goes by the gamertag StoicMuffin is ranked grand champion in Rocket League and competes on the varsity team; he is a balanced player who knows how to set up his teammates to score.
Another player who goes by the gamertag Malignant Intent is a Diamond Mid Lander on the League of Legends team. He joined this year as a freshman and has shown great potential for esports.
Among ECA’s top competitors are Albuquerque Academy High School, Covina High School, the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of New Mexico, and New Mexico State University. The team is currently preparing for playoffs for both PlayVs and HSEL and expects to compete against some of the aforementioned rivals as they strive for the championship title.
Stay up to date with the latest high school esports news by following Stay Plugged In on social media. Plus, check out ECA’s website for additional information about their esports program.