Note: I know next to nothing about Apex. Additionally, I was not able to spectate both teams for the complete length of the match. Some info may be inaccurate, as I do not have a complete perspective, and will be filling in the blanks with observations from tryouts.
PACIFIC, Missouri – In an otherwise bleak winter season for Pacific athletics (excluding wrestling), the newly-formed Apex Legends team brought victory back to the school Thursday afternoon, as varsity teams placed third and ninth in their inaugural preseason scrimmage. The match, organized by Republic, featured teams from Webb City, Fox, Lafayette County, Plattsburg, Hazelwood West, and state Overwatch runner-up Blue Springs South.
Things started out rough for the Indians, as the stream team, consisting of seniors Connor Fitzgerald and Christian Everhart, was unable to join the match and spectate, rendering them unable to stream this momentous occasion. The team intends on streaming next Tuesday’s scrimmage, however, issues may still come up.
Technical difficulties continued plaguing the new team, as freshman Coleton Bova’s game crashed, leaving freshman teammate Kyle LaFrance, playing as Lifeline, and junior Jacob Snyder, playing as Bloodhound, on their own. They would end up placing 9th, after a climactic fight against another team.
This was not the first time that Bova had faced issues with his PC. During earlier practices, similar issues occured as he played Valorant, as well as Apex. Pacific head coach Kelsey Vancil hopes to get this fixed by the time the season starts proper.
Meanwhile, the other varsity team, consisting of seniors Colton Ockleston (Loba) and Nick Johanning (Bloodhound), and sophomore Caleb DeLancey (Octane), did much better. The team frequently made use of defensive tactics, spending most of the game hiding out from other, much stronger teams. They also utilized multiple recon techniques, such as following a White Raven to an enemy squad, and using a device that reveals the location of other teams.
The Indians would be confined to the final ring, alongside 3 other squads, including both of Republic’s. Johanning and DeLancey would be struck down, but Ockleston narrowly escaped with his life. As the fourth-place team was eliminated, he would make use of defensive maneuvers, taking cover behind rocks while he healed himself.
Fully healed, Ockleston used his bow with a laser scope on it, which we believe to be the Bocek, to snipe multiple Republic players. He was able to down at least one of the Tigers, before being forced to rotate, and being killed at close range, placing the squad third overall. The two teams remaining, both from Republic, battled it out quickly to secure both the first and second spots for the Tigers.
On a school-by-school basis, this technically places the Indians in second place, outlasting both state Rocket League runner-up Fox, and the 2023 Overwatch state champions & 2024 runner-ups, the Blue Springs South Jaguars. This sets a hopeful precedent for the future, as Pacific prepares to start league play on January 9th.
When congratulated on his incredible run, Caleb Delancey thanked HBS reporter and teammate Quinn Jones, but said that the team “…needed to be a lot better aim-wise.”
Jones jokingly suggested the use of aimbot before teammate Jacob Snyder shut him down, referring to the idea as a “BAD UNETHICAL RECOMMENDATION!”
Clearly he does not know that ethics don’t matter when Union is (potentially) involved.
There is currently no officially scheduled date for the next Apex scrimmage, but HBS anticipates it to take place next Tuesday afternoon. The team hopes to successfully stream the match on their Twitch channel. Until then, stay tuned to HBS for more EXCLUSIVE coverage of Pacific eSports.
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