Esports: Raiders Win National Championship

Central Community College won its first team national championship as the esports Call of Duty: 4x4 squad defeated Blinn (Tex.) College, 3-1, on Tuesday night.

Team members were Ethan Bryant, Jackson Peabody, Caleb Smith and Ayden Veik. Bryant (not pictured) and Smith (pictured right) are based on the Hastings Campus while Peabody (pictured left) and Veik (pictured second from right) are based on the Columbus Campus.

The Raiders took the first map of the match for a 1-0 lead before the Buccaneers evened the best-of-five series, 1-1, with a victory in the second map. CCC bounced back with a dominant 3-0 performance on the Karachi Control map. The Raiders won the national title with a commanding 250-143 win in the fourth map. However, Smith said despite the comfortable lead in the final map, he still felt uneasy.

"I was nervous the entire time," said Smith. "There was so much on the line. I know everybody was at the watch party and I was thinking about them watching me."

CCC head coach Lucas Lumbra (pictured second from left) applauded his team for strong performances on the respawn modes and earning a 6 Star Hardpoint in the decisive map.

"This win was truly indicative of all the time and effort the group put in throughout the last several months," said Lumbra. "The players deserve so much credit, especially Jackson and Ayden, who have been with the team for two full years. We will savor this win and we truly hope that it is only the start of more incredible results to come."

CCC esports has two more chances this week to win national championships. On Thursday, the Call of Duty: Cold War Gunfight (2x2) squad will battle Iowa Western Community College at 5 p.m. On Friday, the Call of Duty: 2x2 Warzone team will take Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College at 5 p.m. Both national championship meetings can be seen on Twitch TV.