Esports: Super Smash Bros. Qualifiers Determined for In-Person Round of 16
AURORA – All 16 teams advancing teams for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have secured a place in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Spring Esports State Championships Round of 16. All eight games will be played in person at Localhost on Thursday, April 30.
Three teams ranked outside of the top 16 advanced to the in-person portion of the tournament, as No. 25 Thunderhawks WT (Prairie View) defeated No. 40 Pueblo West Smash Varsity (Pueblo West), 3-0, in the first round before knocking off eighth-seeded NHS Nighthawks and Awe (Northfield)), 3-1, in the second round. No. 23 Creek Smash A (Cherry Creek) also secured an in-person appearance, as it swept No. 42 Alpha Falcon (Falcon), 3-0, before upsetting No. 10 DCCHS SSBU 1 (Discovery Canyon), 3-1, in the second round. No. 18 North Smash A (Denver North) clinched its spot in the Round of 16 by sweeping No. 47 Fossil Ridge Varsity Smash Bros. (Fossil Ridge), 3-0, in the first round and then downing No. 15 Gladiators SSBU V (Widefield), 3-1, in the second round.
Each of the top-seven seeds held and advanced to the Round of 16.
No. 1 Kadet Smash Bros (Air Academy) swept its way to the in-person portion, defeating No. 64 BHS Smashers (Broomfield) and then AWEST Odin (Arvada West), while No. 2 Ban Hanenbow (Valor Christian) used a pair of 3-1 victories over No. 63 Denver South Ravens (Denver South) and No. 34 Royal (Legend) to advance. No. 3 DCHS Varsity Smash (Douglas County) swept No. 62 DMLK Super Smash Bros (MLK Jr. Early College), 3-0, before earning a 3-1 win over No. 35 Lancer Esports (Abraham Lincoln) in the second round.
No. 4 Super Smash Wolves Black (Grandview) and No. 5 LHS Varsity A Regret Squad (Lakewood) each picked up a pair of 3-0 victories, with Grandview first defeating No. 61 WG Smash Team A (Denver West) and then No. 36 King Falcons (Highlands Ranch), while Lakewood took down No. 60 RHS Smash Apex (Rampart) and No. 28 ERA Warriors Super Smash Varsity (Eagle Ridge).
No. 6 Cherokee Trail Varsity (Cherokee Trail) followed up a sweep of No. 59 Del Norte Ultimate Tigers (Del Norte) in the first round with a 3-1 win over No. 27 Overland Blazers Smash Varsity (Overland), while No. 7 Patriot Smash 1 (George Washington) picked up a pair of 3-0 victories, first over No. 58 VRHS Smash 2 (Vista Ridge) and then over No. 39 FCHS Smash A (Fort Collins).
No. 9 HORNETS SSBU – A (Pueblo County) will be joining the in-person action after recording a 3-0 win over No. 56 Comrade Crunch (Conifer) and a 3-1 victory over No. 24 Chaparral Smash Varsity (Chaparral). No. 11 RMHS Lobos Varsity (Rocky Mountain) defeated No. 54 Royal Flush (Smoky Hill), 3-0, and No. 22 Mountain Lions (Mountain View), 3-1, to advance to the Round of 16, while No. 12 ACHS Black (Aurora Central) capitalized on a 3-0 win over No. 53 Raptors (DSST: Green Valley Ranch) and a 3-1 victory over No. 21 BHS Bulldogs Smash (Brighton) to move to the in-person play portion.
No. 13 Arrupe Generals 1 (Arrupe Jesuit) eased past No. 52 E Wolves Smash 1 (Loveland) in the first round, picking up a 3-0 victory, but was narrowly able to escape the upset bid by No. 20 Bulldogs Red (Arvada) in the second round, as it advanced with a 3-2 victory.
No. 14 EHS SmEsh Squad (Denver East) was put to the test in the first round, but ultimately got past No. 51 Jefferson High School (Jefferson), 3-2, before sweeping No. 46 Smash Team Varsity (Vista Peak Prep) in the second round. No. 16 Dayspring Eagles (Dayspring Christian) is the final team to clinch an in-person spot for the Round of 16 as it swept No. 49 WMH SSMB (Wellington), 3-0, in the first round and then knocked off No. 17 Vista Secondary Smash (Mountain Vista), 3-1, in the second round.
All Round of 16 matches will be played in person at Localhost on Thursday, April 30. Play will begin at 9 a.m., with the quarterfinal round set for 10:30 a.m., the semifinals at noon and the finals at 1:30 p.m.
No. 1 Kadet Smash Bros (Air Academy)
David Basanez, Creed Anderson, James Phelps
No. 2 Ban Hanenbow (Valor Christian)
Graydon Bay, Logan Pribble, Ryan Barone
No. 3 DCHS Varsity Smash (Douglas County)
Dean Martinez, Ava Smith, Lucien Addler
No. 4 Super Smash Wolves Black (Grandview)
Gabe Arciniegas, Ethan Campbell, Jonathan Bannoura
No. 5 LHS Varisty A Regret Squad (Lakewood)
Murphy Goodloe, Ryne Wingard, Alex Kuntscher
No. 6 Cherokee Trail Varsity (Cherokee Trail)
Max Drexler-Valdez, Brody Riley, Kalel Colon
No. 7 Patriot Smash 1 (George Washington)
Taveon Williams, Lucas Newlove, Gael Emiliano Saldaña Roa
No. 9 HORNETS SSBU – A (Pueblo County)
Jaden Cosato, Trent Knox, Zakary Alekzandr Santiago
No. 11 RMHS Lobos Varsity (Rocky Mountain)
Henry Mogonye, Corbin Magee, Elliott Fitz
No. 12 ACHS Black (Aurora Central)
Jose Estrada, Polo Duran, Salomon Arellano
No. 13 Arrupe Generals 1 (Arrupe Jesuit)
Jeffery Valenzuela, Uriel Lamas, Ulisses Martinez
No. 14 EHS SmEsh Squad (Denver East)
Landon Frashure, London Pollard, Asher Boyce
No. 16 Dayspring Eagles (Dayspring Christian)
Drew Moody, Nathan Ruff, Zachariah Ruff
No. 18 North Smash A (Denver North)
Lorenzo Romero, Jin Urbina, DeAndre Rivera-Rodgers
No. 23 Creek Smash A (Cherry Creek)
Anpetu Chrisjohn, Holden MacDonald, Levin Vang
No. 25 Thunderhawks WT (Prairie View)
Sarah Roundhouse, Connie CerLee, Rebecca Robinson
