Each of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s esports teams had a bye in Week 5 as they were off for spring break. They returned to action this week. With only two weeks left in the regular season, teams are starting to earn playoff qualifications, leaving fewer spots available for the rest of the field.
League of Legends
Kenai Central fell to Mt. Edgecumbe High School with a final score of 2-1. The Kardinals are 3-3 and fifth in the league. The top three teams, Mat-Su Central School, Lathrop High School and Mt. Edgecumbe, have secured playoff berths, leaving only one slot open. Kenai will have to contend with fourth-ranked Mat-Su Central Team 2 and sixth-ranked Galena City School District for the final opportunity.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A match between Kenai Central Team 1 and Nikiski Middle/High School was rescheduled for Monday. They are ranked third and fourth in the league, respectively.
Kenai 2, featuring Blake Gillis, Eli Castro and Kai Adkins, swept Chugiak High School 2 to rise to 5-1 and second in the league, behind only Chugiak 1.
Kenai 3 was swept by Service High School, falling to 3-3 and 17th.
Kenai 4 swept Seward High School, rising to 4-2 and 11th, and sending the Seahawks down to 3-3 and 18th.
Soldotna High School swept Andrew K. Demoski School, its first win of the season. The Stars rise to 2-4 — their other win being last week’s bye — and 24th in the league.
For Smash, the top 16 teams will qualify for the playoffs. Nikiski, despite sitting at fourth by record, is the first team to qualify for the playoffs by its nearly perfect game record — Taisei Horiyasu, Levi Kimbell and Lincoln Kimbell have given up only a single point. None of the other teams have secured a berth, even those who are ranked above Nikiski.
Rocket League
Soldotna’s match against Steller Secondary School was rescheduled for Tuesday.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Kenai Central fell 2-0 to the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science, falling to 4-2 and sixth in the Coastal Region.
Nikiski swept Andrew K. Demoski School, rising to 3-3 and 12th in the region.
Madden NFL 23
Kenai Central’s Marcus Wong was swept by Samuel Molina of Bishop Mora Salesian High School. He falls to 3-3 and 22nd in the Pacific Region.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
