LAKEVILLE - The LaVille eSports club is set to begin the 2025-26 season. Co-coaches Scott Shafer and Matt Walter are back to help guide the Lancers. "This is the fourth year of the eSports Club and we have one of the largest rosters yet," said Shafer.  "We have 12 players this season and hope to start fundraising to buy new equipment and system repairs. During our tenure as coaches, we've noticed the immediate benefits of increased confidence, problem solving skills, teamwork and comradery among the players to name a few. It also gives students that may not otherwise have after-school activities a place to participate and enjoy the company and competitive environment." According to Shafer, LaVille will have a couple of single-player events, plus team games, as well. "We have two games that are single player - Chess and Tetr.io - that Caden (Christy) and Ayden (Butts) are participating in," noted Shafer. "For the team games, we have Overwatch 2, Rocket League, and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. They all compete in IHSEN - the Indiana High School Esports Network. It's a 100% volunteer-driven, educator led, free to students collective of over 150 school districts across the state. There are two seasons per year, fall and spring, each with a first and second split. This helps schools with differing calendars have as few scheduling conflicts as possible. After both regular seasons are over, each team with enough playoff points compete at the State Finals each April." Shafer also pointed out that the large freshman class pushes the Lancers depth as the eSports Club overall numbers to new heights. "This year we are establishing a new roster of freshmen that will help carry the LaVille flag to victory," concluded Shafer.  "All rosters are currently in club status with the exception of Chess and Tetr.io. We are working toward varsity as the seasons progress with hopes of having a solid core of players in their respective games. Only teams that are varsity have their match points qualify for playoffs." A big highlight from a year ago played out in the chess division.  Freshman Caden Christy worked his way through the regular season and state tournament and left Muncie, Indiana back to Lakeville with a state championship. "I really got interested in eSports when my brother, Colin, was in it," said Christy. "He played Super Smash Bros. for a couple of years. Sometimes, I would watch him and the team play. I decided that I wanted to play eSports. When I got into high school, I realized that I could play chess, so I decided I wanted to do that over Super Smash Bros. I played chess last year, and I am playing it this year." When we asked Caden a little more about chess, he said, "The eSports season lasts all year, but there are two separate seasons -Fall season and Spring season. After that, there are the playoffs and a state tournament. I hope to win the entire competition, just like last year. If the Lord wills it, I will win!" In the Spring of 2025, Christy claimed the 2025 eSports Network state championship, retaining his number one ranking and taking wins over both his opponents over the April 27 weekend on the campus of Ball State University. Christy defeated his opening round opponent from Knightstown High School 3-0 and took the final over his opponent from Michigan City 3-0-1. Christy lost just one match in the fall and spring season, playing the Swiss format that pairs competitors based on previous performance. He begins the 2025-26 eSports chess season as the #1 player in Indiana. Here's a list of the LaVille students rostered this year: Joseph Bracken - Freshman - Overwatch/Rocket League Ayden Butts - Freshman - Tetr.io Caden Christy - Sophomore - Chess/Tetr.io Noah Keen - Freshman - Overwatch/Rocket League Levi Kelly - Freshman - SSBU Logan Kennedy - Junior - SSBU Gage Lett - Freshman - Overwatch Isiah Marsh - Freshman - Overwatch/Rocket League/SSBU Ricky Neff - Junior - SSBU Jonathan Hernandez-Ortiz - Freshman - Rocket League Donovan Palmer - Freshman - Overwatch Tristan Sherk - Freshman - Overwatch Stay tuned as we follow LaVille eSports along this season.