Moeller Esports Team Looks to Expand and Dominate
Mr. Gavin Gray helping the Esports guys set up their livestream broadcast
Photo by Matthew Jackson
Moeller has a rich history of great accolades in sports, but did you know Moeller High School has a competitive esports team? This is not a club, but rather a competitive team that competes against other Ohio esports teams in the following video games: Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. The team has one film session and three nights of competitive play a week.
Last year, Jack Stethem, 21’ along with Mr. Gavin Gray created the Moeller Esports team. Jack is a big gamer, and even has his own private Twitch stream. Interested in bringing a passion of his to Moeller, he approached Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray was happy to help and supplied Jack with everything he needed.
Moderator of the team Gavin Gray said, “Once we get registered for the league and set the computers up, I put a lot of control on the team captains for recruiting.” This was not easy be it that Moeller was perhaps not quite ready to support a competitive esports team. Mr. Gray worked tirelessly and helped Jack convert the Moeller ITC to an after school esports arena.
After many long hours, Jack had completed his goal of creating a Moeller esports team and leaving a legacy just as his dad did, John Stethem 86’, who created the Moeller Hockey Team. This legacy has greatly affected Jack and he believes many of his leadership skills and creativity stems from his father. Mr. Gray said, “I approached the team with a more hands-off approach” giving Jack the control of the team which Jack enjoyed and related that to his father with the hockey team.
As the team began to grow, Jack found great joy in the development, training, and leadership that is involved in running a competitive team. This was not an easy job for Jack, there is lots of preparation that goes into gaming at the highest level. Jack not only plays and handles the technical side of the team, but Jack also ensures the team has a running stream of all the games. Jack has sought out Kyler Lunsford '24 to commentate and follow the match with the online camera, “He does a great job and takes a lot of stress off my shoulders,” said Jack. Jack is also accompanied by Presten Kells, Joshua Barker, and an entourage of other seniors that make the outstanding team a reality. You can check out the Moeller Esports team play on Twitch, at twitch.tv/MoellerEsports.
The team is warming up in the ITC lab
Photo by Matthew Jackson
Jack intends on this team lasting for the rest of Moeller’s history and hopefully eventually providing a Moeller student a scholarship opportunity. The team is currently looking for someone interested in video production to help produce their Twitch live streams and help edit their videos. They are also looking for any Moeller student that plays or is interested in League of Legends. There are two seasons in the Ohio Esports League — the league they are currently competing in. One spring season and one fall season. They have played a two scrimmages so far this year and have won both! Jack encourages people to check their email and potentially sign up if they think their game play is at the next level.