The Palmetto Ridge esports program is headed to nationals. The Hawks Rocket League team finished the regional qualifying round undefeated, earning one of sixteen spots in the national junior college esports championship this December.
The program, launched just three years ago, practices in a dedicated arena in Ridgeview Commons with twelve gaming stations, a shoutcasting booth, and adaptive controllers that make competition accessible to players with physical disabilities.
People think esports is just playing games. It is film study, communication, and staying calm under pressure. These players work as hard as any team on campus.
— Darnell Pierce, Director of Athletics
Meet the roster
The starting trio includes team captain DeShawn Rivers, a computer science major and Army National Guard member; Priya Venkataraman, a cybersecurity student who moved to Cypress Landing from Chennai, India, two years ago; and Cody Lightfoot, a first-generation student from the Lumbee community studying graphic design. Substitute Alex Moreno, a 38-year-old business student and father of two, keeps the team grounded.
Several esports players also volunteer with Hawks Coding Club, helping middle schoolers in Cypress Landing build their first video games.
The team will host a send-off watch party in the esports arena before heading to nationals. Fans can follow match streams through links posted on the Hawk Portal.