Following their first full season in the Iowa High School E-Sports Association last year, the success continues for the Lone Tree team, as they earned their way to the state competition. Lone Tree E-Sports competes for a state title today at Marshalltown Community College.

This year, five Lions are competing in SMITE, a game in which they captured sixth place at the state finals last spring. With 10 combined state appearances between them, seniors William Rockafellow and Dom Graap, junior Lukas Fuhrmeister, and sophomore Vaughn Judge are making their return to the big stage. They are joined this year by sophomore Carter Lisk.

The fall season saw the Lions finish third in their division. Following substate, Lone Tree held the top spot. Head coach Jessica Howard spoke with KCII about the time and effort put forth by the team. “We’re just really proud of all of our players. I know I’m immensely proud of how much work they put in and time they put in. [They put in] hours outside of school as well as hours here, constantly strategizing and working to be better versions of themselves. They do a lot of great things and they support our school really well.”

For those who would like to watch as the Lions vie for a state title, senior Weston Waldschmidt will be streaming their first match on Twitch at 9 a.m. To view the Lone Tree E-Sports team compete, click here.