Detroit Catholic Central High School's Esports Team, the Shamrocks, triumphed at the 2024 PlayVS Cup National Championship for Rocket League, held virtually on June 6. The Shamrocks faced off against Putnam Science Academy from Connecticut in an intense best-of-seven series, ultimately securing victory with a 4-1 final score.

Unique among high school sporting events, the championship featured a total purse of $7,500 in scholarship money. With their first-place win, the Shamrocks claimed the top prize of $4,500, translating to $1,500 for each player. The thrilling match series saw the Shamrocks deliver outstanding performances:

• Game 1: 3-2 (OT) Shamrocks Win

• Game 2: 6-5 Putnam Wins

• Game 3: 4-1 Shamrocks Win

• Game 4: 5-1 Shamrocks Win

• Game 5: 3-2 (OT) Shamrocks Win

The winning roster included senior Jacob "Ka-Chow" Bennett, senior Marcus "Sewshi" Vlad, and sophomore Zac "Aliotic" Mentzer. The group demonstrated exceptional teamwork, with 17 of their 21 goals being assisted.

"I am incredibly proud of these guys and the work they put in this year. In the face of adversity, they never gave up and kept training. They have paved the way and set the standard for future generations of Shamrocks,” said Coach Stephen Juncaj ‘18.

The team qualified for the National Championship by winning the 2024 Spring Michigan High School Esports League State Championship, held at Oakland University, with a 4-2 victory over Linden High School. The Shamrocks beat out 2,324 other Rocket League teams across the nation, knocking off the following teams from the 64-team national bracket:

• Fort Collins, CO 4-0 Win

• Jordan, UT 4-1 Win

• Benjamin Franklin, CA 4-3 Win (OT Game 7)

• Bob Jones, AL 4-2 Win

Catholic Central’s team, which struggled in the fall to even place within the top four of the state, improved massively within the final weeks of the Spring season, ultimately culminating in the school’s first Esports National Championship.

A replay of the championship match can be viewed on the PlayVS YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@PlayVS/streams. 

For more information, please visit DCCShamrocks.net.