Esports Competes In Central Ohio Smash Tournament in Columbus
June 4, 2025 - - Despite being in the midst of their summer offseason, Lorain County Community College's Esports program competed in the Central Ohio Smash Tournament held at the Game Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on May 31 and June 1, 2025. Four players represented the Commodores across multiple rounds of 1v1 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate action. The tournament featured a total of 110 competitors.
Robert Rogers (Lorain, Ohio/Clearview HS), competing as Yashi, was the only Commodore to advance beyond the first round in the winners bracket, securing a dominant 3-0 victory to start the event. He then fell 1-3 in the Winners Quarterfinal but bounced back with a 3-1 win in the second round of the elimination bracket. Yashi's tournament concluded in elimination round three after a narrow 2-3 loss.
James O'Reilly (North Ridgeville, Ohio/North Ridgeville HS), a.k.a. DMG, dropped his opening set 0-3 and was eliminated after falling 0-3 again in the first round of the elimination bracket. Jason Thomas (Lorain, Ohio/Clearview HS), competing as NSPG, met a similar fate, suffering a 0-3 loss in the opening round and another 0-3 defeat in the elimination bracket.
Colby Cabrera (Amherst, Ohio/Marion L. Steele HS), playing under the tag GG, found his stride in the elimination bracket after a 0-3 loss in the opening round. Cabrera battled through a tense first round of elimination, which came down to game five's last stock and final hit, clinching the 3-2 victory. He continued his momentum in elimination round two, again winning a five-game set that included a clutch finish in game three and a strong performance in the deciding game. Cabrera's run ended in elimination round three with a 0-3 loss, closing out his tournament on Pokémon Stadium 2.
About CommodoreEsports:
LCCC's Esports team competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), which is divided into three competition tiers:
Tier 1 – Premier Series (PS): The highest level of NJCAAE competition, featuring teams composed of eligible students.
Tier 2 – Contender Series (CS): The mid-level competition, also for teams of eligible students.
Tier 3 – Open Series (OS): The most accessible level, open to participants who do not have to meet student eligibility requirements but must be associated with LCCC.
The NJCAAE has two seasons: fall (September–December) and spring (February–April). Both seasons last seven weeks before the postseason begins. LCCC has players competing across all three tiers, and full-time students can choose to participate in any tier.
Games LCCC Esports Competes or has competed in:
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – A fighting game featuring characters from the Nintendo universe, played on the Nintendo Switch. Players can compete in 1v1 best-of-five matches or Crew Battle, a 3v3 elimination-style format.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – A racing game featuring Nintendo characters, also played on the Nintendo Switch.
Valorant – A PC first-person shooter where teams of five compete in a best-of-three format. One team attempts to plant and detonate a spike, while the opposing team tries to defuse it.
Overwatch 2 – Another first-person shooter, in which teams compete using unique hero characters.
Fortnite – LCCC began competing in this battle royale game in 2024.
Marvel Rivals – A 6v6 third-person shooter featuring characters from the Marvel Universe, with LCCC set to begin competition in spring 2025.
Madden – A football simulation game.
Tekken & Street Fighter – Both hand-to-hand combat fighting games.
Hearthstone - Building upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series, a turn-based card game between two opponents, using constructed decks of 30 cards along with a selected hero with a unique power.
Call of Duty: Warzone - Battle royale style first-person shooter game
For more information on LCCC Athletics, visit athletics.lorainccc.edu.