Warner Makes Top-12 in NJCAAE Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Division 1 Playoffs
December 4, 2025 - - Lorain County Community College's Jerron Warner delivered a standout performance in Thursday's NJCAAE Division I National Playoffs, rallying for a dramatic five-game victory over Centralia College's Evelyn Towne to advance into the Top 12 before ultimately being eliminated later in the evening by Bryant & Stratton's Camren Mitchell.
Warner, the tournament's No. 23 seed, found himself in a battle early against Towne, the No. 21 seed. Towne struck first, taking the opening round, but Warner responded in a tight second game—clutching up with both players down to their final stock to tie the match 1–1. Towne regained the momentum with a round three win, putting Warner in a must-win situation.
Warner rose to the moment. He forced a decisive fifth game by taking round four, then closed the match in emphatic fashion with a dominant three-stock performance to cap a 3–2 comeback victory and secure a place in the Top 12.
The win advanced Warner to his next elimination-bracket matchup against Camren Mitchell of Bryant & Stratton, the No. 7 seed. Mitchell edged out a narrow round one victory with both players down to their final stock, then took round two to build a 2–0 lead. Facing elimination, Warner switched to Link from The Legend of Zelda. Despite the adjustment, Mitchell closed out the match in straight sets, eliminating Warner from the national tournament.
Warner's postseason run included victories over No. 10 seed Dominic Gonzalez (Donnelly College), No. 13 seed Dane Sidel (Highland CC), and Towne of Centralia, ultimately securing a Top-12 finish in the NJCAAE Division I Playoffs.
About CommodoreEsports:
LCCC's Esports team competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), which is divided into three competition divisions:
Division 1: The highest level of NJCAAE competition, featuring teams composed of eligible students.
Division 2: The mid-level competition, also for teams of eligible students.
Division 3: 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 divisions, 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.
Rainbow 6 Siege - a tactical, online multiplayer shooter where two teams of five compete in high-stakes scenarios like hostage rescues and bomb defusals. The game features intense, close-quarters combat within highly destructible indoor environments, forcing players to strategize using specialized "Operators" with unique skills and gadgets.
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
Chess - The classic strategy board game for two players, who each move 16 pieces of six different types across a 64-square checkered board. The objective is to checkmate the opponent's king, which occurs when the king is under attack and has no legal move to escape.