Avon Grove esports team members and their coach (left to right): Liam Breslin, Dan Ciccone, Charles Nattress and Coach Pizzini, accepting first-place honors at the PA Rocket League Championships.
The Avon Grove Red Devil’s esports team recently won the 2022 PA State Championship for Rocket League, surpassing more than 140 teams and going undefeated for the entire 2022 season.
Avon Grove team members Liam Breslin, Daniel Ciccone and Charles Nattress, along with their coach, Ronald (RJ) Pizzini, traveled to Pittsburgh on December 17, 2022, for the final two matches of the postseason — unseating the two-year reigning champion, North Catholic High School, to take home the win.
In addition to the trophy that will be placed in the Avon Grove High School trophy cabinet, the team won $1,250 for their esports club and all three players received scholarship offers to Robert Morris University. Nattress, the team captain, was also awarded an additional monetary award for being the MVP of the final match.
Coach Pizzini watched the Red Devils accomplish great goals this season. “It was really rewarding to see all of the players’ hard work from throughout the season pay off. It is beyond cool to see the growth of esports in Pennsylvania and across the country. We’re hoping that we have more and more opportunities to compete against other schools as esports continues to grow,” Pizzini stated.
Coach Pizzini added, “An increasing number of universities are offering esports scholarships, and our students have very real pathways to pursue video games as a career.”
During the competition, students in attendance had the opportunity to learn about career options in the broader industry of gaming and esports and were also able to connect with various organizations that support esports.
The Avon Grove Red Devil’s esports team has been invited to Harrisburg to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Senate. An “esports day” is currently being planned and the Avon Grove esports team will be heading there to be recognized on that special day.
To learn more about Avon Grove High School’s activities and clubs, visit: https://www.avongrove.org/schools/high-school/hs-activities-clubs
