As I walk into the library on Wednesday afternoon, the atmosphere is hushed and tense. Today, the Littleton High School E-Sports team faces off against Andover, in the first match of the season.
They are playing the popular video game Super Smash Bros, in which players use a variety of characters to fight each other in an arena. Newly appointed Varsity Captain Brian Beltrami is optimistic about the upcoming battle -- I ask him, prematch, how he thinks the team will do this year, with new members and a new league. He replies with assured self-confidence: “We’re going to do phenomenally. We won’t lose any of our matches. We’re gamers, we don’t lose.”
Every member of the team is excited; the three main players -- Nathan Richard, Dexter Crory, and Brian Beltrami -- have been training for days with Smash Bros prodigy Gus Lage. The team coach, Mr. Orzech, has been working hard to organize this new and exciting sport at LHS. Beltrami is shouldering a new responsibility as Varsity Captain -- He has found his place as a lover of video games leading a team of peers to victory (hopefully).
From left: Dexter Crory (2025), Nathan Richard (2023), and Brian Beltrami (2023).
Lage, when asked his feelings on the team’s chances, replies “I’m hopeful they can learn and grow throughout the season… not win though.”
This will be tested as the group readies up to play Andover. The group is huddled around the library screen; while they wait, Beltrami draws tactical diagrams on the whiteboard: complicated combinations of buttons that correspond to attacks and special moves in-game. Somewhere in the distance, an Edpuzzle is quietly playing. It is extremely fascinating to witness the level of dedication, as the team discusses frame data and hitboxes.
While some may view it as a waste of time or a joke, there is a lot of skill required to be talented at this video game (and most others). The morale of the team is excellent -- lots of joking and good-natured teasing. The team will play three matches, one-on-one with an Andover player, and the usual best-of-three rule applies. The first match is won easily by Crory, who enjoys gaming in his spare time, although he does not usually play Smash Bros. The second match, played by Richard, is tough to watch -- he gets absolutely demolished. This leaves all the pressure on Beltrami’s shoulders, as the final match begins; it is close, but it is a loss. Beltrami loses twice, but fights hard. Too late, he manages a win in the final game. Andover takes the first win of the season, 2-1.
I meet up with Beltrami after the scores are logged; I ask how he feels about the situation, especially with his earlier prediction of victory. “It’s okay,” he replies. “It’s a tough loss, but we’ll win the next one. We’ll win the next match for sure.”
Despite the situation, the entire team is positive and looks forward to future games. When asked if he has anything to say to the readers of LHS Press, Beltrami replies, “Game on!”