The main stage during the first game of the day between Francis Howell Central and Fox during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
The main stage before a match during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Francis Howell Central’s Joseph Hornberger (left) talks with Michael Lamb during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Francis Howell Central’s Matthew Tierney sits in the stands before a match during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Fox’s Tony Messmer during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Francis Howell Central’s Michael Lamb during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Hancock’s Xavier Pesek (from left) Logan Borisch and Micah Cohen talk before a match during the Show-Me Showdown feat. League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Fox’s Logan Muehlenbeck gives the peace sign before a match during the Show-Me Showdown feat. League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
The lights created a kaleidoscope of color all around Joseph Hornberger. He noticed how the lights splashed onto his teammates, but his attention never wavered.
A Francis Howell Central junior, Hornberger could hear faint cheers creep through his headphones and his urge to look was strong, but he stayed glued on the objective.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, tapping out their own rhythm in sync with his team as they called out plays and strategies.
This experience was a far cry from what he and so many others have gotten used to when they started esports.
But everyone who climbed the stage all agreed on one thing — they loved it.
«Being on the main stage in front of everyone is really cool and unique,» Michael Lamb said. «With an audience on the main stage, it was exciting. I was nervous, but so excited.»
The St. Louis Science Center played host Sunday afternoon to its second in-person esports event, the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational.
And like its first, last year’s Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation Rocket League Fall State Championship, the Science Center was pleased with the response and the results.
«We’ve been working on becoming a resource and hub for esports in the St. Louis region,» said Doug Stanze, the Science Center director of guest services. «We see ourselves as a unique venue that can provide that opportunity to the high school, collegiate and the community as a whole.»
Francis Howell Central joined St. Louis U. High, Hancock and Fox as the first schools to compete in the one-off event Sunday at the Science Center.
The esports scene for the popular MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) League of Legends has taken hold in the area since the League Championship Series came to Chaifetz Arena in 2019 for the Spring Final before Maryville University headed up the «Gateway Legends» Collegiate Invitational at Ballpark Village last year.
The Science Center wanted to provide a space for high schoolers to «compete on the rift» in person.
«These kids don’t have a lot of opportunities to get experience in events like this,» Andrew Goewert said. «We’re aspiring to do bigger events to be able to bring in schools from outside the area.»
The Spartans won Sunday’s the event after a 2-1 comeback victory in a best-of-three series against SLUH. Fox finished third with a 2-0 victory against Hancock.
«This was a really cool experience,» Hornberger said. «Getting that human interaction is so much more fun and dynamic than saying ‘GG’ (Good Game) on the end screen could ever be.»
Lamb echoed his teammates’ sentiments.
«Having everyone together, it brought more of a unity aspect of it and it felt like we were more of a team,» Lamb said.
Watching his players on the stage, SLUH League of Legends coach Jimmy Hoffmann said he was a little jealous of his players.
«I keep thinking that I wish this was a thing when I was in high school,» Hoffmann said.
Khris Miller pioneered the FHC esports program back in 2018.
After playing contained tournaments in the Howell Central lab or players’ homes, Miller said he is thrilled to see his players be able to compete in person.
«To be able to see what esports can be, it’s so much fun,» Miller said.
Hoffmann is hoping this was just the start.
«I would love to see more of these types of tournaments,» Hoffmann said. «I know there’s a lot of work that goes into having these types of tournaments, but I love these types of tournaments.»
Though there are no concrete plans for another League of Legends invitational, Stanze said there were other ideas for esports events at the Science Center.
«If you can dream it, there are things we can do here,» Stanze said. «We want to create those unique opportunities for our community and for scholastic esports. We see ourselves as a long-term venue for these types of events and we’re looking to grow our program.»
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The main stage during the first game of the day between Francis Howell Central and Fox during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
The main stage before a match during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Francis Howell Central’s Joseph Hornberger (left) talks with Michael Lamb during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Francis Howell Central’s Matthew Tierney sits in the stands before a match during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Fox’s Tony Messmer during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Francis Howell Central’s Michael Lamb during the Show-Me Showdown featuring League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Hancock’s Xavier Pesek (from left) Logan Borisch and Micah Cohen talk before a match during the Show-Me Showdown feat. League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
Fox’s Logan Muehlenbeck gives the peace sign before a match during the Show-Me Showdown feat. League of Legends Invitational on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at the St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Halfacre, STLhighschoolsports.com
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