On March 1, 2025 at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ, the Raider Esports Overwatch II team completed the three-peat to become Garden State Esports State Champions once again after defeating Long Branch High School.
After a seven-week regular season playing against schools within their conference and constant practice, the Raider Esport Overwatch II team looked to defend their title.
“The team and I all knew that they had the ability to do something great [by three-peating as state champions], and then pulling it off has been indescribable each time we’ve won,” Esports Advisor Raymond Moskal told The Fanscotian. “It’s been awesome to see their hard work pay off over the years, they’ve done so much to prepare over these past few months and they all were ready to defend the title again this year.”
Earlier in the season, the Raiders had to adjust to a new roster of athletes and build their chemistry to set themselves up for success.
But with consistent practice and preparation, the Raiders built up their confidence as they were able to relieve themselves of any pressure to complete the three-peat during the state tournament.
“This year was a lot different than the past three years, because this year we only had two seniors returning, and one junior returning,” Moskal said. “We had to fill our last two roles on the team in the beginning of the year, so pretty early in the season we experienced some obstacles in terms of chemistry. I have to give a lot of credit to our team and specifically the upperclassmen for helping to integrate their new teammates and build up the team’s chemistry.”
Congratulations to the Raider Esports Overwatch II team on their third consecutive state championship in Overwatch II.