Riverside Brookfield High School sophomore Declan Gibbs lost one of his biggest but most intense esports matches of the season May 2. He couldn’t have been happier.
“It was the most fun match I’ve played in a while,” Gibbs said.
He was battling in the Super Smash Brothers Individual semifinals at his first Illinois High School State Association esports state finals at Evergreen Park. This was the first time RBHS had state qualifiers in the meet’s five-year history, thanks to top-two sectional finishes.
Gibbs was third at state with a 3-2 overall record and is the team’s first all-stater.
Sophomores Jad Abboud, Gabriella Bernal-Orihuela, Matthew Feeney and Will Harmonn and freshmen Rowan Douglas and Ethan Schmeling qualified as a team in Mario Kart 8 and tied for ninth with a 1-2 record.
Both entries were sectional runners-up.
“To get out of sectionals felt really incredible,” Gibbs said. “To make it to state, we went into the day feeling like anything we do is on top of what we accomplished. It turned out way better than we expected.”
In its first full season, the RBHS esports (electronic sports) team could smile about their quick rise to another level, if not multiple ones. Gaining steam despite a late start last season under then new coach Megan Welch, the Bulldogs continue to find success.
Welch expressed further excitement that the Bulldogs are arguably the state’s strongest younger lineup with just one senior in the program (Daniel DeHoyos). Based on their success during the Illinois High School Esports Association regular season, Gibbs and sophomore Daniel Malave have been invited to the Eclipse Scholastic Sports Showcase in Milwaukee.
“This is what I really call our first year as a team,” Welch said. “(Our season recap) was like a long list of mostly first, second and third places. It seems like every time we go somewhere, someone does well and it’s not always the same chunk of people. We honestly have so much that we’ve accomplished and are thankful for.”
The Bulldogs collectively were thankful to reach state. Many competed at 2025 sectionals and realized their improvements.
“Our first year as a complete year was surprising,” Feeney said. “(State) was fun. We liked being able to be with other teams we never got to play against before. We did a lot better than we thought we were going to do. There was definitely a little bit of stress involved because it was state, but the fact that we were even there makes up for it.”
Gibbs’ state semifinal opponent was Benet Academy junior and good friend Cruz Jones, the event’s eventual state champion with a 5-1 record in the double-elimination format.
“I had a couple more friends there and they made it a big thing we were playing each other,” Gibbs said. “We were smiling through the whole thing. It took the stress away even though it should have been stressful the whole way.”
Gibbs won his first two best-of-three state matches 2-0 and then 3-0 in the best-of-five quarterfinals. After the tough 3-2 decision to Jones, second-place Lane Tech senior Collin Pato beat Gibbs 3-0.
“I think I played very well. I had a better run against the people (previously) giving me a lot of trouble,” Gibbs said.
The Mario Kart 8 team won its opener over United Township 79-77 but then lost to Normal West 80-76 – two of the bracket’s closest matches. RBHS then was eliminated by Andrew 90-66.
Welch noted that Normal West went on to win the state title. The RBHS match was its closest margin of victory.
“This has been a very successful year for us and we still have two more years ahead of us for the sophomores,” Feeney said.
More gamers keep coming. Welch said the players promote the team and perpetuate growth. Welch laughed that players also compliment her coaching growth in giving analytic and strategic advice.
“It’s just really exploded,” Welch said. “These kids will bring their friends and then the friends will be like, ‘This is great.’”
The esports Bulldogs also have grown as teammates. Gibbs said his proudest moment was helping his five-man Smash Crew teammates at the Bradley University tournament.
“Seeing them win was bigger than anything I did this year,” Gibbs said.
“Skill level is important (in esports) but the main thing you have to have is you’ve got to get along with people,” Feeney said.
Gibbs has another medal to hang by his piano, but this season’s biggest accumulation has been friends from other schools. He and Cruz were at a tournament in Romeoville when they recognized each other. They began talking and hit it off quickly.
At state, Gibbs and Cruz shared photos with their medals.
“I started making connections I didn’t have freshman year. A lot of times, I’d just go to a tournament and be done,” Gibbs said. “This year I met a bunch of people all over Illinois. Working with a lot of those guys and interacting helped me get way better.”