Central Community College will play for a national championship this weekend. CCC's Call of Duty: Cold War Gunfight team is the second seed in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports Spring National Championship. The Raiders will battle top-seed Iowa Western Community College on Sunday at 6 p.m. in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
"It's definitely gotten everyone excited, and the fact that it's one of the few matches that we get to travel for, has added to the excitement," said CCC head coach Lucas Lumbra. "I'm really excited that the whole program is coming together to back these players who have had an incredible season, have improved so much over the course of the season and have a genuine shot at winning a national championship."
The two CCC players who will compete against the IWCC contestants are Zack Hollingsworth and Justice Silver. Hollingsworth and Silver are students at CCC-Hastings, and both are from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
"They have been great friends since elementary school and they play really well together," Lumbra said. "If listen to their communication during a match, Zack is definitely a fireball and Justice is way more level headed. They are very well suited to do well in the national final."
The two reserve players, who will also be at the national championship match, are Jackson Peabody and Christian Montague. Both players are based on the Columbus Campus, and both are members of Spectrum, CCC's select choir.
"Jackson is one of the de facto leaders of the Call of Duty group and very knowledgeable about the game," said Lumbra. "He's been very vocal about helping our Gunfight squad be as successful as it can be. Christian is a great player who has great experience with Gunfight and if ever we need to call on him, he would be ready and willing to step up to the plate."
The national championship is a rematch between CCC and Iowa Western. The Reivers defeated the Raiders, 3-2, in a match midway through the season. In the playoffs, Iowa Western posted a 3-0 win over Hutchison (Kan.) Community College while the Raiders bested Glen Oaks (Mich.) Community College, 3-1, to get to set up the national title meeting.
"It's going to be awesome, and I couldn't be more appreciative of the support we have received," said Lumbra.
CCC fans may watch the title tilt online here.