NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Daytona State Rocket League Esports team wins back-to-back titles, marking third NJCAAE championship for DSC in two years

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (May 2, 2025) – Daytona State College’s No. 1 seed Rocket League Esports team claimed its second national championship Wednesday night, winning the 2025 NJCAAE Spring Premier Series National Title. The team defeated the No. 4 seed Columbia Basin College Hawks 3-0 in the Grand Finals matchup.

In less than two years since its creation, DSC’s Esports program has captured three NJCAAE national titles – two in Rocket League and one in Super Smash Bros. DSC’s Rocket League team is ranked 37th in the nation by the Collegiate Selection Committee, which issues power rankings for teams in North America. DSC is the only state college included in the rankings.

“Winning three national championships in as many semesters is testament to the quality and dedication of our Esports student-athletes and Esports Coordinator Sebastian Morales,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “This win reinforces Daytona State’s reputation of excellence in sports and academics.”

The championship game was played remotely, and DSC dominated from the outset, blanking CBC 3-0, scoring the game ending point as the countdown clock ticked off the final second of play.

“Our Rocket League team excelled during the regular season, going 9-1, and knew they’d be facing their greatest challenge in the postseason,” Morales said. “Their teamwork was exceptional and I couldn't be prouder of what they accomplished.”

The Falcons entered NJCAAE regional postseason play as the No. 1 seed, initially losing to Wake Tech, but rebounding with two wins against the team to proceed to national postseason play. The Falcons beat Wake Tech in Winners Round One 3-1. The Falcons skipped Round Two and powered past Blinn College 3-0 in Round Three to play the Winners Final against CBC, beating them 3-0. That set them up for the championship match against CBC Wednesday night.

The final round matchups are available on the NJCAAE’s Twitch feed: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2447066705 [twitch.tv].

Members of the Rocket League team include Ian Brady, Brady Stroud, Donald Walton, Antony Polinsky, Connor Dagel and Jomar Padilla-Roman.

Earlier this semester, the Rocket League team also captured the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Spring East Championship, which included besting the University of Florida Gators team 4-0 and 4-2 in game play. The Falcons continue their campaign in the NECC National Championship race, taking on Grand Canyon University in semifinal play next week.

Daytona State’s Overwatch team finished the season in the Top 3 in NJCAAE Tier One Premier Series. DSC’s Valorant team finished in the Top 3 in NJCAAE Tier Two Contender Series play. And DSC’s three Super Smash Bros. players made deep regional playoff runs in NJCAAE Tier One Premier Series play.

To learn more about DSC’s Esports program, visit https://www.dscfalcons.com/sports/esports/ [dscfalcons.com] or their Discord channel https://bit.ly/DSC_EsportsDiscord [bit.ly] .

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Offering more than 100 certificates, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, Daytona State College is the leader in education and workforce training needs of Volusia and Flagler counties and beyond. The College enrolls approximately 23,000 students a year at its seven campuses, with graduates serving in critical fields including healthcare, emergency services and public safety, business, education, hospitality, engineering, project management, accounting, computer science, digital media and more.

Daytona State has been recognized as a leader in higher education numerous times. U.S. News & World Report ranks the College among the Top Tier Best Online Bachelor’s Programs. The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center ranks DSC among the top 50 most affordable public four-year institutions in the country, with less than half the tuition of the national average. And U.S. News & World Report has ranked DSC among its Top Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans multiple times.