The Columbia Basin College Overwatch team extended their winning streak with a dominant 3-0 victory over Wichita State University Technical College in Week 6 of the NJCAAE season. Displaying exceptional coordination and mechanical prowess, the Hawks controlled every aspect of the match across all three maps. Map 1 took place on Oasis in the Control Mode. Control is a best-of-three game mode where teams fight to hold a designated point, building up percentage to 100% to secure the round. Round 1 CBC came out strong, securing early control of the point. A pivotal team wipe on WSUTC opened the floodgates for CBC's offense, but WSUTC showed signs of life with a few eliminations. Despite WSUTC's resistance, CBC regrouped and closed out the round 100%-75%, slightly closer than they would have liked. Round 2 CBC asserted dominance early with a triple-kill to claim control. After WSUTC's respawn, CBC responded with another team wipe, maintaining a firm hold on the point. A third team wipe further cemented CBC's defensive wall, with Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier going on a staggering 10-kill streak. CBC secured the map win convincingly. Notable Performances included Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier with a Kills/Assists/Deaths of 31/11/2, Cade "Alyxian" Horn 26/14/2, and Skylar "skitsu" Phanekham 25/0/4. Map 2 took place on King's Row in the Hybrid Mode. Hybrid begins with an Assault capture point, transitioning into an Escort payload push. Talan "Librya" Kiesecker subbed in for Cade "Alyxian" Horn at support. Skylar "skitsu" Phanekham set the tone with an early five-kill streak. A key team wipe put CBC in a commanding defensive position. WSUTC struggled to break through, falling to another full team wipe as their time dwindled. With one minute left, a technical error caused Talan "Librya" Kiesecker's PC to freeze, but CBC maintained control. Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier notched another 10-kill streak, while Skylar "skitsu" Phanekham went on a rampage with 15 eliminations in a row. WSUTC failed to secure the payload push, giving CBC the defensive round win. After a major team fight, Branden "Cod" Nix secured a five-kill streak, sealing the map win for CBC. Notable Performances included Skylar "skitsu" Phanekham 23/0/2, Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier 17/1/3, and Branden "Cod" Nix 16/0/2. Map 3 took place on Rialto in the escort mode. Escort requires the attacking team to push a payload to multiple checkpoints while the defending team attempts to halt their progress. Round 1 the Hawks started on defense. CBC had a shaky start, conceding three early deaths as WSUTC pushed past the first checkpoint. However, Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier landed a massive ultimate, pulling in four WSUTC players and halting their momentum. An Ultimate (or "ult") is a hero's most powerful ability, designed to be a game-changing moment in a match. Right before WSUTC reached the second checkpoint, CBC secured a full team wipe. Another wipe followed shortly after, with a well-timed ultimate from Lucas allowing Skylar "skitsu" Phanekham to clean up with a 10-kill streak. Skylar continued their rampage, hitting a 20-kill streak as CBC locked in a defensive round win. The Hawks now on attack, only need 89 meters to win the map and the series, CBC launched their attack. Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier opened with a quad-kill, setting the pace for a quick push. CBC blew past the first checkpoint and secured the win with ease, closing out the 3-0 sweep. Notable Performances included Lucas "BAAAAABAAAAA" Grenier 38/9/3, Skylar "skitsu" Phanekham 31/7/3, and Branden "Cod" Nix 18/3/3. With another dominant performance, CBC continues to establish themselves as a powerhouse in the NJCAAE. They will look to keep their momentum rolling in Week 7, April 2nd @ 4pm PST Vs. Blinn Community College.

The Columbia Basin Hawks faced off against College of DuPage in the NJCAAE CVAL Quarterfinals, battling through three intense maps before falling 1-2 in the best of 3 series. Despite a commanding victory on map 1, the Hawks were unable to maintain momentum, dropping the final two maps to end their playoff run. Map 1 took place on Haven, CBC opened the series on defense and immediately took control of the map. Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari led the charge, securing a triple kill in the pistol round to set the tone. Early kills from Jesus "Telekit" Armenta in Round 2 helped secure a retake and defuse, followed up with another double kill in Round 3 to extend CBC's lead. By Round 5, CBC had built an unstoppable rhythm, countering DuPage's executes with a flawless round in which all five players on the winning team survive while eliminating all opponents or completing the objective. A pivotal moment came in Round 6 when Roberto "Pcuv" Rolon secured a quad kill after a well-timed flash, pushing CBC's led to 6-0. Despite dropping Round 9 in a close 1v1, CBC quickly reasserted their dominance with a triple kill from Orlando "Yungchiken3" Barillas in Round 10 and a flawless round secured by Danny "Sango" Mercado's two early sniper picks. The half ended in spectacular fashion, with Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari securing a stunning ace in Round 12. An ace is where one player eliminates the entire opposing team. CBC led 11-1 at halftime. DuPage came out strong on attack, winning the first two rounds of the second half and showing signs of life. However, CBC responded with a flawless round in Round 15 before DuPage rattled off three straight rounds to push the game to 12-6. CBC finally closed it out in Round 19, securing the first map with a decisive team effort. Notable Performances included Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari with a Kills/Deaths/Assists of 25/12/17, Danny "Sango" Mercado 17/9/4, and Roberto "Pcuv" Rolon 16/10/5. Looking to carry their momentum onto map 2 Split. CBC started strong once again, securing the first six rounds with disciplined defense. Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari opened with another triple kill in Round 2, and Orlando "Yungchiken3" Barillas delivered a crucial triple kill off a flash in Round 6. By Round 5, Danny "Sango" Mercado and Orlando "Yungchiken3" Barillas had yet to be eliminated, highlighting CBC's early dominance. However, DuPage responded with a timeout and began adjusting their play style. CBC dropped Round 7, marking their first lost round of the map. That loss ignited a three-round run for DuPage, tightening the game at 7-3. CBC momentarily regained control in Round 10 but entered halftime tied at 6-6 after a late surge from their opponents. On attack, CBC struggled to find consistent openings. They lost the first three rounds of the half, falling behind 6-9. Orlando "Yungchiken3" Barillas secured a crucial double kill in a 2v2 situation to tie the match at 9-9 in Round 16, but CBC was unable to capitalize on their opportunities. Despite securing two late-round wins with a strong post-plant in Round 20 and a 5v2 advantage in Round 22, DuPage's quad kill in Round 23 sealed CBC's fate. The Hawks fell 11-13, setting up a decisive Map 3. Notable Performances included Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari 21/18/8, Orlando "Yungchiken3" Barillas 19/15/4, and Roberto "Pcuv" Rolon 15/16/3. Map 3 took place on Lotus. With the series tied 1-1, CBC struggled to establish themselves early on Lotus. DuPage jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari secured a much-needed double kill in Round 6, allowing CBC to defuse and get on the board. Despite additional wins in Rounds 9, 11, and 12, CBC entered halftime trailing 4-8. The second half started with two quick losses for CBC, widening the gap. A brief resurgence saw them take Rounds 15 and 16, with the Hawks finally finding momentum on attack. However, DuPage shut the door with disciplined post-plant setups and strong defensive holds. CBC was unable to force overtime, falling 6-13 as DuPage secured the series win. Notable Performances included Danny "Sango" Mercado 15/15/4, Angelo "Freakolo" Mallari 15/15/0, and Jesus "Telekit" Armenta 13/16/4. With their season ending, CBC will look to regroup and come back stronger next year. Their playoff run highlighted their potential, and they will undoubtedly be a team to watch in the next NJCAAE season.