Westmoore’s Salvador Cardenas

By Chris Dietrich
From simple gaming with friends, turning into being a state qualifier in his first high school competitive year, freshman Salvador Cardenas ramps up the gaming field with his main, King K. Rool from the game Super Smash Bros.

He started in middle school and followed his friends into eSports when high school came up. In the last season, Cardenas placed highly in each monthly LAN tournament, with each placement adding to his overall score.

“Going to the state tournament was super exciting. It was super new and challenging, but it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it,” Cardenas said.

Salvador, along with the rest of the Smash Team, has their eyes set on new goals. Led by Coach Rachel Hinckley and Coach Dale Elsen, this team, along with the rest of the eSports program, is now enrolled in two leagues, offering more opportunities to play and score higher.

“My tournaments were a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot about time management by balancing my schoolwork and practice. I try to dedicate an hour each day to eSports,” Cardenas said.

Cardenas’s most complex challenge this season was the state competition, but it isn’t his only challenge. He’s also a band student and an eSports player, a real testament to time management and balance. To contest days with the band in an eSports tournament at Yukon, Cardenas indeed travels the state.

“I want to keep on being in eSports. I’ve made friends, and my favorite moment was at the Yukon Skyris tournament, when all my friends hyped me up during one of my intense rounds. It was really nice hearing them out there cheering for me,” Cardenas said.