By Joshua Koch
Public Communications
When it comes to playing Mario Kart 8, two of the best players in the State of Texas walk the halls of Atascocita High School.
Sophomore Logan Litherland and junior Devon Graham, also known as the Revving Roses, teamed up this spring as a Mario Kart team as a part of the Atascocita Esports club. They entered the 2024 UNDISPUTED Esports State Championships into a field of 39 to compete for the state’s top prize.
“Competing in Esports tournaments as a team requires a high level of skill, dedication and strategic thinking,” AHS CTE Teacher and Esports Coach Stephanie Davila said. “These skills are transferable to other areas of life, such as problem-solving, teamwork, time management, and adaptability.”
For their characters, Litherland goes with Daisy, while Graham traditionally picks Yoshi. As far as the kart that they race in, the pick is the Teddy Buggy for their matches. It is an unlockable ATV body that appears in the game and resembles a teddy bear.
The duo made it out of pool play to advance to a bracket portion of the competition, of which they were one of 18 teams. The Revving Roses ended up posting a perfect 7-0 record in the tournament to claim the 2024 UNDISPUTED Esports State Championship in Mario Kart 8.
“I was just in it to have fun,” Graham said. “When I went there, I gave the crowd a good show.”
Litherland added: “It was teamwork.”
The State Champions were honored at the May 14, 2024 Humble ISD School Board Meeting for their recent accomplishments.
“I couldn't be happier for them,” Davila said. “This is what being a teacher, coach, and mentor is all about, seeing their growth and celebrating their accomplishments. Made me tear up a bit.”
There are many benefits to winning this type of competition beyond the shiny title belt.
Davila said this kind of championship can bring financial opportunities, career pathways and overall gaining clout in the gaming community.
“Winning competitions like this can provide significant prize money, scholarship money, or even sponsorship deals,” Davila said. “It opens doors to various career pathways within the gaming industry such as professional gamers, Esports coaches, shoutcasters, or content creators. They could also further their education with all the scholarship money they win and become game developers.
“And they can attract the attention of professional Esports teams or college Esports teams. They could also start streaming on Twitch. Popular Twitch streamers earn a significant amount of money.”
According to the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation (TexSEF), students playing in Esports also helps in school as there is a no pass, no play policy, just like in any other extracurricular activity. According to TexSEF, the average daily attendance of students in an Esports program was higher than the attendance of students who did not participate in extracurricular activities, similar to the attendance of those students who participated in the traditional extracurricular programs of athletics, band, and choir.
Pictured Above: Humble ISD Director of CTE Larry Wilson, Humble ISD School Board President Robert Scarfo, Atascocita High School CTE Teacher Christian Box, Atascocita High School students Devon Graham and Logan Litherland, Atascocita High School CTE Teacher Ann Wehrman, Humble ISD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen and Atascocita High School Principal Will Falker.