Penn-Trafford High School esports coach John Carlisle considers the team’s state championship win the crowning achievement of the six-year-old program.

Recently graduated seniors Johnny Lovas and Colton Payne and rising junior Kristian Grills competed against Canon-McMillan in the video game Rocket League — often described as soccer with rocket-powered cars — for the Pennsylvania championship title.

The competition, held May 30 at Mt. Aloysius College in Cambria County, was put on by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association and The Esport Company, Carlisle said. Penn-Trafford defeated Canon-McMillan in five games.

“It’s the crowning achievement of everything that we’ve worked for. It was the happiest day of my life as the coach of the Warrior Esports program,” Carlisle said. “It’s not just because we won the state championship. It’s just more about the fact that all this hard work that we’ve been doing together has finally paid off.”

Esports — competing against other players in video games, often in front of a livestream audience — has been on the rise as high schools and colleges across Western Pennsylvania start clubs or varsity teams.

More than 175 high schools compete in the state esports association, one of several esports leagues statewide.

Penn-Trafford was one of the first high schools in Westmoreland County to start an esports team. Carlisle headed efforts to organize the team in 2020.

The team defeated United, Twin Valley and Albert Gallatin high schools in the playoffs before facing off against Canon-McMillan.

Penn-Trafford won the first three games of the finals. Canon-McMillan won the fourth match before Penn-Trafford secured the championship title.

“Canon-McMillan is such a strong team. They’re coached very well,” Carlisle said. “I was telling everybody that ‘This is going to go into overtime, and whoever scores the game-winning goal will be champions.’ That’s how close I thought it was.

“I did not expect us to go up three games to one, in no fashion at all. That’s just a testament to how hard they’ve been working.”