KILGORE, Texas (KLTV) – East Texas middle schoolers are gaming away at the start of an E-sports competition in Kilgore Monday.

Around 12 districts and 120 middle school students took to the test Monday at the Region 7 Education Service Center. The two-day competition marks the first fall competition of the year after Region 7 began the in-person tournaments last year.

“We have the middle school tournament today with schools all over Region 7 competing in a Smash Brothers tournament,” Michael Pettiette, the center’s digital learning specialist said. “We saw that esports was growing, and it’s getting really vibrant and big in East Texas, and we wanted to be a part of it.”

Students play for the best two out of three matches in order to advance.

Pettiette said he expects even more students, around 150, will compete tomorrow as the high schoolers take the floor.

“So tomorrow we’ll have Trinity Valley Community College and their coach here. We’ll have representatives from Kilgore College here from A&M in Texarkana. They have a great program going on there. And then Panola Junior College will be here as well,” Pettiette said. “We’re very excited to get the kids connected and see that there is a next level to this.”

Fransisco Gudino, who played Monday on a team representing Forest Middle School in Longview, said the chance to compete is everything.

“I am proud to be representing my school here in Region 7,” Gudino said. This is one of the biggest opportunities I’ve ever had to represent my school in such a major, big way since there’s a ton of school districts in East Texas competing here to win first place and runner up and those trophies.”

While the opportunity might be new, the controller is familiar.

“E-sports has been a passion of mine ever since I started playing Overwatch in 2019,” Gudino said. “I love the passion, and I really wanted to get into competitive gaming, and I’ve been looking into this program ever since I was in elementary school.”

While Gudino will be moving to play in the losers bracket this time around, his hopes remain undefeated.

“I would just love to play for a college like in e-sports, like any game that I play, but I would also like want to win the trophy for the loser’s bracket here in Region 7, because why not?” he said. “Because we’re playing against a bunch of school districts and I would be so happy to win against out of all these school districts.”

Others who shared their experience at the competition include Brady Henry, who is a middle schooler from Palestine Westwood and Joe Lee Manns, who is the sport coach at Foster Middle School.