Augusta School District Esports Team Levels Up, Welcomes Wildlands Charter School
a consolidation between two schools' teams has led the school district to the state championship for Wisconsin high school esports
Game controllers are their tools but collaboration is their superpower. Competitive high school gaming in the Chippewa Valley is leveling up, and the Augusta school district's esports community is proof of it.
The Augusta esports team first established itself in 2019 under the leadership of Will Jacobs, a high school teacher in the district. For students, faculty and families, the esports team was quickly recognized as a space where peers could connect and competitively play games including League of Legends, Super Smash Bros, Rocket League and Fortnite, among other popular titles.
This year, the team welcomed the addition of Wildlands public charter school students – a consolidation effort which has provided another avenue for cross-collaboration within the school district and furthers the teams’ success through increased player participation.
Among these benefits, the newly combined team has seen its efforts take shape as they swiftly moved through Wisconsin's esports statewide standings, leading the group to the 2025 Wisconsin High School Esports Association Fall State Championship – hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire this year.
“Creating a (Augusta) Wildlands esports team is an excellent way to bring the Wildlands community together,” Storm Jacko, a high school teacher at Wildlands and esports coach, said. “It promotes friendships across grades and creates a sense of school community, where every student in the school has a common interest to cheer for and take pride in.”
Now co-led by Jacko and Brian Bauer, an Augusta High School and Middle School teacher, the coaches believe the esports activity offers students a shared purpose and space to find their own avenues for self-expression where they otherwise might not have.
“We are building a culture of esports in our school and have a group of young athletes excited to compete in the future.” –Storm Jacko, coach of the Augusta Wildlands esports team
Plus, each teachers’ shared enthusiasm for gaming provides an added layer of fun to the sport, the coaches said.
“It serves a different population than your normal sport and to be honest, I wanted to serve this group of students,” Bauer said. “As a new advisor to esports, I learn from our students every day. They show me different moves and different ways to play the (Super) Smash Bros game, as I had not played this particular game in the past.”
This year, the Augusta Wildlands esports team consists of five starters and two substitutes. Of these seven players, four starters and both substitutes are “Wildlanders,” while the remaining starter is an Augusta High School student, Jacko said.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate – played on the Nintendo Switch – remains one of the more popular and awarded games amongst the Augusta Wildlands esports team; the group advanced to the Wisconsin High School Esports Association Fall 2025 State Championship with this game.
At the state championship on Dec. 6 at UW-Eau Claire, the Augusta Wildlands esports team ranked fourth in its division – division three, Jacko shared.
Wyatt T., a student at Wildlands and the captain of the Augusta Wildlands esports team, already spent a number of hours playing Super Smash Bros across lunchtime at school, he said.
Now, the weekly after-school sport allows him and his friends to connect, share skills and celebrate the shared love for these games in a competitive environment.
“I was placed as ‘team captain’ just because I had the best results in the placement tournament,” Wyatt said. “My most important role, however, is to show my teammates new techniques and have them improve on game mechanics and fundamentals.
“By showing them new stuff to try and practicing it until it’s muscle memory, their game plan becomes more competent and we become a better team as a whole,” he added.
Though the Augusta Wildlands esports team is young in its years, both Jacko and Bauer are confident the district’s team has a bright future and will build lifelong skills for students involved.
For Wyatt, the skills, determination and sheer hours involved in an esport is something he hopes fellow peers do not overlook. He intends to pass on the “controller” to incoming students who will hopefully invite – or find – a community of friends, built through a shared love for gaming.
“Esports are very fun to watch and can have a ton of thrilling, hype moments you can enjoy even if you don't know much about it,” Wyatt said. “Just like any sport, there’s players you recognize and root for, upsets, underdogs, last minute comebacks, and instant replays.”
With the groups’ growing reputation, accomplishments and overall accessibility as compared to other sports in the school district, the Augusta Wildlands esports team offers a low barrier to entry – welcoming students from all backgrounds.
“Our esports athletes have shown a high level of maturity, resilience, and independence,” Jacko said. “We are building a culture of esports in our school and have a group of young athletes excited to compete in the future.”
The Augusta Wildlands esports team has fostered a tight-knit community where students have learned that in gaming – just as in life – achievements are best made together.
Augusta High School and Wildlands public charter school are two entities within the broader Augusta school district. Stay up to date with new tournaments and general updates from the Augusta Wildlands esports team through the school district’s Facebook page (@AugustaSchoolDistrict).