Courtesy photo Members of Alpena Community College’s first year esports program celebrate after clinching a Rocket League National Championship on Wednesday night defeating Fanshawe College in a seven game series.

ALPENA – In their inaugural season in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), the Alpena Community College Rocket League team outmatched the Fuel Rising esports team from Fanshawe College in London, Ontario in a best of seven series that went the distance. The win clinches the NECC Division VIII National Championship.

The decisive game seven went into overtime, where standout player Charlie Best delivered the game-winning goal to clinch the title for ACC. The match was played live in the Besser Technical Center Commons on campus in front of a crowd of students and faculty.

Best provided multiple goals while teammates Isaac Zocco and Maxwell McCarty contributed assists and saves.

ACC esports Head Coach Aaron Guitar, in his first year leading the program, expressed pride in the achievement and described what it means to the program.

“The national championship means to us that anything is possible with hard work and determination as a team,” Guitar said. “As a first-year team in the NECC, this is almost an impossible feat to win the whole thing in year one.”

“Also, with this being my first year as a coach in esports, I did not have any knowledge coming in, so learning a lot along the way has really made it feel all the better,” Guitar added.

Guitar said that the team’s journey began with recognition of their talent early in the season; however, momentum built steadily. After strong regular-season performances and a divisional championship win, the squad entered the finals with confidence.

“It feels so unreal still and that comes with an unlimited amount of pride in our team,” Guitar said. “We have all spent so much time involved with this program, it just makes it feel so rewarding.”

Guitar is arranging for championship rings and shirts to be made for the players. He said he believes the championship will significantly boost recruiting efforts and help spread awareness of ACC esports.

“I believe that winning the national championship will help us in recruiting and spreading the word of ACC esports,” Guitar said. “It brings a sense of being serious in competition and we plan to continue our success for the upcoming years.”

Guitar thanked the Alpena community, college staff, and students for their support during the team’s inaugural NECC season.

“We have all spent so much time involved with this program,” Guitar said. “It just makes it feel so rewarding.”

ACC’s esports program also fielded competitive teams in two other titles during the 2025-2026 NECC season. The Rainbow Six Siege squad finished 3-3 in Division VI play during its spring campaign, while the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Crews team competed in Division V during the fall 2025 season.

Josh Jambor can be reached at jjambor@thealpenanews.com.