The crowd roared around them as he knocked his opponent off the edge of the map. This move is common for all Super Smash Bros. players, but in that moment, it was the difference between sophomore Michael Cook winning and coming in second.

BHS hosted its second-annual Super Smash Bros. tournament, bringing more than 40 students together to compete one-on-one tournament style until only one remained at the top.

Many students returned from last year’s tournament, and the finals featured a rematch from last year’s semifinals, as junior Tyler Francis faced off against Cook.

“I got to see [that] there were other people here who were also good at the game,” Francis said. “I like to have someone to play against who is better than me. It’s always really fun.”

After dropping down to the loser’s bracket in the quarterfinals, Francis made a run through the losers to the finals, where he faced a tough opponent, eventually losing to Cook.

Cook enjoyed winning, but he still wanted to retain his humble sportsmanship.

“People say I’m humble, but I knew I would do decent [in the tournament],” Cook said. “I was expecting to see some really good players–I didn’t have any expectations I would win.”

Beyond just the two finalists, other players made runs, shocking many of the other competitors. One run specifically turned a lot of players’ heads. The “Mii” character is not often considered a good choice for a playable character, so when senior Charles Mortensen chose it, many people scoffed at his pick.

Mortensen would take the Mii all the way to the quarterfinals before being knocked down  into the losers bracket by the eventual champion, Cook.

“[I picked the Mii] mostly because I couldn’t pick what I wanted to play,” Mortensen said. “I think the Mii was a more aggressive play style, and it paid off.”

Mortensen focused on picking a character that was a perfect balance between strategic and fun for him.

“I wanted something to fit my playstyle, no matter how many people said, ‘What are you doing?’” Mortensen said.

Mortensen said his biggest challenge throughout the tournament was his inability to adapt.

“Some characters were very aerial-based, and I couldn’t really get in the air,” Mortensen said.

Overall, Mortensen was proud of his performance.

“I wasn’t even sure if I was going to make it out of round one,” Mortensen said. “I went into the match knowing I would give it my best shot, but ultimately wouldn’t be heart broken [if I lost early on].”