Three-Peat! Austin Hetter of Barton Claims Third Straight Esports Madden Invitational Title
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Austin Hetter of Barton captured his third straight Conference Carolinas esports Madden Invitational Finals championship on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.
Hetter becomes the first-ever three-time winner of a Conference Carolinas esports title.
Hetter faced off against Keith Reese Jr. of Chowan in the Conference Carolinas esports Madden Invitational Finals championship round.
Both Reese and Hetter played as the Kansas City Chiefs in the best-of-three championship round. In the first game of the championship round, Hetter raced out to a 14-0 lead and held that lead at the halftime break. Reese outscored Hetter, 14-3, in the second half, but the three points by Hetter in the second half were enough for him to take a 17-14 victory.
Hetter started the second game of the championship round by owning a 14-7 advantage at the halftime break. That lead would be 21-7 in the third quarter. The fourth quarter would be much like the first game for the two finalists with Reese pulling to within seven at 21-14.
Reese looked to be about to tie things up at 21-all with roughly a minute to play, but Hetter forced a turnover on downs and then promptly scored an 87-yard touchdown on the next play to go ahead 28-14. Reese would continue to battle though, scoring with under 30 seconds remaining in the game. He would then connect on a two-point play to make the score 28-22. Hetter would be able to collect the ball on the ensuing onside kick and would kneel over the next couple of plays to preserve the 28-22 win and take the championship for the third straight year.
To see all of the results from the 2024 Conference Carolinas esports Madden Invitational Finals, please visit
here.
The Madden Invitational Finals marked the second of three scheduled esports championships in the 2023-24 academic year for Conference Carolinas. The Conference Carolinas esports NBA 2K24 Championship will be held on March 16, 2024. The esports championship will be the second in the NBA2K series for Conference Carolinas, but its first in the game series since the 2020-21 academic year.
Conference Carolinas has held an esports championship in Madden for the last four academic years, an EA Sports FC Invitational in the fall of 2023, the spring and fall of 2022 and in 2021 the conference held an NBA 2K21 championship. Conference Carolinas also held a Rocket League Invitational in the spring of 2023.
Bryce Witt of Chowan won the inaugural Madden Invitational in 2020-21 with Barton’s Hetter taking the next three in the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. Deante Shackleford of Belmont Abbey secured the NBA 2K21 championship title in 2020-21.
In the first esports event of the 2023-24 academic year for Conference Carolinas, Nicholas Marrone of Lees-McRae captured his second consecutive conference soccer esports championship with his victory in the 2023 Conference Carolinas EA Sports FC Invitational Finals on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.
Marrone originally captured the title in the second annual esports Conference Carolinas EA Sports FC Invitational in the fall of 2022 before adding another title in the fall of 2023. Erskine’s Carlos Murguia picked up the win in the inaugural Conference Carolinas EA Sports FC Invitational in April of 2022.
King secured its first-ever Conference Carolinas esports title in the inaugural Rocket League Invitational Finals held on Saturday, March 11, 2023. The King trio of Andrew Connor Wade, Matthew Bilbruck and William Leenen picked up the Rocket League championship.
Conference Carolinas partners with Launch Esports for its esports championships. Conference Carolinas and Launch Esports are collaborating with EGF for the second straight year for the 2023-24 esports championships in the conference.
2024 Conference Carolinas Madden Invitational Participants
Brett Blackley, Barton
Austin Hetter, Barton
Greg Wright, Chowan
Keith Reese Jr., Chowan
Wyatt Coleman, King
Zach White, Lees-McRae
2024 Conference Carolinas Madden Invitational Winner
Austin Hetter, Barton
Conference Carolinas Madden Invitational Champions
2020-21: Bryce Witt, Chowan
2021-22: Austin Hetter, Barton
2022-23: Austin Hetter, Barton
2023-24: Austin Hetter, Barton