Tonganoxie High to add Esports to varsity offerings
Photo courtesy of Jaime Fahlgren
Josiah Fountaine and Wesley Johnson, both members of the THS class of 2025, play Rocket League during the 2024-25 school year in the above photo. Tonganoxie has offered a club esports team the last two years, but THS plans to offer a varsity team with KSHSAA announcing that it would add esports to its list of sanctioned extracurricular activities starting with the 2025-26 school year.Tonganoxie High potentially will be going from esports club team to Kansas State High School Activities Association-sanctioned squad.
KSHSAA announced last week that it has partnered with esports platform PlayVS for the inaugural season of the KSHSAA Esports season.
KSHSAA members voted at the April board meeting to sanction an Esports state championship if 24 schools sign up for the extracurricular activity. More than 80 schools indicated in a June survey that they had interest in participating in the 2025-26 school year.
Photo courtesy of Jaime Fahlgren
Baylie Igleheart, Class of 2025, uses the race simulator at THS.. Igleheart served as a student aide for Fahlgren.
For the 2025-26 season KSHSAA and PlayVS will offer Rocket League, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There’s also a chance Madden will join the fray depending on interest from participating schools.
The number of classifications and subsequent championships will be based on the number of schools that sign up to compete.
Tonganoxie has offered an Esports club team at THS the past two seasons, according to business teacher and esports sponsor Jaime Fahlgren. He will be the coach for the varsity team when the season begins in November. Fahlgren said Monday that the club has averaged 20 members the first two seasons. The team has competed against other club teams from across the state and sponsored a youth gaming camp during the most recent winter break.
Photo courtesy of Jaime Fahlgren
Elementary and middle school students participate in a club-sponsored esports youth camp this past December.
Registration for the 2025-26 season will take place until Nov. 30. The two-week preseason begins Nov. 17. The regular season will be Dec. 1-Jan. 19, with the playoffs to run Jan. 26-27 and state championships Jan. 30 and Jan. 31 (if necessary).