By Jane Welch-Maiolo

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

PERRYSBURG­–For the first time in school history, Penta Career Center held an athletic scholarship signing, no easy feat for a school with no sports teams or almost none.

On May 15, career center students Roland Keller and Tavion Torrez, of Bowling Green High School, signed letters to play Esports at Defiance College.

“This is a really cool thing, and the first time we’ve had anything like this,” said Superintendent Ed Ewers.

He congratulated the two who have been friends since ninth grade at Bowling Green.

“These are the first two students from Esports to receive scholarships,” Ewers said.

He noted that the Esports Club is young and recently finished its second year of competition.

“We are very proud that these two students have been recruited to play at the collegiate level,” Ewers said. “It’s quite an accomplishment in just two years, and we look forward to continuing to grow student interest in our Esports activities.”

Avery Meiste, head coach of the Defiance Yellow Jackets Esports team, said the two will receive scholarships of about $6,000 each, which are renewable for four years.

“This is a cool thing for Esports in general. Scholarships for this were a pipe dream 10 years ago,” he said. “We are really looking forward to having Roland and Tavion on our squad.”

At Defiance, Keller and Torrez, who were enrolled in Penta’s information technologies academy, will compete against teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Conference.

Those include Concordia University-Ann Arbor, Indiana Tech, Lourdes University, Siena Heights, the University of Michigan at Dearborn and University of Northwestern Ohio.

Before awarding the scholarships, Meiste observed the players in action and “saw how passionate they are about the games.”

He believes they will bring a unique skill set to Defiance and help the Yellow Jackets achieve success.

The Defiance team plays six to eight different games and ideally each member plays one game, the one in which they are most skilled, he explained.

Meiste said some students elect to play two games, but one is recommended to perfect their skill because “it’s an incredibly competitive sport.”

He added that if students compete in multiple games they become “a Jack of all trades and master of none.”

Penta Esports coach and information technology instructor Mike Reitzke expects the two to do well at the collegiate level.

He said they have held leadership roles in the club and are always willing to help teammates better their game, whether that be League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League or Super Smash Brothers.

Reitzke said the games played each year are determined by Esports Ohio and are more stylized versions such as a laser tag. “We don’t do Call of Duty or games like that,” he added.

Keller and Torrez are looking forward to competing this fall at Defiance where Keller will study psychology and Torrez, computer programming. They also hope to room together.

Both admitted to being more introverted prior to joining Esports.

“It helped me become more confident and led to leadership roles,” Torrez said, adding, “My mom in incredibly excited for me, and I’m thankful for her support.”

05/20/2025 – 08:30 AM

Fans Can Shop Official Merchandise from Ghost Gaming, with Exclusive Designs Launching at DreamHack Dallas May 23-25

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2025 / Amaze Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American:AMZE) (“Amaze” or the “Company”), a global leader in creator-powered commerce, today announced that its subsidiary, Amaze Software, Inc. (“Amaze Software“) entered a strategic partnership with Resurgens Gaming to become the official merchandise partner for Ghost Gaming. Through the collaboration, Amaze will power the official Ghost Gaming merchandise store and offer a fully integrated e-commerce platform for a growing roster of creators in the Ghost Creator Network.

Ghost Gaming is a leading North American gaming lifestyle organization with a roster of 85 managed content creators and esports competitors across multiple game titles including Fortnite, Call of Duty, Valorant, CS2, Rocket League, Tekken, and others.

With Amaze, Ghost Gaming now has a scalable, end-to-end solution that streamlines merchandise production, online store creation, and global fulfillment. Each creator in the Ghost Creator Network can have their own custom-branded webstore, unique URL, design services, social media promotion, account management, and turnkey on-demand production and fulfillment to their community.

“We are proud to be Ghost Gaming’s official print-on-demand merchandise partner, providing greater visibility and revenue streams for the growing number of influential creators in the gaming space,” said Aaron Day, CEO of Amaze Software. “As Ghost Gaming expands its creator roster, we are excited to provide a solution that supports both the organization and individual influencers with the advanced e-commerce tools they need to succeed in today’s expanding creator economy.”

The Ghost Gaming merchandise storefront is now live on Spring by Amaze, featuring:

Additional creator collections and brand collaborations are expected monthly, including a limited-edition Ghost Gaming x Jon Stand drop later this year.

As part of the partnership, Amaze and Ghost Gaming will debut merchandise at DreamHack Dallas held on May 23-25, one of North America’s largest gaming festivals.

“Both Amaze and Ghost Gaming are creator-powered organizations,” said Jon Bukosky, Chief Commercial Officer at Resurgens Gaming. “With this partnership, we introduce new ongoing Ghost Gaming merchandise and, most importantly, will also help gaming content creators build and scale their own brands.”

The partnership makes it easier for fans to discover and purchase authentic, creator-developed merchandise that matches their interests.

For investor information, please contact IR@amaze.co

For press inquiries, please contact PR@amaze.co

About Amaze:
Amaze Software, Inc. is an end-to-end, creator-powered commerce platform offering tools for seamless product creation, advanced e-commerce solutions, and scalable managed services. By empowering anyone to “sell anything, anywhere,” Amaze enables creators to tell their stories, cultivate deeper audience connections, and generate sustainable income through shoppable, authentic experiences. Discover more at www.amaze.co.

About Ghost Gaming:
Ghost Gaming is a community-driven gaming organization cultivating talent and providing platforms to create engaging branded entertainment partnerships. Ghost Gaming has a roster of professional gamers and content creators across multiple titles, including Fortnite, Rocket League, Call of Duty and Valorant. With millions of social media followers across all platforms, Ghost is committed to finding and developing exceptional talent that represents the diverse gaming landscape.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These statements relate to future events and developments or to our future operating or financial performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based estimates and assumptions. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our strategies, initiatives, growth, revenues, expenditures, our plans and objectives for future operations, and future financial and business performance. These statements can be identified by words such as such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue,” and are based our current expectations and views concerning future events and developments and their potential effects on us.

These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or otherwise implied by the forward-looking statement. These risks include: our ability to execute our plans and strategies; our limited operating history and history of losses; our financial position and need for additional capital; our ability to attract and retain our creator base and expand the range of products available for sale; we may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expenses; we may not keep pace with technological advances; there may be undetected errors or defects in our software or issues related to data computing, processing or storage; our reliance on third parties to provide key services for our business, including cloud hosting, marketing platforms, payment providers and network providers; failure to maintain or enhance our brand; our ability to protect our intellectual property; significant interruptions, delays or outages in services from our platform; significant data breach or disruption of the information technology systems or networks and cyberattacks; risks associated with international operations; general economic and competitive factors affecting our business generally; changes in laws and regulations, including those related to privacy, online liability, consumer protection, and financial services; our dependence on senior management and other key personnel; and our ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and senior management.

Additional risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other future filings and reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Also, these forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of the press release. Unless required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events or developments.

SOURCE: Amaze Holdings, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

The Strathmore High School Spartans esports team had some standout performances at the Alberta Esports Championship earlier this month.

The tournament took place at Bow Valley College from May 10 to 11 and featured junior high and high school students from across the province playing Rocket League, Valorant, and Super Smash Bros.

According to Strathmore High, JuanJose Gonzales placed thirteenth, and Jordan MacDonald finished seventeenth out of more than 120 competitors in Super Smash Bros. 

In the same game, MacDonald teamed up with Dominick Brenner in doubles, securing a fifth-place finish.

 The tournament is open for all schools across Alberta. Facebook/Strathmore High School

Brothers Evan and Ian Toews played alongside Amari Hudson and Nikolas Harris in Rocket League, taking home silver in their division.

“Big thanks to all our SHS competitors for showing skill, sportsmanship, and Spartan pride,” wrote Strathmore High on its social media page.

Over a dozen local students were in the city to participate in the competition.

Mumbai: Independent creative agency Adtomica has been officially appointed as the Agency on Record (AOR) for Tinder’s brand partnerships in India, cementing a collaboration that gained widespread acclaim with the success of the emotionally charged “Move On” campaign earlier this year.

The Move On campaign, which made waves across digital and physical platforms, invited people to let go of mementos from past relationships — from handwritten letters to oversized hoodies — offering a symbolic release and a fresh emotional start. The initiative was powerfully tied to Blinkit’s Singles Mode, where 150,000 Tinder Plus vouchers were distributed at 75% off, merging emotional catharsis with tangible value.

Adtomica played a pivotal role in shaping the creative direction of the campaign, managing everything from concept to execution. This included the distribution mechanics for the Tinder Plus vouchers on Blinkit and designing in-app assets that organically integrated with Tinder’s interface — ultimately driving massive user engagement.

“Tinder is a brand that dares to be bold, and we love that. As their agency on record for partnerships in India, we’re excited to keep building experiences that are platform-first, culturally sharp, and always rooted in value for users,” said Abhay Kaul, Founder & CEO of Adtomica.

“Tinder is more than a dating app — it’s a reflection of how young India explores identity, connection, and self-worth. With the ‘Move On’ campaign, we wanted to create something emotionally resonant yet unmistakably bold. Adtomica understood that instinctively. Their ability to translate cultural insight into real-world engagement made this campaign truly memorable. We’re excited about what’s next,” added a Tinder spokesperson.

What are Esports?

Esports is competitive gaming that is now being embraced by colleges and universities around the country.

At East Central University in Ada, Cody Soden is the university’s Director of Esports.

SEE ALSO: Konawa senior first student recruited to ECU on Esports scholarship

Soden describes esports as the opposite of traditional sports. Where traditional sports is physical, esports is electronic, with the entire competition taking place online.

How does it work?

College esports works a lot like traditional sports. Soden says they hold tryouts, and there is a formal recruiting process as well.

However, esports are not overseen by the NCAA, so the rules governing the sport are different.

Esports coaches identify recruits in high school, follow them through their journey, and ultimately have the option of offering them college scholarships.

Who are the people ECU recruits?

Soden says traditional sports often target highly athletic students, who, in addition to physical prowess, often stand out from the crowd.

However, Soden says he’s looking for introverts and gamers who are often not sought after for scholarships.

Soden says his approach creates a unique recruiting opportunity for students to get scholarships who would otherwise be overlooked.