Montgomery County Community College Mustangs eSports athlete Murad ‘FruitSmasher’ Shaw had winning on his mind when he competed in his first-ever National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) esports “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” semifinals.

Shaw competed against 176 players in the regular season from junior colleges nationwide in the fighting game, which pits Nintendo’s roster of characters against each other, then the top 32 players can advance to the playoffs. Fans across the country could stream the tournament’s semifinals and finals matches on the platform Twitch.  

Shaw knocked out the number one seeded competitor from Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan in a 4-0 series sweep and advanced to the national title series final.

Shaw, 18, is studying to become a game developer and has been an enormous fan of the “Super Smash Bros.” franchise for years and plays its 2018-released latest iteration between two and seven hours a day from home.

He likes the characters, he says, and the platforming aspect, the combos, the edge guarding – that’s the reason he likes ‘Smash’ over other fighting games.

For his unique gamer tag handle, he needed a name. “I saw a bowl of fruit,” he said, and his name was born, ‘FruitSmasher.’ “It’s not my proudest tag but I stick with it,” he says.

Shaw knew he had a talent for the game shortly after it was released, when he went to a local tournament hosted by the esports venue “The Laboratory” in Hatboro, and won three of his five games, where he realized he had potential.

After enrolling at MCCC this past fall, a friend convinced him to join the school’s newly formed Mustangs eSports varsity team and play on the “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” team. I like that everyone’s pretty serious about it. I haven’t been able to play on campus yet because of the pandemic but it’s still well done for being online,” he says.” I like the team and the coach.

“Winning is what it’s all about. It’s as simple as that,” Shaw says.

You can follow and compete with Murad Shaw on Discord at FruitSmasher1106. 

For more information about MCCC Mustangs Athletics, visit here.

About Montgomery County Community College 
For more than 56 years, Montgomery County Community College has grown with the community to meet the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County. The College’s comprehensive curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications.

Students enjoy the flexibility of learning at the College’s thriving campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, at the Culinary Arts Institute in Lansdale and online.