Bringing The Shock

Katy Rigol • June 22, 2023

Early in my internship with NOLA FLIGHT, I had the opportunity to sit in and take notes on some key meetings. At the time, NOLA needed a new competitive Call of Duty team, so the staff had set up interviews with a handful of potential rosters. One of the players on one of these rosters was none other than Cayden “Shockzy” Pye. 


I don’t remember asking Shockzy anything in particular, but I do remember that he’d made a good impression. The whole group of four did, and so they joined NOLA. However, as most teams inevitably do, the group that I had taken notes on in that original interview eventually disbanded. 


Except, Shockzy quickly returned to NF— Why? “This kind of community,” he says appreciatively. “This love and support.” At the mention of NOLA’s passionate community, I can’t help but explain that I’m also a big fan of “The Shock God.” 


Of course, along with the highs of representing a loyal New Orleans fanbase comes the adverse lows of competing in a fickle Call of Duty scene, like when one of Shockzy’s peers suddenly joined another squad. “I landed in Texas and my teammate was gone.” He chuckles and adds, “I’m happy for him. I can’t be mad.” 


We talk about how Cayden started competing in his senior year on Black Ops 4, how he took “every chall” playing 2019’s Modern Warfare. We talk about the tournament runs and victories and losses: Boston and Toronto, opponents like MajorManiak and GodRX, the placings in Top 24, Top 8, Top 3 and so on. 


But when I ask the Shock God if he has any final comments about his career so far, he makes sure to shout out each of his teammates and staff. 


“Very tippable.” 



Follow me on Twitter @rationews


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By Tina Howell April 28, 2025
After a weather-delayed kickoff, loyal NOLA Gold fans were treated to a rollercoaster of a match that ended with a well-earned 44-36 victory over the Seattle Seawolves at the Shrine. This win moved NOLA Gold into 3rd place in the Major League Rugby Eastern Conference standings. Coach Danny Lee said of the team's response to the delay, “We just had to control the controllables. Once we told the boys the definitive time for kickoff, we had a plan ready to go. In terms of game plan, we had to be a little bit more direct, and we had to kick and adapt quickly.” NOLA Gold set the tone early, taking an initial 3-0 lead thanks to a steady penalty kick from Dorian Jones. Though Seattle answered quickly with a try to make it 7-3, the Gold launched into a dominant scoring stretch. Isaac Te Tamaki powered across the try line to ignite the offense, followed by back-to-back tries from the relentless Jonah Mau’u. Jones continued to add points from the tee, stretching the Gold’s lead to 27-7. Just before halftime, the Seawolves found a breakthrough and scored at the buzzer, narrowing the margin to 27-14. However, NOLA emerged from the locker room with purpose. Xavier Mignot wasted no time reestablishing momentum with a try that pushed the lead to 34-14. Seattle fought back with intensity, capitalizing on back-to-back tries to bring the score to 34-24. But NOLA responded with composure, as Jones added another penalty to keep the visitors at bay, 37-24. The closing stages of the match saw both teams exchanging blows. Seattle’s try was met by a decisive moment from Joe Taufete’e, who muscled through defenders for a critical score. Luke Campbell’s conversion extended the lead to 44-29. Though Seattle scored one final try at the buzzer, it wasn’t enough. With a final score of 44-36, NOLA Gold walked away with a crucial five-point win in front of a roaring home crowd and strengthens their postseason hopes with a firm grip on 3rd place in the East. Their next match will be on the road against the San Diego Legion on May 4th at 4:00 PM CT. For tickets and more details, please visit www.nolagoldrugby.com
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