A Well Oiled Machine

Hard work and the understanding of machinery lead the robotics team to state again this year. After missing out on state last year, the team was hungry for a chance to compete back at the state level.

“No one has ever gone to state in arena competition,” team captain Tristan Woods said. “It was very exciting to get there and see all our hard work pay off.”

Competing against technical, class 6A and class 5A schools didn’t intimidate the team.

“We put in a lot of class hours to get to where we did,” sophomore Beau Cardenas said. “Everyday in class was spent working on and perfecting our robot.”

The team received perfect scores when they warmed up in the pit, but unfortunately had some trouble when they actually competed.

“The kids did outstanding work,” coach James Wilcox said. “It was very bittersweet for me though, because I know the kids could have easily won.”

Despite not finishing the way they would have planned, the team already has a plan of how to take on next season.

“We are confident about getting back to state next year,” Cardenas said. “The goal is to beat Natalia at Regionals and then take home a state championship.”

Having only one senior this year means the team will be returning the majority of its members.

“Now that we have seen what goes on at the state competition we will be better prepared for what’s to come in the future,” Woods said. “Knowing that we came so close to winning this year makes going back to state more appealing.”

The team is ready to take revenge and gain those perfect scores for real.

“We aren’t backing down,” Cardenas said. “Losing next year just won’t be an option, its that simple.”