By IAIN MCMURRAY
The Progress
The MVHS Robotics team earned a spot at the Nevada State Competition in a Vex Robotics tournament held in Las Vegas last weekend. PHOTO BY MAGGIE MCMURRAY/The Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Robotics Team competed in it’s second Vex Robotics tournament of the season on Saturday, Jan. 22. The team went undefeated throughout the qualification matches as they worked with students from all across the region to win the competition and earn a ticket to the state competition.
The team competed in six qualifier matches which required an early start on Saturday in Las Vegas. The competing robot had been built and programmed entirely by the students starting back in August.
The team was completely undefeated in all six qualification matches and claiming the first seed for the tournament. They partnered with the third seed, a middle school team called the Gear Grinders with which they had performed well earlier in the day, scoring an impressive 177 points. The alliance ended up winning the tournament, with nail-biting semifinals and finals matches.
“It was really awesome how the team pulled through even though some couldn’t make it,” said MVHS team member Joey Barnes. “We put in so many hours of work and it was all worth it in the end. That victory meant everything to the team and we couldn’t have done it without our great coaches and every member of the team. I’m really excited for state.”
In the semifinals match, the team was questioned on a sizing violation, as robots have to start within an 18 inch cube. Upon inspection, the robot failed inspection by less than a millimeter. But using an allotted time-out, the team quickly altered the robot to fit, and the match began.
However, in the rush, the team had forgotten to turn on their pneumatic air tanks that were powering some of the claws which allowed the robot to grab towers. Improvising, the team used what they had to bring towers to their ally and play defense, which allowed them to still win the semifinals.
The finals match, which was the highlight of the day, started with an autonomous period in which the robots wrestled for control of a neutral tower. The Moapa alliance barely came out on top.
What followed was a nail-biting match in which the teams desperately fought to control the towers and score points. The Moapa team was behind for a majority of the match. But they managed to match the opposing team’s score of 100 points, resulting in a tie for the driver control period.
Because of this, the judges took a moment to meticulously score the teams. In that process they realized that because the Pirates won the autonomous period, they had been awarded six extra points and had won the match.
“It all came down to autonomous,” said Reese Pagon, driver for the Gear Grinders team.
“This has really been an amazing experience and one I won’t soon forget,” said team member Isaac Linford. “I started out this year having no idea what I was doing, and now I’m part of a team that is going to State. It’s been a privilege to work with guys like Joey Barnes and Iain McMurray, and I owe a lot to them. I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and in the end, every hour was worth it. ”
Coach Bryan Linford agreed. “I am so proud of our robotics team!” he said. “We have worked so hard with thousands of hours during and after school and we have been rewarded for our efforts. In every match, the team put it all together to dominate the event.”
Linford said that it took a combination of skills to pull off the team’s performance. “Between the teamwork, the leadership, the mechanics, the coding, and the strategic planning, I am so impressed with our team,” Linford said. “I am so fortunate to work with such a fine group.”
The team would like to thank parents, coaches, and students for all of their time, energy, and support, as well as their sponsors, including Tesla and their generous anonymous donors.
The team will be hosting a home meet on Saturday, January 29 at the Fine Arts Building at the Clark County Fairgrounds starting at 9 am. The public is welcome to come and watch the contest.
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