[David.Cook]

Disclaimer... of course, the most exciting matches always seem to be the ones your 'bot is involved in.

At NASA/VCU Sparky was having a great run... we hadn't really run into many problems, but in the semis we were playing in a close match, and Sparky was on its way to cement the win by taking out the opponent's 3-stack. Our stacks were down and the bin count was relatively close, so we had to take out the stack and get on top. If you haven't seen Sparky in action I must explain that because of the power of the drivetrain Sparky pops a 3-4" wheelie when it starts forward from a stop. Our driver, Scott, was maneuvering into position near the far railing to take out the 3-stack when the wheelie takes Sparky up onto the 3" angle iron on the side of the field. For the first time all week we were totally stuck! We watch in horror as Scott tries to dislodge the 'bot, to no avail, for about 20 seconds. I remember thinking, "oh well, we had a great run all tournament." So with about 15 seconds left, Scott manages to pop the wheelie and turn just enough to get off the rail. He proceeded to plow Sparky into the 3-stack, and with only a few seconds left, he turns the 'bot perfectly, zips up the ramp and comes to a perfect stop right on the top as the announcer was finishing the 3-2-1 countdown. You can imagine the joyous shout that erupted from our team in the stands as we realized we had gone from elimination to a win in a very few seconds.

Thanks for bearing with me. I like this thread very much. I think it is great to hear the stories of different matches that teams have to relate. In the regionals I have attended and the webcasts I have seen there have been many outstanding plays by the teams.

Congrats to everyone who fielded a 'bot in a tournament!