[marshall]

Originally Posted by Looking Forward

North Carolina District- Guilford:
This event marks the start of districts in North Carolina and is certainly going to be a strange weekend. The local teams will be getting used to the new format, and they have some outside help to show them how it's done. Three of the best teams from Indiana will be making the long drive to Guilford this weekend. 234, 1501, and 5188 are looking to get their machines tuned, their drivers practiced, and prepare for their own districts back home. With a lot of mostly unknown local factors, these teams could very likely end up facing each other in playoffs. The North Carolinian talent will have a chance to begin to show off what they're really capable of. Districts will allow these teams to learn and grow, iterating throughout their season. Case in point, 900 didn't have the strongest start out of the gate at Palmetto, but the Zebracorns are a team well known for their ability to adapt. They were a bit top heavy last weekend, but played some strong defense while working out bugs. If they can get their shooter working, the vision processing should help give them an edge. Shore up their CG issues, and they may have a strong shot come eliminations. Another team likely to be boasting complimentary software features is 2665. In the past the Platypi have shown that they can get an edge through programming, don't be surprised if they show up with a vision-processing solution too. Probably one of the most promising local teams this season has to be 1533. With their "Strange" drivebase of a swerve with a tank strapped on it, they are looking to breach their way to a high seed this weekend. This robot has a lot of utility and should compliment most styles of play come playoffs. 3791 did well without much funding last year, with money in their pockets and a keen eye for strategy, expect them to go even farther. Other local teams to keep an eye out for this weekend, that will likely be above the curve: 1225, 2059, and 2642.

I'm shocked we got a mention here since we aren't playing this weekend. We'll be watching though and best of luck to all of the teams in NC. It's a fun game so we know you'll enjoy playing it!