pic: 2011 Palmetto Regional Winning Alliance

[EricS-Team180]

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[Josh Drake]

Congrats guys. Once those two teams paired up, we knew you were the alliance to beat. Then 2815 was still left (the #2 alliance was really good too).

Good luck in St. Louis, hope to be seeing you there.

[notmattlythgoe]

Thank you again teams 180 and 2815 for helping us earn our first trip to the Championship!

[Nathan Streeter]

Great job! I was surprised not even 2363 made it onto the frctop25 - you guys certainly performed exceptionally well! Good luck at Champs! :-)

[notmattlythgoe]

I'm glad that you think we deserve to be up there, but I think we need to prove that we were not just a one-hit-wonder before we end up being ranked up there. Maybe after the Virginia Regional we will have made a case for ourselves.

[techtiger1]

2363 you guys are the real deal that is an excellent robot from such a young team. Seeing it in person at Palmetto was amazing, you guys got the design right for this years game. The only way you make yourself a one hit wonder is if "YOU" let it happen. I'm sure you guys will do well in Virginia and good luck at championship. If guys can make it down to Florida next year we would be glad to have you.

[nighterfighter]

So...when 2815 got picked, did Billfred make his "WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" yell again?

I remember hearing it from across the field at Peachtree!

Congrats guys!

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

So...when 2815 got picked, did Billfred make his "WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" yell again?

I remember hearing it from across the field at Peachtree!

Congrats guys!

Heh...

It was a different scenario at Peachtree. After a solid defensive match alongside 2415 (which was what they were looking for out of us), I felt a glimmer of hope after our awful qualification matches on Friday that we might play that afternoon. But after the DSC cable came out in our final qualification match to stop us in our tracks, I figured that there was no way any respectable alliance would pick us. (Heck, I wouldn't have picked us.) Hearing our number there was a genuine surprise to me, and led to one of the wildest rides I've had in eight years of FRC. (And I've had a couple.)

Fast forward seven days. I'd been talking through the days with George, Warren, and Eric on SPAM, some of the first mentors I had gotten to know in FRC. When talking with them, they were very interested in picking us on our reputation as a strong defender even though they doubted we'd still be available in the second round. I wouldn't have put as much weight on that from most other folks--we've gotten surprised before at alliance selection--but I know these guys would not jerk me around (or, at the minimum, not like that). As the last pick came around again, the field was dwindling and strong defenders were getting picked (case in point: 1293). When it got back to SPAM, I had my fingers crossed but had much more hope in me. I still cheered, but I don't think it made it past the blue alliance station where I was seated with the team.

No matter the volume, I wouldn't change a thing in either case.

(And teams going to Virginia: Ignore 2363 at your own peril. They weren't really on my radar until I started looking at the data Friday night--but when I did, holy cow! These guys are the real deal.)