Best Matches (best fought not score)

[Daniel Brim]

Edit: This is not a 2005 match. If you want 2005 matches, scroll down to the next post

The best fought match I saw (not this year because I haven't been to a regional yet) was in 2003, during Stack Attack. It was the 3rd and final match of the finals, and teams 294 and 696 were going up against 60 and someone else (somebody tell me who it was!)

Stack attack was a hugely defense oriented game, and this match was no exception. 696, and their robot Heather, was aggressive, and descored (not illegal) quickly. Team 294 was this little inept U-looking thing with a pole arm (kind of an arm). Team 60 had these fearsome-looking batwings that were see-through on one end but not on the other. On paper, we looked overmatched. But we sure gave them a run for their money...

About 30 seconds were left, and it was anybody's game. Team 60 made their final run for the ramp and were on top. Team 696 was on the fritz, they were on and off, and they weren't much help at this point. Only a few totes were on each side.

Team 294 made their run for the ramp. We made it on top, basically on Team 60 (we kind of broke them). All of a sudden, team 696 gets power back and charges up the ramp with about 5 seconds left. They make it up, but roll back down as time expired.

Team 60 had ramp hooking claws. They grabbed onto the mesh, and at the last second they retracted them (usually). However, in this match, 696's bump as they charged up the ramp jammed the grabber and when they tried to retract them, they ripped up the ramping mesh. The ripped wire mesh was touching 294.

According to the rules, not touching the side of the ramp was what the bonus was given for. However, what should the refs do if the ramp was broken? Eventually, the refs went with 60, and they won the match and the regional.

The best part of the match was the crowd involvement. They were going absolutely nuts during the last 30 seconds of this match. When the match was over, and the ref made his announcement, everybody knew they had just witnessed something special.

That is one of my favorite FIRST memories, thanks to 696 and 968 (alliance captain but sitting out), as well as team 60.

-Daniel