Newton’s last champion was the underdog #8 alliance known as the “wall of maroon” in 2007. This year, 177 returns to Newton from that championship alliance. HOT also has a storied history in this division, reaching the Newton finals three years in a row from 2003-2005, winning the division the latter two occasions, and winning the Championship in 2005.
With the exception of a handful of teams, a lot of Newton’s teams win their bread in either end zone. 971, 910, 1868, 20, 3123 and others capitalize in offensive territory while 294, 868, 1592, and more wreak havoc on the far end of the court. Newton may see more 1v1 action in each of the zones than the other fields, and more general emphasis on the ends of the field rather than the middle.
PREDICTIONS:
TIPS:
OzRam had only even made one trip to the eliminations in their prior history coming into 2010, but 1922 stepped it up several notches for Breakaway. They captained the #1 alliance to the finals in NH and won in Boston. They kept TJ^2’s ball supplies high in Boston from midfield, and are capable of converting the points themselves as well. Quick and dangerous, they could be a valuable asset if allowed to slip into the second round.
910 is one of the most effective home zone scoring machines in FIRST, but they’re rather limited in their role. They have some trouble moving over the bump and aren’t incredibly effective in the middle zone as they basically have to shove the balls over the bump. They can keep themselves fed if given time and space, but in order to be effective against significant competition, they’ll need a high caliber bot feeding them in the offensive zone.
This team could have very well fit into either the sleeper or the dark horse category, but ultimately ended up as a tip. After a lackluster performance in San Diego, the Space Cookies played very effectively in the offensive zone in SVR, reaching the finals. Their kicker is somewhat effective in helping restore their ball supply if their partners cannot. If 1868 continues to improve and play smart, they should be able to reach the Newton eliminations for the second straight year.
294 took two trips to the finals based largely on their defensive play and ability to clear (and sometimes score) balls from the far end of the field. In a division filled with lethal scoring machines like 16, 971, and 910; Beach City Robotics can definitely fill a role on just about any alliance by reducing their ball supply and making the offense’s life difficult. They’d likely face an early exit if they’re an alliance captain or a first-round selection, but in a support role they could be highly effective.
No other team has ever done what the Bobcats have over the past four years. None of the students on 177 know what it’s like to compete in the Championship without seeing their robot on Einstein, as they’ve been there every year since 2006. And in none of those years were they the favorite to win their division coming into the event. They don’t seem exceptional this year, either, but with a decent shooter and hanging mechanism, they’re good enough that they should be in the eliminations. After that, all bets are off when 177 is in Atlanta.
DARK HORSE:
The Bionic Tigers twice on the #1 alliance this season but were defeated at both events before the finals. 1592 has an incredibly effective long-range kicker that can dominate the game if left alone. While not quite on the same level as 67 or 1718, they are oozing with potential. Expect them to be on one of the top four alliances.
SLEEPER:
125 missed the eliminations entirely at their single regional, Boston. They had issues with getting in proper position to redirect balls and took a long time to hang. If they resolve these issues, their ball redirection scheme could have a huge impact on Newton, however this is not a given. Even if they fix the issues, don’t expect them to be on the same level as 469, as they don’t have a kicker (and thus can’t score in autonomous, nor are they effective if blocked from hanging) and take more time to deploy their set-up than 469 does. If they are working, they should definitely be in the eliminations, and could potentially be very dangerous.
LOCKS:
971 may just be the best striker in FIRST, as they’re exceptionally fast and well driven, with great ball possession. Just like in 2009, they enter the event without a single loss on their resume (though in both years they’d only competed in SVR). Spartan robotics aims to repeat not only their trip to Einstein, but also their victory there, in 2010. Though this time it’s even less likely they’ll slip to 24th selection. They haven’t shown quite a diverse enough game to guarantee a top seed, so they might be at the mercy of the alliance selection. If they can pair with 67, 1718, or 1592 it will be very difficult for them to be stopped before the finals.
The Bomb Squad failed to make the eliminations on Newton last year, just a year after playing in the last match on Einstein. But 16 should be back with a vengeance in the Saturday afternoon action in 2010. Their bot is very elusive in the offensive zone, and is capable of dropping back to the middle and scoring from there as well. Couple that with a hanging mechanism, and 16 should be one of the top three or four teams in the division.
67 has been scorching hot this year, but weren’t able to capture gold in Ypsilanti. HOT is capable of playing incredibly effectively in all three zones on the field, and is arguably the most dominant mid-field robot outside of 469. 67 can score in autonomous from multiple zones (so long as the chain gods are favorable) and their hanging mechanism continues to elevate them after the match ends. After reaching Einstein in each of the past two years and the success they’ve had this year, HOT is definitely the favorite to win Newton again.
The Fighting Pi can almost be seen as “HOT-lite.” But they’re not as effective as 67 in any aspect of the game, particularly ball control and they haven’t been able to perform at the same level in the elimination matches as they have in qualifications. 1718 will definitely be in one of the top three or four alliances, and has a very solid chance at reaching the division finals if they don’t choke under pressure.
