Howdy Y’all
Now that Texas has joined the District Gang, there will be plenty of chances to see what the depth of Texas has to offer. Unfortunately, many teams have opted to not post a reveal video so we will have to wait until the competition to see these bots.
Week 1
Austin District Event
Number of Registered Teams: 36
This event may not contain the VIP of Texas, but still has a lot of strong teams looking to take the first District Win of Texas.
The Favorites:
624: The green team from Katy is definitely one of the top contenders to take the win here. Having won 2 regionals, and making it to the semifinals of the Newton Division, this team is looking to continue their excellence.
3005: Another strong team from Texas looking to charge past the rest. This team was a regional finalist, a regional winner and the 7th ranked team at the Galileo Division.
2848: Formerly known as the All Sparks, the Rangers are a team that starts slow but once elims come by, they look to electrify the competition. It will be interesting to see how the split will affect the team’s performance, while not having the best season last year, the All Sparks will be looking to continue their rise to fame.
Rising Teams:
418: Purple Haze is a team that has been steadily climbing the ranks in the past few years. They were Regional Finalists and EI winners and left early in quarters at the Carver Division.
6377: This young team had a great season last year, winning the Lone Star Central Regional, and being Finalists on Newton. I look forward to seeing the great things this team comes up with.
2714: Team BBQ is a new team, that came out of the split with team 2848. Their black and orange bot: Brisket, is one to look out for this event.
Chairman’s Favorites:
2468: This team is a clear favorite for winning the Chairman’s award, having won at the regional level every time since 2013, and a team that can put up a good fight at the championship level.
418: This is another team that has a great outreach program and will be a good contender for the Chairman’s award.
El Paso District Event
Number of Registered Teams: 27
This event features a small number of teams, where most will make the elimination rounds.
The Favorites:
118: Nothing to be said. Everyone knows about the VIP and they are one force to be reckoned with
3847: This team is another rising bot in Texas. Having won a regional, making it to quarterfinals on Turing, and winning the EI Award at the championship, look out for their bot X-Ray to put up a good fight. Their bot features a smooth elevator that allows them to effectively score both cargo and the hatches, as well as an L3 Climb.
Rising Teams:
4063: This team has been climbing the ranks in Texas and slowly becoming a strong contender.
I’ll be back next week to give a recap of these events and preview Week 2.
