Albany Review
Coming into Albany, we had a strong feeling that the top tier of the field would be neck-and-neck throughout the event. That prediction rang true. For the first time this season, we saw an upset occur in a playoff series when the #5 seeded alliance captained by 7315 defeated the #4 squad led by 7470, despite the fact that 3635 (#6 captain) declined 7315’s invitation during alliance selections.
1261 led the pack throughout most of qualifications, ramping up match by match. But when they faced the fiery duo of 1414 and 6829 at the end of their schedule, they lost the top spot to IHOT via a 4-0 RP swing. This momentum rolled straight into selections as IHOT skipped over 1261 and 6919 to choose the 4th-seed, Ignite Robotics. Robo Lions teamed up with the hometown heroes, The Commodores, and shot into the playoffs looking for revenge. IHOT’s #1 alliance fought with a variety of issues during elims - everything that could go wrong for them did, it seemed. Robo Lions and Commodores, however, kicked it into overdrive, increasing their score in every single match played together. The Robo Lions sharpened their claws all afternoon, and when they face the #1 alliance in finals, they pounced. Blue banner obtained.
In addition to 6919 earning their 2nd win of the year, they walked away with the Engineering Inspiration Award. A great performance for the local Albany powerhouse. 1683 also had a strong all-around showing, leading the #3 alliance into semifinals alongside their first pick 1746, and taking home the Albany Chairman’s Award. Interestingly, there was no Rookie All-Star Award recipient at Albany. Though 8815 was the only rookie in attendance, the judges decided to give them the Rookie Inspiration Award. This difference in 3 district points ultimately dropped the Bulloch Alliance out of DCMP contention.
In similar fashion, many other teams came oh-so-close to qualifying for the State Championship, but at the end of the day, their seasons had ended. Though they’re no longer competing, we encourage these teams to look forward to what the future holds. Build projects during the off-season are a proven way to level up your team’s design, manufacturing, and programming skills. In addition to GRITS in the fall, keep an eye out for other off-season competitions to improve, so that next season, you take the district by storm.
Looking forward…
Peachtree District State Championship 2022
This is shaping up to be the most competitive and entertaining PCH Championship ever. Rapid React has proven to be a very well-rounded game with something to offer for everyone. Teams have been able to take the knowledge they built around shooting and climbing in Infinite Recharge to new heights. More bonus RPs are being achieved on a regular basis. Even defensive strategy is evolving into a diverse deck of options - robot-on-robot defense, zone defense, double defense, and even active ball starvation. Teams are doing whatever it takes to win matches, and that’s great to see.
So with DCMP starting up tomorrow, what better way to hype up the oncoming crowd than to update the rankings?
PCH Tiered Robot Power Rankings:
In a League of Their Own:
1. 1771
North Gwinnett Robotics has absolutely dominated in Georgia. With an overall record of 34-2 coming into DCMP, expect this team to be the center of conversation all weekend long. Anything less than a #1 seed and a blue banner at the end of the day will be seen as a failure. The PCH District Championship is theirs to lose.
Top Guns:
2. 8736
The Mechanisms have shot their way into the spotlight, throwing down the most impressive rookie season our district has ever seen. At both Dalton and Carrollton, they received the most prestigious awards possible - being picked by 1771. But DCMP is another level of competition compared to those. If they show up without a climber again, they may struggle to keep up in the rankings this time around since 4 RP matches will be so common.
3. 4188
Columbus Space Program started the season off strong, going 21-0 at Columbus, but the gremlins caught up to them at Carrollton in the forms of an inconsistent autonomous and Limelight problems. If they’ve resolved their issues, though, keep on eye on 4188 as their ceiling goes through the roof. 4188’s quick climb is a nice perk, but their shooter is what puts them in the top tier of Georgia.
4. 1414
IHOT have only had a few days off since their heartbreaking defeat at Albany, but don’t be surprised when they come in HOT to DCMP. With all systems firing properly, they have the potential to upset anyone in the state.
5. 2974
Walton Robotics has had a somewhat underwhelming season compared to their usual level of dominance. They did manage to put up the 2 highest scores at Carrollton, but for the first time since 2014, Walton is staring down a zero-event-win season. But 2974 is never one to give up in the face of adversity. Count them as the top “dark horse” to pull off an upset in their effort to win a 3rd District Championship.
6. 6919
The Commodores are primed and ready to go for DCMP, fresh off their back-to-back event wins, both times as the winning alliance’s first choice. If this trend continues, whoever picks 6919 Saturday will win State, right? Very real possibility.
In the Hunt:
7. 6829
Ignite Robotics made massive improvements at Albany, but they still need to step it up another notch if they want to stay in the race - not only for the District Championship, but for a ticket to World’s.
8. 1261
Robo Lions showed at Albany that they have what it takes to keep up with the best scorers in the state. Though they’re surely proud of their victory, don’t expect them to take the foot off the gas anytime soon.
9. 6705
WildCat 5e will have one of the best climbers in the building. This may help them seed high, but they will need to team up with a strong shooter if they want to make a deep run in elims.
10. 1746
OTTO has one of the fastest High climbs in the region, not to mention their deceivingly high potential output of cargo into the Hub. They fit well in any alliance, and if they manage to improve their autonomous, they might just have the opportunity to form an alliance of their own at State.
11. 832
Oscar has had their ups and downs this season. That being said, this may be 832’s strongest robot to date. They’ve got the traversal climb. They’ve got the solid shooter. Add a fresh new 5-ball auton into the mix, and we’re looking at another strong dark horse contender.
12. 1683
Techno Titans know better than anyone that they have a strong robot this year. The problem is, so do a lot of teams. 1683 has struggled to make a deep run in playoffs so far this year. It will take improvements in all aspects of the game for them to find themselves in a very comfortable spot Saturday afternoon. Unless they just win Chairman’s. That might make them feel pretty comfortable.
13. 6340
The Marist Manatees feature the most consistent traversal climber in the PCH District. They also made the big transition from scoring mostly low goals to mostly high goals. These are the kinds of changes that are great to see. 6340 has a strong chance of being an alliance captain at DCMP, so hopefully they’ve got their scouts preparing to make a couple of strong strategic selections for their alliance.
14. 3635
Flying Legion have been establishing themselves as a team to be taken seriously in recent seasons. They have also found themselves picking 4701 at both of their events this year. Their tele-op game has been pretty consistent, but they may need a multi-ball autonomous if they want to keep up with the top guns.
15. 4509
Mechanical Bulls have secured top-6 seeds at both of their qualifiers. Their scoring numbers have steadily increased all season long. Now, the name of the game is consistency.
Chairman’s Award Competitors: 1648, 1683, 2974, and 7451. (1/4 will win)
Engineering Inspiration Award Competitors: 4188, 5900, 6340, and 6919. (2/4 will win)
Rookie All-Star Award Competitors: 8849, 8865, and 8866. (1/3 will win)