Please check back at any time as this update will be updated quite frequently.

THE MOST RECENTLY UPDATED NEWS WILL BE BOLD

Our status:

Here is the list of the 8 alliances that will be in the finals:

Alliance #1: 2035, 766, 1147

Alliance #2: 2551, 1388, 1072

Alliance #3: 2063, 692, 2159

Alliance #4: 2122, 1662, 115

Alliance #5: 1323, 997, 675 <—Our alliance!

Alliance #6: 1678, 701, 114

Alliance #7: 2144, 1351, 852

Alliance #8: 1516, 2073, 2367

-*Friday*- (March 21)

9:42 AM-Match 1: Loss

10:18 AM-Match 2: Loss

10:48 AM-Match 3: Loss

11:18 AM-Match 4: Loss

1:36 PM-Match 5: Win!!

2:00 PM-Match 6: Win!!

2:30 PM-Match 7: Loss

3:06 PM- Match 8: WIN! (Tim Rocks!)

We have come to the point where we must prove to the top 8 (And all of the rest of the teams) teams that we are what they need to win. According to our scouting data (Which has been running very well) we ranked number 9 of all of the teams in order of average points per match score. The catch with our team is that those average points include the matches we had in the beginning with bad luck. If our team was as up to speed as we are now, we would be within the top 4 teams ranked by average points per match. Strategies have been changed, the robot has been tweaked, and the alliance team has enough confidence to take us all the way.

-*Saturday*- (March 22)

9:54 AM-Match 9: Loss (Although our robot-Spartacus 2, got a unique in-match compliment by the announcer)

10:18 AM-Match 10: Loss

11:00 AM-Match 11: Win!!

Total (And now final) results: 4 Wins, 7 Losses

These matches are the important qualifying matches that occur during each regional. The teams are put into a seeding with a rank that will determine how they might make it into the finals of that regional. The top 8 ranked teams are automatically in the finals and will each be choosing 2 other teams to be on their alliance in the finals. What happens, is a representative from each of the top 8 teams will go down onto the field and stand in order of their rank. The regional officials will then ask the representative of the team ranked number 1 which team they would like to invite to their alliance. They may choose any team ranked below them (In the number 1 spot, this of course includes all other teams). If a team in the top 8 ranks is chosen, they may choose to decline the invitation or join the alliance. In the more common case of a team’s acceptance in said situation, they will move to the alliance and rank of the offering team and every team in the regional will move up a rank. This gives the teams ranked just after number 8 a good chance to still make it into the finals. Any team that is ranked 9 or below that is invited to join an alliance is required to accept the offer or the team is disqualified. This alliance picking will start with team number 1, then 2, 3 and down onto 8, and after team number 8 picks a team, the will pick another team immediately after and the pickings will work their way from 8 down to 1. The team ranked number 1 will have the oppurtunity of having the first pick for the finals and the last pick. These alliance pickings for the finals will occur on Saturday and will sortly after be followed by the finals of the competition.

Team 997 has also once again acquired legendary Steve Wozniak’s (Co-Founder of Apple) signature on this year’s robot.

For those unaware of the games and competitions that are going on in FIRST this year, please follow this URL to see the goal for all FIRST teams in 2008: %