Area teams compete in regional robotics event

The Kennett High School Indians robotics team won first place in the regional robotics competition Saturday at Poplar Buff High School. PBHS Iron Mules captured second place, two Jackson teams, Silent Reign and Those Guys, ranked third and fourth, with Leopold GearHeads rolling in fifth.

The Poplar Bluff team is currently ranked second in its league, but a school official said, “we are an early qualifier, so that number could be all over the place by the time we get near the end of January.”

PBHS Robotics Coach Kathy Miller said, “for right now, we get to enjoy being ranked so high.”

Miller teaches earth science, robotics, forensic science and AP Physics 1.

As the teams were setting up for a round of competition, Kennett coach Rick Johnson talked about his team of five.

“We meet after school to build the robots,” Johnson said. “They have to do all the things this year.”

Johnson said, two members have been doing robotics since sixth grade and the other three have been involved for three years.

The squad spends six hours a week at the school working on the robots and programing.

“It takes about eight to 10 weeks to build the robots and two to three weeks to do the program,” Johnson said. “They spend a couple of weeks practicing game strategies. They will keep working on it the whole year, always trying to improve how many points we get in a match.”

Jobeth and Allen Roberts of Kennett, who have a senior on the team, enjoy the competition. They said, their days as proud robotics parents are not numbered since they have younger family members who are waiting until they are old enough to join the team.

Isaac Pry, a member of the Iron Mules, pointed out his parents, Rosa and Michael Pry of Poplar Bluff, in the audience.

Rosa Pry explained this is Isaac’s first year on the team since he’s a high school freshman. She described her son being involved in robotics as “fantastic and wonderful.”

Michael Pry said, “Isaac always has been technically inclined but had not done any robotics until this year.”

Rosa added, last week the team met every single day for two hours to get ready for competition. During a regular week, they meet two hours.

Angie and Greg DeProw of Jackson attended to watch the two Jackson teams. Their daughter, Lilly, is on the school’s teams.

Lilly explained, Jackson’s teams will compete four times this year, and “this is our first one.”

Working since August, Lilly explained, the teams meet for four hours, three times a week.

“We built the robot,” she said. “Someone built the arm and someone built the claw, and at the end we put it together.”

The Jackson students adjusted, built and tested during August and September.

Lilly described herself and her teammates as “pretty competitive.”

“You are never done,” she said. “There is always something you are doing.”

As Lilly watched her teammates, she made comments like the “wheel on duck is a little low.” Observing another maneuver, Lilly said, “doing good as far. The code has not disconnected. The code is still working fine.”

A senior, Lilly is planning to attend the University of Mississippi to major is chemistry. After college graduation, she plans to follow in her mom’s footsteps and do chemical research in labs.

The other teams at the weekend event were Lesterville’s Blood, Sweat, & GEARS and the Hayti Indians.