S-C’s Team SCREAM Wins Oklahoma Regional

Team SCREAM overcame an unfortunate mishap in its first playoff match to come back with its alliance to win the FIRST Robotics Oklahoma Regional on Saturday, April 5, in Shawnee, Okla.

Team SCREAM, the Smith-Cotton High School robotics team, finished qualifying matches ranked No. 1 out of the 48 competing teams.

It selected Bearbotics of Monument, Colo., and Sprockets of Shawnee, Okla., as its partners on the No. 1 alliance. Team SCREAM Jr., S-C’s junior varsity team, was No. 5 after qualifying and was captain of the No. 4 playoff alliance.

This competition season, FIRST teams are challenged with Reefscape, a game that requires robots to place PVC piping (“coral”) on metal tubes (“reef”) while also clearing the reef of large balls (“algae”) by placing them in an elevated cargo net (“barge”).

Senior Jackson Sparks, Team SCREAM’s robot driver, said in the team’s first playoff match, coral from one of their alliance mates’ robots dropped into SCREAM’s robot’s elevator system at the start of the match.

“It rendered our robot unable to score coral for the rest of (the match),” he said. “Luckily, we were still able to clear algae from the reef and score it in the net to help out our teammates.” Despite those efforts, SCREAM’s No. 1 alliance lost that opening playoff match to the No. 8 alliance, dropping the top alliance into the lower bracket of the double-elimination tournament. Sparks said that was a minor speed bump on the road to victory.

“Our alliance was in high spirits after we lost that match, and it motivated us even further to perform at our best. We enjoyed the challenge of fighting our way to the finals with the higher stakes of the lower bracket,” he said.

Team SCREAM’s alliance dominated on its way to the finals matchup against the No. 2 alliance, made up of Roboducks from Oklahoma City, Okla., Team Titanium from Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Liberty Robotics from Liberty, Mo.

After posting two consecutive wins in the finals, Team SCREAM’s alliance captured the champions’ blue banners and invitations to the FIRST World Championships later this month in Houston.

Team SCREAM Head Coach Michael Wright reflected on the Oklahoma Regional and the robotics season to date.

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“This season has truly tested our determination and grit — both for Team SCREAM and Team SCREAM Jr. We’ve experienced great success alongside plenty of challenges, and the one thing I know for sure about our students is that they never quit. They’re always striving to get better, and that mindset has been evident across both teams,” Wright said. “I especially want to give a huge shout out to the students and coaches of Team SCREAM Jr. They made the bold decision to completely rebuild their robot over spring break, and they came to Oklahoma with a fantastic machine that performed incredibly well. I know they’re disappointed they didn’t qualify for Worlds this year, but they have so much to be proud of. Their growth and perseverance this season have laid a strong foundation for the future.”

Team SCREAM Captain Morgan Withers said there won’t be time for rest before the FIRST World Championships, set for April 16-19.

“This season has been very successful for us as we walk out with two regional wins,” she said. “These wins have shown us that our robot has what it takes to compete with the best of the best. They have also shown us that if we continue to hone in the things we’ve already been doing we will be able to be competitive at Worlds. We are going to continue to optimize small things on our robot to increase efficiency and use the time between now and then for driver practice.”

Wright said he continues to be impressed by Team SCREAM, a defending FIRST world championship squad. “Every event this season has brought some kind of adversity, and Oklahoma was no exception,” Wright said. “We faced software and electrical issues that had the team stumped for hours, but they stuck with it. Eventually, they located the root of the problem, solved it, and finally got to showcase the powerful machine they’ve worked so hard to build.”

In the photo: Courtesy members of Team SCREAM, the Smith-Cotton High School robotics program, pause for a quick photo after the team was awarded the Industrial Design Award at the FIRST Robotics Oklahoma Regional on Saturday, April 5, in Shawnee, Okla.