EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville High School Robotics ended its first season in the FIRST Robotics – Decode League with a 10-5-0 record and the Judge’s Choice Award, presented tonight at the Central South Illinois regional tournament, a state qualifier, after the team switched leagues amid declining participation in its former Bot Ball competition.
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After many years competing in the Bot Ball league, the team moved this year to FIRST Robotics – Decode for its first-ever season in the new league. The change came after participation in the former league had “dwindled so much that competing would’ve required traveling as far as Oklahoma” since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to information provided.
The transition was not without challenges. EHS Robotics was the only new team in the Central South Illinois region, had a small roster and faced long-established teams sponsored by Caterpillar, John Deere and Boeing, according to the provided details.
The team finished the season 10-5-0 and won the Judge’s Choice Award at the regional tournament. Photos from the team’s last event show members receiving high-fives from judges as they accepted the award, according to the information provided.
Coaches Dan Morrissey and John Blackburn, both EHS teachers, guided the team through the season. The coach “admits he was initially hesitant to make the switch,” but “the students’ persistence paid off in a big way."
