Another year, another victory for Whitewater High School’s Ferradermis (FIRST Robotics team 6574). The team competed March 27th through the 30th at the Wisconsin Regional in Milwaukee, picking up a second consecutive victory on top of their 2018 success. This year Ferradermis had their best showing, ending the initial round of qualification matches at the #3 position in a pool of 54 competing teams from around the country (as well as a victor from another competition coming all the way from Auckland, New Zealand!). When it came down to picking the final teams to compete through the elimination rounds, the #1 and #2 teams joined together; forming a seemingly unbeatable alliance. This led to Ferradermis filling in the spot as the second ranked alliance captains, giving them the ability to choose other teams to join them. The team chose Paradigm Shift (team 1259 out of Pewaukee, Wisconsin) as their first pick to join them. The history between these two teams goes back to before Ferradermis’ creation, as a handful of Ferradermis’ core mentors were formerly members of Paradigm Shift. During the 2018 Wisconsin Regional, Paradigm Shift was the first rank alliance captain and picked Ferradermis as their own partner; this year Ferradermis had the opportunity to do the same in return. Teams 6574 and 1259 picked Oriole Assault (team 1091 out of Hartford, Wisconsin) to complete their alliance, and so began the elimination matches.
The alliance was undefeated through quarterfinals and semifinals, winning each 2-0. The whole event was shocked when the first ranked alliance was knocked out by the fourth seed (including 7498 of New Zealand); the alliance that Ferradermis, Paradigm Shift, and Oriole Assault would now need to defeat to secure a victory in finals. After an initial loss in finals, the prospects were uncertain for Ferradermis, but it became clear that a victory could be within reach. The team’s hopes were stoked after the second finals match was won, and the event was decided by a tiebreak match which ended as a decisive victory for Ferradermis’ second seed alliance. By winning the regional, just as in 2018, Ferradermis qualified for the FIRST Robotics Competition world championship in Detroit, Michigan from April 24th through April 27th. There they will go head-to-head with other winning robots created by teams from across the continent and the world. To be regional champions two out of their first three years of existence is an outstanding feat, and Ferradermis has demonstrated consistent growth ever since its creation. It has continued to bring together and strengthen its group of student members and adult mentors, and has its sights as high as ever for the future.
The team would like to thank their sponsors, parents, and fellow students for their ongoing support. There was an electric atmosphere in the stands in Milwaukee, energizing the team. You can watch any match from the event and get a feel for the intensity of the competition at https://www.thebluealliance.com/event/2019wimi. Thank you also to the Whitewater Fire Department for the amazing ride through the city upon our return on Saturday evening!
Ferradermis members are currently fundraising for their trip to Detroit with a goal of raising $20,000 in the next two weeks. Please consider supporting the team in one or more of the following ways:
- Rocky Rococo’s Pizza will be donating 20% of their sales to the team on Wednesday, April 10, from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm.
- Jessica’s Family Restaurant will be donating 10% of their sales to the team on Tuesday, April 16, from 6:00 am until 3:00 pm.
- Individuals may contribute through our fundraising page at http://www.ferradermis.org/support.php or by mailing a check to WHS in care of Ferradermis.
