Another Brilliant Brunswick Eruption
Brunswick Eruption was a wonderful way to end the competition season of 2021 and is always an exhilarating off-season event to participate in. This year, for the first time, the competition was hosted by North Brunswick Middle School and was on Sunday November 7th 2021. Covid protocols limited the number of team members who were permitted to physically attend, but the support system from the online watch party was prominent. Brunswick Eruption led Nemesis through ups, downs and finally to victory as they managed to find solutions to any issue that came upon them! The competition was incredibly thrilling but most importantly filled with cooperation as Nemesis introduced new drivers and operators to the playing field and allied with teams in the semi- final matches. There’s never a dull moment at a competition like Brunswick Eruption and 2021 was a year to remember!
Nemesis was playing in the first match of the competition, and we got off to a rocky start when our robot, Hades, was motionless during the autonomous period. The endgame of this match didn’t prove successful as the robot failed to climb. This moment didn’t discourage the Nemesis team members, but instead empowered them to think of quick and efficient solutions to these issues. Next, things took a turn for the better as our drivers (Griffin David, Jack Hobart), operators (Abhik Ray, Rohan Bhatnagar), and robots warmed up and got situated on the field during the Qualification Matches. The technical issues that were seen in the opening match were nowhere to be found as the competition progressed. After the buzzer sounded, commencing matches, Hades brought cheers from the stands, but one moment that was especially memorable to everyone in the room was when Nemesis had an outstanding autonomous period performance. The robot shot three balls and had time to retrieve more balls from the trench and all in the allotted fifteen seconds. Nemesis ended the qualification matches with a rank of 8th place (out of 14)
Closely following the elimination matches came the time for alliance selection. The top four placing teams were allowed to choose two more teams to form an alliance with. The number two alliance, Robo Vikings (2607), partnered with Nemesis. The second team which the Robo Vikings chose in alliance was team 1626, Falcon Robotics. The partnerships made in the alliance-selection were dependent on the scouting records from the Qualification matches. With Nemesis only being able to bring along twelve team members, the scouting experience was not akin to years past. In prior competitions, full teams would gather to encourage, assist and scout during matches. Scouting is when a team member keeps a log of a robot’s performance during a match. However, this year the strategy leads, Araash Ahuja and Hammad Farooqi, took on the task and succeeded in scouting solo.
The greatly awaited semi-finals have arrived! A Round-Robin style competition format with the fully formed alliances took place (everybody gets to play everybody). Anticipation filled every team member, mentor and robot in the gymnasium as each match was being played. The hard work of a full season came down to these matches as the 2021 season was coming to an end. Nemesis, Robo Vikings and Falcon Robotics played three matches and came out victorious in each one! With a (3-0) record our partnership with alliance number four continued to the exhilarating final rounds.
The Finals consists of three matches, and the best of three takes home the title of champion. The remaining six robots align themselves behind the initiation line. Heart raced in the crowds like sprinters as the first match of the finals was seconds away from beginning. The autonomous period went as planned for Nemesis, but shortly after, things took an unexpected course as the game piece intake jammed. It’s moments like these where team members must utilize a plan B and adjust to the circumstances instead of folding under pressure and that is exactly the skill that Nemesis showed. With the intake clogged up, shooting and collecting balls was no longer an option and the Drive team put their minds together to come up with the idea to spend the match playing defense. Our alliance compensated for the inability to play offense as expected when the endgame came around; not only did they perform an incredible double climb, but also a leveled shield generator was achieved which brought an additional 65 points on our side of the scoreboard. At the end of the first match, the ball was in the court of our alliance as they won with a score of (109-84). The time for the second match approached and excitement covered the stands like a blanket. The match began and from the beginning of the autonomous period to the closing of the end game, there was not a single person not at the edge of their seats. Both teams continuously made penalties throughout the match which kept the score tight. All eyes were glued to the field and with every passing second a new level of anticipation and excitement was reached. As the buzzer rang to announce the end of the second match, it was uncertain who the winner was as the score seemed extremely close during the entirety of the match. Finally, as the score was revealed along with the animated red fireworks behind it the red alliance were named the champions of the competition (2 out of 3 matches were won). The gymnasium shook with cheers and the energy was through the roof! The claps and hollers were all that was heard from the participants of the competition!
Brunswick Eruption was an ultimate success, not only for Nemesis, but for their wonderful partners in alliance: Robo Vikings and Falcon Robotics aswell. Strategy Lead, Hammad Farooqi explains, “The whole story of Brunswick Eruption was of progression and perseverance because although we got off to a bad start it was really inspiring to see our drivers and our robot get better over time and ultimately win the competition alongside our great alliance.” This day showed that no matter how unexpected and crazy things seem handling each moment with teamwork, calmness, and determination towards the goal will lead to victory. There was no better way to wave goodbye to the 2021 season than this and Nemesis looks forward to being back at Brunswick Eruption in the future.