By Stephen Smoot
At one point in the not-too-distant-past, the success of the Moorefield High School JackBots technology competition team looked to be a nearly insurmountable feat akin to the story of Hickory High School in “Hoosiers.”
Now success from the squad is just as expected as their competitive counterparts in MHS athletics. Once again, they sallied forth (this time to Richmond, Virginia) to compete hours away and once again they returned with the hardware earned by stellar performances. This comes after a banner year in which Moorefield High School hosted a major FIRST competitive event.
Moorefield competes through an organization called FIRST Chesapeake, which refers to itself on its website as “a global robotics community preparing young people for the future.” Although centered on Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C., Moorefield’s proximity enabled it to join. It functions very loosely to its member schools as the Potomac Valley Conference does athletics in that it provides an organizational format to competition, but FIRST has a bigger mission than just the competitions.
FIRST stands “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” The mission lies in developing the entire young mind, not just the technical skillset. As 15-year veteran FIRST volunteer Amia Robinson told Richmond’s WTVR news, “the students get a lot out of it” in that they “teach you the skills you need for, say, a job interview, being confident about who you are.”
Responsibilities taken on by students include community fundraising and outreach in which young people themselves lead the effort. While some engineer the actual competitive robot and work on superior designs and superior performance, others play the role of explaining what the team has done and is doing within the broad parameters of FIRST competition.
In October, for example, the team participated in a STEM (science, technology, and mathematics education) event at the West Virginia State Capitol, including a mock legislature event. They also operate stands at area fairs and festivals. After their success in Richmond, the squad demonstrated the robot for the Hardy County Board of Education in their final meeting of 2025.
Bonnie Crites and Alicien Adams mentor and coach the JackBots teams that include both high and middle school division competitors.
Different competitions have different set ups for what the competition robot should do. Richmond’s asked for robots that could collect as many balls as possible then, in artillery fashion, aim to hit a hole that served as a target. In past competitions, robots were expected to pick up objects from the ground and hang them on a structure. Teams can use their engineering creativity and innovation to design for efficient performance.
Moorefield brought “Johnny Odyssey,” a black box on wheels emblazoned with googly eyes and an errant tongue. Though silly in appearance, the device worked well at pulling balls into itself and firing accurately at the target, with students guiding it through remote control.
A human being can pick up a basketball and shoot it into the bucket, not having to think about every single movement, every single nerve, muscle and bone involved in taking the shot. Robot designers must innovate for every detail of every aspect of the device.
Johnny Odyssey performed ably and the team advanced to Alliance Finalist in tandem with a partner team, the Pantherbots.
As the JackBots Facebook post about the event read, “we clicked instantly and can’t wait to compete alongside them at the district championship!” Additionally, they earned an Inspire 2 Award, which the team explained to the school board as recognizing teams that “fully exemplify the meaning of FIRST.”
FIRST returns to Hardy County on January 10 and 11 as Moorefield High School hosts FIRST Chesapeake’s FTC qualifiers.
Although FIRST has different divisions covering the United States, the one in which the JackBots compete is considered the most proficient group and the most difficult in which to win.
