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Liberty High School’s FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Team 20331 – the Bison Bots — has qualified for a Premier FTC tournament, becoming only the second team in Perris Union High School District history to achieve this milestone.
After steadily improving throughout the season in fall scrimmages and competitions, the team delivered a standout performance at the SoCal Qualifier in February, finishing second out of 30 teams in qualification matches and serving as an alliance captain in the playoff rounds, where they posted a 3-1 record to earn a spot at the Los Angeles Championship.
At the Los Angeles Championship in early March, the Bison Bots started the championship tournament strong, sitting in eighth place after their first two matches among some of the top 42 teams in the region. However, the team soon encountered static-related issues that caused their robot to disconnect four times during matches. The issue affected multiple teams at the event, with around 40 disconnections reported across the tournament. Despite working with event officials to address the issue, the event schedule prevented a pause in competition, and the disconnects significantly affected match scoring. The team ultimately finished 26th in the standings.
Despite the challenges on the field, the Bison Bots’ dedication and teamwork stood out to the judging panel, earning them the Judges’ Choice Award, which recognizes teams whose unique efforts, performance, or team dynamics make a strong impression on judges. The award boosted the team’s advancement ranking to 18th place, qualifying them for a Premier Event, when they will compete against top robotics teams from around the world. As they prepare for the upcoming tournament, the team will be fundraising to support their travel and competition expenses.
“The Bison Bots are the epitome of a successful robotics team,” said Josh Kitzerow, Liberty High School robotics advisor. “They have persevered through some tough times and never gave up. They keep coming back with something newer and better. They spent more time in my room over the last several months than I have, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.
“But it was not just Bison Bots. Our other teams, Liberty & Justice and Stampede Machines, deserve some of the credit as well. The three teams always push each other to do better, and with the hands-off approach I have always taken, they have embraced failure and used it as motivation. I’m incredibly proud of how much this club has grown and what it has accomplished over the past five years.”
The Bison Bots team members are Meghan Corallo, Katelyn Davies, Abrram De Guzmán, Connor Donaghe, Thomas Gavaghan, Winter George (Not Pictured), Lucas Henneman, Kare McVay, Isaiah Mendiola (Not Pictured), Haley Oconnell, Van Olsen (Not Pictured), Huxley Parsons, Zachary Petree, Ryan Schneider, Fiona Sharp (Not Pictured).
The competition also included strong performances from other local teams, including Heritage High School’s Machine Kings (FTC Team 6371). Like the Bison Bots, the Machine Kings demonstrated a high level of skill and preparation throughout the season. Unfortunately, they also faced the same static-related connectivity issues during the championship event and were unable to overcome those challenges to advance. Their hard work and dedication throughout the season did not go unnoticed, and the students, mentors, and supporters involved with the Machine Kings should be proud of what the team accomplished this year.
The Bison Bots will learn which Premier Event they will attend on March 23, as teams are placed based on advancement rankings. With an advancement placement of 18, the team could be assigned to one of three events: the Western Edge Premier Event in Long Beach, California (May 28–31), the Run for the Robots Premier Event in Lexington, Kentucky (May 28–31), or the New England Premier Event in West Springfield, Massachusetts (April 17–18).
