The Mathews FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 1137, also known as Rocket Sauce, placed 18th out of 64 teams last weekend at the Virginia Regional Competition held at the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center in Richmond.

Mathews celebrated a successful season beating its own record from last year plus 48 other teams in eight qualifying matches against stiff competition, including from four international teams from Brazil and the Netherlands.

Mathews High School principal Albert Green attended the event, showing support for the team.

In keeping with this year’s theme of recycling by removing totes and bins from the competition field, the Mathews team named their robot Attolló which is Latin for “to lift, raise or elevate.” Attolló scored points by stacking totes on platforms, adding to those stacks with recycling containers, and disposing of pool noodles, representing litter. All game pieces are reusable or recyclable by the team a...