Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Howell High School’s robotics team, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots, has qualified for the prestigious FIRST in Michigan State Championship following outstanding performances in recent district qualifier events.

The team earned its spot at the championship in two ways: by being a member of the winning alliance at the Mason District Event and by receiving the Engineering Inspiration Award, which honors exceptional efforts to advance respect and appreciation for engineering within a team’s school and community.

At the Mason District Qualifier, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots climbed from 25th place to 10th in the rankings on Day 2. The team was selected as the first pick for Alliance 2 and went on to become district event winners alongside Team 910, Foley Freeze, and Team 4453, the Red Hot Chili Bots. The S.C.O.T.S. Bots also received the Gracious Professionalism Award, which recognizes teams that exemplify FIRST Core Values, including cooperation, respect and professionalism both on and off the field.

Earlier this season, at the Muskegon District Qualifier, the S.C.O.T.S. Bots finished qualifications ranked sixth and served as Alliance 4 captains. They also received the Engineering Inspiration Award, one of the highest honors in FIRST Robotics, which celebrates a team’s success in promoting engineering and STEM education within their school and broader community. As a result, the team will participate in an interview for the award at the state championship.

This year’s FIRST Robotics Competition game, titled REEFSCAPE℠, challenges teams to build robots capable of harvesting algae, collecting coral, and completing complex scoring tasks in a simulated underwater ecosystem. During the game’s autonomous phase, robots operate independently to score coral and harvest algae. For the remainder of the match, students control the robots as they navigate strategic tasks like dislodging and delivering algae, scoring on a reef structure, and attaching to a barge before time expires.

The 2025 FIRST in Michigan State Championship will take place April 3–5 at Saginaw Valley State University, where the S.C.O.T.S. Bots will compete against more than 160 of the state’s top robotics teams for a chance to advance to the FIRST Championship, held later in April in Houston, Texas.