Rebel Alliance Robotics Season is Underway

Just as the Owatonna High School winter sports teams are seeing their seasons end, the OHS robotics team is just starting its competitive season. The team, known as the Rebel Alliance, competed in Duluth, MN and Peoria, IL over the last couple of weekends. Each January robotics teams across the state begin construction of their robot based on the annual game, which changes each year. February 20 was the deadline to have the device ready for competition, or the "bag and tag" date.

OHS senior Harrison Kuhn is in his fourth year on the Rebel Alliance and spoke with KRFO radio recently. He started on the programming team in his freshman year and is now on the business and public relations team. He says there is also a build team and an electrical squad that all work together.

This year's game is an offshoot of the video game Super Mario Brothers, with each alliance stacking milk crates on scales. At each competition, three teams work together as an alliance against other alliances. Kuhn is hopeful that Owatonna can qualify for the state tournament. The Minnesota State High School League is one of only a few high school leagues to sponsor a state event. This year's tournament is May 19 at Mariucci Arena at the University of Minnesota.