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2024-2025 "Into the Deep"

2024-25 Season Recap

The Penfield Community FIRST FTC Robotics Team, Oncoming Storm (Team 6996), recently concluded an exciting and successful 2024–2025 competition season!

The season wrapped up at the New York State Excelsior Regional Championship in Utica, NY, where the team secured victories in 6 of their 8 qualification matches. Despite narrowly missing the finals, Oncoming Storm proudly finished 16th out of 32 of the top teams in New York, capping off a season defined by resilience, growth, and achievement.

Season Highlights

Finger Lakes Qualifier – Dec 8, 2024
A tough opening event tested the team’s determination. With little practice time and robot challenges, Oncoming Storm still managed a 3-2-0 record, finishing #9 with an OPR of 14.06 and earning 2nd Place Innovate Award (sponsored by RTX). This experience laid the foundation for the team’s comeback later in the season.
Buffalo Qualifier – Jan 19, 2025
Bouncing back from Finger Lakes, the team surged to a #3 rank with a 3-2-0 record and OPR of 34.00, becoming Finalist Alliance Captain. Most importantly, they earned the Inspire Award, the highest honor of FTC, which secured their first advancement to Regionals.
Corning Qualifier – Feb 9, 2025
In their strongest qualifier performance, Oncoming Storm went undefeated in qualifications with a 5-0-0 record, finishing #2 with an OPR of 84.50. As the Winning Alliance Captain, the team earned their second advancement to Regionals, proving their competitive edge.
NYS Excelsior Regional Championship – Mar 7–8, 2025
Facing the best in New York, the team battled through 8 qualification matches to finish with a 5-3-0 record, ranking #16 with their season-best OPR of 100.69. Regionally, they placed 16th of 92 teams, and statewide they finished 28th out of 245 teams.

Season Record

Overall Record: 22-10-0
Qualification Record: 16-7-0
Playoff Record: 6-3

Awards & Recognition

🏆 Inspire Award – Buffalo Qualifier

🥈 Finalist Alliance Captain – Buffalo Qualifier

🥇 Winning Alliance Captain – Corning Qualifier

🥈 2nd Place Innovate Award (sponsored by RTX) – Finger Lakes Qualifier

Looking Ahead

Emotions ran high in Utica, knowing that only the top two teams would advance to the FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX. While the season came to a close at Regionals, the storm front is intensifying—Oncoming Storm is building power, knowledge, and momentum to return even stronger next year.

The team is now focused on preparing for the 2025–2026 season and is actively seeking community donations and corporate sponsorships to support their journey.

Oncoming Storm also loves engaging with the community! The team is available for local events, school visits, and open houses—bringing their demo field, interactive robots, and fun STEM activities for kids and adults alike.

Together, we are not just building robots—we’re building leaders, innovators, and the next generation of STEM talent.

Storm Battles in Utica – March 7–8

After a long, tough, and successful qualifying season, Oncoming Storm earned their place at the New York Excelsior Regional Championship in Utica, NY. This two-day event brought together 32 of the top-ranked teams from across New York State’s Excelsior Division for 72 intense matches of competition.

Competing in 8 qualification matches, Oncoming Storm battled hard to a 5-3-0 record, securing a #16 rank with an impressive Offensive Power Rating (OPR) of 100.69. Regionally, the team placed 16th out of 92 teams, and statewide they stand 28th out of 245 teams—a remarkable achievement that showcases their steady growth and consistency throughout the season.

Emotions ran high in Utica, knowing that only the top two teams would advance to the FIRST World Championship in Houston, TX. While Oncoming Storm’s season came to an end at regionals, the experience has only fueled their determination. The storm front is intensifying—building power, momentum, and focus for next season, when they’ll return to the field stronger than ever.

Team Portfolio

"Oncoming Storm" Season Information

Unstoppable Storm in Corning

On February 9, 2025, Oncoming Storm delivered one of their strongest performances of the season at the Corning Qualifier in Corning, NY.

The team went undefeated in qualifications with a 5-0-0 record, earning the #2 rank among 17 teams and an impressive OPR of 84.50. Their consistency and strategy were highlighted by a high-scoring victory in Qualification Match 19 with a score of 222–165.

Advancing as the 2nd Alliance Captain, the team battled through both the upper and lower playoff brackets. In a thrilling final, they secured victory with a 131–122 win—claiming the title of Winning Alliance Captain.

This achievement not only highlights Oncoming Storm’s technical expertise and collaborative spirit but also secures their second advancement to the New York Excelsior Regional Championship. Their first ticket to regionals came from winning the Inspire Award in Buffalo; Corning reaffirmed that success on the competition field.

Together, Finger Lakes, Buffalo, and Corning tell the story of a season defined by resilience, growth, and victory.

Inspiring the Storm in Buffalo

On January 19, 2025, Team 6996 Oncoming Storm competed at the Buffalo Qualifier, hosted at the Buffalo Academy of Science in Buffalo, NY. Coming off a tough battle at the Finger Lakes Regional Qualifier just weeks earlier, the team regrouped, refocused, and came back stronger.

Their hard work paid off. In the qualification rounds, Oncoming Storm posted a 3-2-0 record, finishing with a #3 rank and an Offensive Power Rating (OPR) of 34.00. Their strong performance on the field propelled them into the elimination rounds as the Finalist Alliance Captain.

Beyond the robot’s success, the team’s dedication to outreach, teamwork, and the spirit of FIRST was recognized with the Inspire Award—the highest honor at a qualifier. This prestigious award celebrates teams that best embody the mission of the FIRST Tech Challenge program, serving as leaders and role models within the community.

Winning the Inspire Award also guaranteed Oncoming Storm a coveted spot at the New York Excelsior Regional Championship, where they will continue to showcase their innovation, resilience, and growth throughout the season.

From setbacks at Finger Lakes to triumph in Buffalo, Team 6996 continues to prove that persistence, teamwork, and community spirit drive them forward—storm after storm.

Storm Tested, Spirit Unbroken

After 14 weeks of preparation since the season kickoff, the Finger Lakes Regional Qualifier on Dec 8 was a long and challenging day for Oncoming Storm.

The team worked late into the early hours of Sunday morning, trying to bring the robot to life—just hours before competition began. With no driver practice, no autonomous programming, and not even a test run before the first match, the odds were stacked against them.

Throughout the day there were many close calls that could have sidelined the robot completely. Team members battled exhaustion and illness, but they pushed through—improving, fixing, and correcting both the robot and their drive strategy with every match.

Despite these obstacles, Oncoming Storm fought hard and earned a #9 qualification rank with a record of 3-2-0 and an OPR of 14.06. By the end of the day, however, an electrical issue proved too much to overcome. The team made the difficult but gracious decision to withdraw from the finals, stepping aside so another team could have the opportunity to advance to regionals.

While the day ended earlier than hoped, the grit, determination, and teamwork shown by Oncoming Storm made this qualifier an unforgettable milestone in their season.

Each year, Oncoming Storm designs a new shirt for the season that aligns with the theme of the game announced by FIRST.

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