Submitted article and photo
Etowah High School JROTC’s VEX V5 Robotics teams delivered an outstanding performance at the Kalahari Classic JROTC National Championship, competing against Army JROTC programs from all 50 states and four U.S. territories.
JROTC Cadets from EHS JROTC Team 31218W, The Moderately Sized Wave, (Charlie Craft, Jaxon Legendre, Jaxson Griffin and Sadie Brannon) earned the title of Victory Division Champions, received the prestigious Amaze Award, and finished as JROTC National Finalists. The team posted an 8–0 qualification record, completed an undefeated 14–0 run in division play, and concluded the championship with a 14–2 overall record.
Based on this performance, Team 31218W has qualified to compete in the 2026 VEX V5 World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, in April 2026.
EHS JROTC Team 31218X, Blinded By the Light (Caleb Battles, Brayden Morgan, Deuntavis Thomas, Gabriel Taylor, and Jalissa Swain), which competed in the Freedom
Division and demonstrated strong program depth. The team finished 5–3 in qualification
matches, ranked 23rd out of 40 teams, qualified for championship play, and concluded
the event with a 5–4 overall record.
The program’s success reflects a team effort—driven by dedicated coaching, disciplined
student leadership, and the steady support of the Attalla City Board of Education, Etowah High School and the Etowah Army JROTC program.
A special thanks is given to Genia Craft, a retired Etowah County Educator, who gives hours of her personal time to teach, coach and mentor, not only these JROTC cadets, but the Robotics program at both Duck Springs Elementary, Etowah Middle School.
