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The WarHawks made their debut at Brunswick Eruption 6.0 where Team Mercury (1089) lent a robot to play Rack N' Roll. The WarHawks got a first-hand experience of the FIRST Robotics Competition. Head Coach Paul sekuler memorably stated: " We should definitely do FIRST. It seems that FIRST has a great community that believes in sharing. This looks like a unique experience."

The WarHawks, partnered with Nemesis (2590) were awarded "Mike's Favorite" in honor of the late Mike Wade, a FIRST mentor who was part of numerous teams and claims his greatest achievement in the FIRST community was pioneering the Chesapeake Regional at the United States Naval Academy.

The WarHawks received help from Raider Robotics (25) and Team Mercury (1089). Both teams were gracious enough to invite the WarHawk membership to their respective schools and present, teach and advise the fledgling WarHawks.

Upon applying and receiving NASA's Program Growth Grant for rookie teams, The WarHawks signed up for the FIRST Robotics Season 2008 and became Team 2554. As a result of sending Holiday Funddrive letters to local businesses in Edison, The Edison Custodial and Maintenence Union became a Bronze Level sponsor. The WarHawks went on Winter Break with one coach and a strong membership of High School Students, and were happy to welcome Mr. Narahari, an electronics engineer from IIT who is a local resident of Edison, NJ.

Kickoff

The WarHawks attended Kickoff 2008 at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, NJ. The 2008 game, Overdrive, was announced to all the teams around the country. Members of the WarHawks, after learning of the new game Overdrive, began immediately brainstorming. Most team members attended lectures in the afternoon ranging from team management to pneumatics. At the end of the first day of Build Season, the WarHawks went home with a better understanding of the principles of robotics, a Kit of Part, and a 6-week-long challenge.

Build Season

During the 6-Week Build Period, the WarHawks met 6 to 7 times a week in order to design, build and test Dingary, the 2008 robot. The team was glad to welcome two mechanical engineers to the WarHawks, Mr. Van Hoesen and his son, Mr. Van Hoesen. With the guidance of Head Coach Sekuler and mentors Mr. Narahari, Mr. Van Hoesen and Mr. Van Hoesen, the WarHawks were able to successfully ship off their robot at the end of 6 weeks to the New York City Regional.

New York City Regional

On April 4, 2008, the WarHawks arrived at the Jacob Javits center, wet from the downpour and determined to make a stand at the New York City Regional. With the help of JP Stevens teacher, Dr. Geis, a crew of three other students crossed the threshold into the pits and uncrated the robot. The WarHawks prepared for the practice rounds, and spent numerous hours fixing Dingary before passing inspection. Learning to control Dingary, the Drivers were given an opportunity to drive on a full playing field for the first time.

On the second day of competition, the WarHawks returned to the Javits center ready to compete in the qualification rounds. The WarHawks were unable to compete in Qualification Match 8 because of technical problems with Dingary. StuyPulse (694), from Stuyvesant High School in New York City, came to the rescue and helped the WarHawks get ready for Qualification Round 19. The WarHawks would get the chance to ally with StuyPulse in Qualification Round 29, and would ironically oppose StuyPulse in Qualification Round 37. This bizarre, but not so rare occurrence, epitomizes the importance of being professional and gracious towards all allies and opponents because a team's opponent one round can be their ally the next.

The WarHawks faced many challenges throughout the competition. Dingary's claw, made of aluminum, could not hold up on the field. Match after match Dingary's claw would come back the The WarHawks pit to get fixed up. Along with claw problems, Dingary experienced a drive train problem that caused it to deviate towards the right. With the help of numerous teams such as StuyPulse and Bronx Science (1155), The WarHawks were able to return onto the playing field on Day 3 to compete in the final qualification matches. Seeded number 4, the WarHawks and their family members at home watching an internet broadcast were ecstatic. In Qualification Match 73, Dingary was badly damaged; the axle for the claw irreparibly snapped. The WarHawks scrambled to prepare Dingary for the last qualification match. In the Pits, students and mentors from all different teams collaborated to come up with a modification for the claw. The members of the WarHawks scrambled to make the adjustments, and got Dingary onto the field for the final Qualification Match. After returning from an anticlimactic lunch due to technical problems on the field, Dingary took the field for the last time. Tipping over in the last few seconds in a desperate attempt to knock the opponent's ball off the overpass, the WarHawks season ended on a tender note. The teachers, engineers and students that made up the WarHawks had embarked on a seemingly impossible journey unlike that of any organization in JP Stevens. The team worked hard those three days constantly repairing Dingary, scouting other teams, taking pictures and networking, and truly learning about the sense of accomplishment involved with teamwork.

Teachers Dr. Geis and Mr. Brizan were so enthralled by the competition that they have become apart of the team as coaches for the 2009 season.

2009 Season