VEX V5 Alabama State Championship draws high school teams to Auburn

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S.C.O.R.E. hosts two days of student-built engineering, strategy and competition at Beard Eaves Memorial Coliseum

Four students react with raised arms and wide smiles as their robot scores during a VEX V5 match.

Students celebrate a decisive moment during a qualification round at the VEX V5 Alabama State Championship.

a team enters the competition arena holding their robot

A team makes its entrance at the VEX V5 Alabama High School State Championship, hosted by SCORE at Auburn University’s Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

Four high school students wearing team shirts and safety glasses stand behind their VEX V5 robot on the competition field.

A team prepares for match play during the VEX V5 Alabama State Championship at Auburn.

Three students gather around a laptop reviewing code while preparing their robot at a competition table.

Students make programming adjustments between rounds during the S.C.O.R.E. VEX Robotics Championship at Auburn University.

Wide, low-angle view of a VEX V5 Robotics Competition field with yellow structures and red and blue game pieces arranged across the floor.

The VEX V5 Robotics Competition field is set ahead of team matches during the S.C.O.R.E. championship event at Auburn University.

Two students sit at a table examining a partially disassembled robot with tools and parts spread out in front of them.

Team members inspect mechanical components of their robot between matches at the S.C.O.R.E. VEX Robotics Championship.

Hundreds of high school students, coaches and families filled Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 20 and 21 as Auburn University hosted the 2026 VEX V5 Alabama State Championship. Robots maneuvered across competition fields while teams tracked scores, adjusted strategy and prepared for the next round.

Hosted by the Southeastern Center of Robotics Education (S.C.O.R.E.), part of Auburn University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics, the championship brought together teams from across Alabama for two days of student-built engineering and head-to-head play.

For John Cooper, at teacher at Autauga County Technology Center in Prattville, state is less about a single weekend and more about the arc of a school year. His program has been active for 10 years, and many of his seniors began in his introduction to engineering design class before moving into robotics.

"It’s an opportunity to watch the kids learn and to watch the kids grow from the beginning of the year till we get to this point at state," Cooper said. "That growth is dissecting the problem at hand, thinking through how to score the most points and how to be successful in the game, and then turning that into a robot that will achieve those goals."

Cooper describes his role as largely facilitative. He orders materials and registers teams for tournaments. The rest belongs to students, who are responsible for building, coding, scouting and match strategy. Along the way, they learn to organize themselves, manage equipment and analyze a complex game.

"What I enjoy the most is all the adrenaline. Competitions are where all the magic happens."

Taelynn Teel, senior at Central High School in Phenix City

The payoff, he said, often shows up in quiet moments, when seniors mentor younger teammates and take ownership of the program’s culture.

"The part that's most rewarding to me is watching their personal growth," he said. "It's watching my seniors teach the younger students."

Cooper worked as a forester for 20 years before becoming a teacher. He said he knew little about robotics at the start, a reality he shares openly with other educators who may feel hesitant.

Kathy Ray, who coaches at Alexandria High School, stepped into robotics under similar circumstances. She took over her program in 2020 and quickly discovered that a successful team does not depend on a coach having all the answers.

"I didn't need to know anything about it because it's student driven," Ray said.

At Alexandria, eight students out of a school of more than 500 compete in robotics, split into two teams. Ray said events like state allow those students to thrive in a space built around their interests.

"I love to see them in their element doing their thing," Ray said.

She also sees robotics as a laboratory for character. Matches do not always end in victory, and learning to handle that outcome matters.

"They also learn how to lose but still retain character, class and pride," Ray said. "That's life."

On the competition floor at Auburn, students described a blend of adrenaline and analysis.

Kevin Lewis, a senior at Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School, serves as a co-programmer and strategist for his team. He scouts opponents, develops match plans and works to steady his driver during high-pressure moments.

"The best part of competing is the feeling of winning, losing and strategizing," Lewis said. "And having fun with your teammates."

A wide view of multiple VEX V5 competition fields set up on the arena floor of Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum with large scoreboards overhead.

Teams compete across multiple fields during the VEX V5 Alabama High School State Championship at Auburn University’s Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

Students in team shirts react with excitement while holding controllers as their robot scores points during a VEX V5 match.

Students celebrate a successful scoring run during competition at the VEX V5 Alabama State Championship hosted by SCORE at Auburn.

Students in team apparel gather around the competition field, pointing and communicating while operating their robot.

Team members communicate strategy during a live round at the VEX V5 Alabama State Championship hosted by SCORE.

Students in red team shirts operate controllers while watching their VEX V5 robot stack game elements during competition.

A high school team competes in driver control during the VEX V5 Alabama State Championship at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

Close view of a VEX competition robot pressed against the field wall near red and blue game pieces.

A competition robot maneuvers along the field wall during a VEX V5 Robotics match.

Three students sit and stand around a laptop reviewing data and code while preparing for a robotics competition match.

Students collaborate on coding and strategy ahead of competition rounds.

His team has reached the world championship three times, improving each season.

"We made the semis in our division, which is like 0.4% of teams in the world," he said. "I love the joy of all the hard work paying off."

Taelynn Teel, a senior at Central High School in Phenix City, said state competition is where preparation becomes performance.

"What I enjoy the most is all the adrenaline," Teel said. "Competitions are where all the magic happens."

Teel builds, codes and contributes to her team’s engineering notebook. Over four years, she said, robotics helped clarify her plans after graduation.

"Robotics is actually what helped me figure out what I want to do after high school," Teel said.

For some teams, the state championship marked the close of a season defined by late nights and long builds. For others, it was a step toward the world championship. For students and coaches alike, the lessons carried beyond rankings and awards.

"Definitely keep trying. Don't give up," Teel said. "You'll get to where you want to be if you just put the effort in."

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