By Ben Fineman
The South Central League Tournament at Saline Middle School this past weekend felt less like a regional competition and more like a massive neighborhood reunion. But don’t let the high-fives and shared practice fields fool you: when the matches started, the robots were playing for keeps.
In a remarkable display of depth from two of the region’s powerhouse programs, the tournament bracket evolved into a “Friendly Civil War.” The four Chelsea Robotics teams found themselves in a unique position where the road to the trophy ran directly through their own classmates, while the four host teams from Saline waged their own spirited battle on the other side of the bracket.
Despite the bittersweet nature of having to eliminate their friends to advance, the Chelsea Gremlins (#11618) and Chelsea Glitch (#11617) emerged successful, punching their tickets to the Michigan FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship Northwest in Muskegon.
Iron Sharpening Iron
The depth of the Chelsea program was on full display in the playoffs. After a strong qualification round, all four Chelsea teams—Gremlins, Glitch, Crash (#11729), and Surge (#26293)—made the elimination bracket.
What followed was a series of matches that looked more like an intense practice session at the Chelsea Robotics Center than a standard tournament. In the first round, the Gremlins faced off against their brother team, Glitch. In a high-scoring nail-biter that showcased the mutual respect between the drivers, the Gremlins narrowly edged out Glitch, 122-117.
Moments later, the district’s youngest team, Chelsea Surge, took the field against the veteran Chelsea Crash squad. In a stunning upset that had the Chelsea cheering section roaring for both sides, Crash toppled the higher-seeded Surge alliance, 145-122.
The “Civil War” culminated in Match 8, a head-to-head showdown between the two surviving Chelsea squads, Gremlins and Crash. The Gremlins posted a massive 201 points—one of the highest scores of the tournament—to defeat Crash. While the result meant the end of the road for Crash, the high scores were a testament to the fact that these teams push each other to be better every single day.
The Saline Mirror
Chelsea wasn’t the only town seeing double. The host program from Saline also saw all four of their teams—CyBugs (#10644), Hornet Hackers (#10645), S.W.A.R.M. (#15555), and H.I.V.E. (#26606)—reach the playoffs, often finding themselves on opposing sides of the glass.
The symmetry between the two towns peaked in Playoff Match 5, a “mixed doubles” bout that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the day. The alliance of Chelsea Gremlins and Saline’s Hornet Hackers faced off against Chelsea Surgeand Saline’s H.I.V.E.—a true cross-town clash where teammates became opponents and rivals became partners. The Gremlins and Hornet Hackers ultimately prevailed in a close 144-133 contest, ending the tournament run for the Surge and H.I.V.E. alliance.
Ultimately, the Finals became a Saline family affair, with the #1 seeded Alliance captained by the CyBugs (partnered with Whitmore Lake’s Titanium Trojans) facing off against the #2 seeded Alliance featuring S.W.A.R.M. (partnered with Ann Arbor’s Cyber Smiths). In a decisive 205-162 victory, the CyBugs and Titanium Trojans claimed the tournament title. The day’s results underscored the strength and consistency of the Saline program this season: all four of their teams—CyBugs, Hornet Hackers, S.W.A.R.M., and H.I.V.E.—have now secured their spots at the State Championship, having qualified either at this tournament or earlier in the season.
Moving On Together
Despite the bracket forcing them apart, the Chelsea teams celebrated together. The Chelsea Gremlins finished 3rd overall in the playoffs and earned the Control Award from the judges, recognizing their innovative use of sensors and software.
Chelsea Glitch also brought home honors, winning the Design Award for their robot’s industrial design and aesthetic balance. Despite being knocked out by their own district rivals in the playoffs, Glitch accumulated enough season points through their strong performance to join the Gremlins in advancing to the next level.
Now, the “Civil War” is over, and the teams are back to being one united force. The Gremlins and Glitch will travel to Muskegon this coming weekend to represent Chelsea against the best teams in the state.
Event Details for Supporters: Michigan FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship Northwest Date: December 12-13, 2025 Location: Trinity Health Arena 470 W Western Ave. Muskegon, MI 49440
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
