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County robotics team to compete at state championship

: Henderson County’s robotics team poses with the robot they built for a competition in Asheville in March. The team will compete in the state robotics championship in April. Members of the team from left to right are: Cooper Funcheon, with thumbs up, Eli Toeung, Dorian Hargis, Alexander Jackson, Aiden Jenkins, Kevin Hernandez Romo and Jakub Dovrtel, kneeling in front.

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 30, 2026

A high school robotics team from Henderson County will travel to Greensboro in April for a statewide competition.

The HCPS FRC Team 1225: the Gorillas secured a spot at the FIRST North Carolina District Championship, which will be held April 9-12 in Greensboro, after strong finishes in March during competitions in Concord and at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, according to a press release from the team.
The Gorillas’ path to the state championship kicked off at a competition in Concord March 6-8, where the team ranked 16th out of 28 teams. At the Asheville competition March 13-15, the team solidified their ranking among the top teams in the state, earning them both a technical award and a captain’s spot in the playoffs.
Overall, the Gorillas finished 28th out of 90 teams in the state. The top 50 teams in North Carolina compete in the state championship. The top 15 teams from the state championship will earn an invitation to the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas. This global event hosts 600 teams from around the world.
The team is also reaching out to the community for support and to secure a permanent home for the program.
The Gorillas are raising money to cover travel, registration, and equipment costs for the state championship with a goal of $8,000. Supporters can donate via a PayPal Campaign at https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=5TKNYKDW57NDG
Supporters are also encouraged to email the team for sponsorship and marketing opportunities.
The team is also seeking partners who share a vision of promoting education through hands-on learning experiences, providing the community access to advanced technical resources and equipment and creating safe working environments for positive mentorship and community growth. Supporters can donate or sponsor at various levels, which provide a broad range of visibility. The team aims to raise $75,000 to support this vision of long-term stability.
To continue the team’s mission of empowering students through STEM, the Gorillas are looking for a long-term home. The team wants to lease approximately 1,800 sq. ft. of industrial flex space to host a robotics lab and educational makerspace. The team has a dedicated budget of $1,800 per month for this facility as it looks to grow. Supporters can donate or sponsor at various levels, offering a broad range of visibility across several platforms and events. The team aims to raise $125,000 to support this 5-year vision of long-term stability.
For more information, contact Lead Mentor Billy Freeman at contact@team1225.com