Doherty High School just began a drone team four months ago, and in that time, they’ve already achieved incredible heights. What began as a small group of students with big dreams has now reached the national stage. 

Through hours of after-school practice—tweaking their code, practicing their flying, and shaving seconds off their lap times—the team earned a spot in the national competition in Annapolis, Maryland. Their diligence and teamwork have put Doherty’s name on the map, not just in Mississippi, but all the way in Maryland. 

With Spartan pride fueling every flight, the team set out to make Doherty proud and show the country what it could do. From conquering challenging obstacle courses to debugging their own code, the students proved that passion and determination can take you far—sometimes all the way from sea to shining sea. 

While in Annapolis, the team also had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to board a naval vessel. During the visit, the crew even allowed Doherty’s technician cadet to take the helm and steer the ship for a brief time—a memory that made the trip even more unforgettable. “The fact that once I graduate, I’m going to join the Coast Guard and be on vessels like the one I got to steer is astounding to me. Best part of the trip for me!” said Jak Bredesen, the team technician 

At the national competition, Doherty’s team delivered an outstanding performance, finishing second overall out of dozens of competitive teams. They also earned first place in the autonomous flight category, achieving a score of 125 for their autonomous run and 360 in the skills challenge, leading to a total score of 485 points. “We could’ve placed first, but getting second for only our third drone meet is crazy cool and I’m glad I got to be part of this team that worked so hard to get here!” said Bredesen.

The competition tested not just flying ability, but coding skills and teamwork under pressure. “The fact I was only given a few months to work with drones that didn’t work very well with the code I’ve created and getting first place in the autonomous section is beyond astounding to me. I’m glad that I get to teach my friend and teammate Jak Bredesen how to code for next year is especially awesome to me,” said Sage Arnold, the team’s autonomous coder.

Returning home with new trophies and national recognition, the team reflected on how far they had come since their first few meetings back in Mississippi. “We as a team have grown so much within only a few months, granting us the honor being second place overall,” said the team Visual observer Jaden Anderson. 

Already, the team is setting its sights on future competitions, eager to build on their success and continue representing Doherty with pride. “Next year we are hoping to either have more than one team go to nationals or have at least one team get top three in all meets,” said team leader Erin Manchester. The drone team is extremely proud of their placement in this competition and plan to keep drones going for years to come.