On February 8th, the Shadow Ridge JROTC cadets endured a nerve-wracking competition at Palo Verde High School. Starting early in the morning, inspection and drill took over the majority of the day.
Mathieu Pebenito, a junior and cadet 2nd Lieutenant placed second in drill down.
“Overall, the competition experience was amazing! It feels great to meet other cadets from all over the valley to compete to see which school reigns with the most skill. Being able to showcase our training and talents through a tournament is a milestone not everyone can achieve,” Pebenito said. “After all, the competition isn’t the hardest part. It is the hard work you put in that makes you the competition.”
To become the best of the best, effort is required. The ROTC cadets worked tirelessly to perfect their routines and bring a trophy back to Shadow Ridge.
“The preparation certainly wasn’t easy. My team and I would practice for multiple days a week perfecting our craft. Some practices last an hour or two after school with some even lasting until sundown. We don’t practice until we get it right, We practice until we can’t get it wrong,” Pebenito said. “Practicing outside of school was never usually mandatory, but doing so showcases just how much discipline we require and possess as drill cadets.”
Despite hours of practice, the results were not in everyone’s favor. Going against schools from around the district, results tended to vary.
“Overall, our performances were not bad. However, it is safe to say not everyone was satisfied with how the results were. Sure, we could have done better and there were undoubtedly a good number of errors we made,” Pebenito commented. “However, I believe the only true mistake is one in which nothing is learned. Whatever we mess up on the drill pad we make sure does not happen the next time we step up. We don’t lose, we learn.”
Liam Cablao, a cadet Senior Master Sergeant and sophomore, placed third in the rifle twirl. This event mainly tested a cadets control and synchronization with their rifle, and their ability to perfect a routine.
“This competition was a little bit more difficult than the last one we attended because I had to study and practice 3 sequences at the same time,” Cablao said.
While he has placed in different competitions, he still believes that the overall experience is difficult.
“it’s still hard to place,” Cablao said. “I just got lucky during the Palo Verde competition.”
