Raiders RUMBLE

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JROTC’s Raider Team ends the season strong by winning the State Championship

HEAVE HO: Male Team Commander Ernesto Zaballa leads his team to victory in the rope bridge event. The male team worked together to build their bridge for the timed rope bridge event. Photo courtesy of Alexandra Khersonskiy

By: Mia Navarro

West Broward’s JROTC Bobcat Battalion consistently dedicates diligence to accomplish their goals. Recognized for their countless county and state championships, they formerly won the Female Team State Runner Up in 2022. Given their passionate commitment, JROTC had the opportunity to demonstrate the endless hard work they put in throughout the season.

On Dec. 2, JROTC’s Raiders competed at the Raider’s State Championship at Hudson High School in Pasco County, Fla. The event lasted from 8 AM to 3 PM. The female, male and mixed teams, including both female and male members, qualified for this competition based on their previous performance in this year’s county competition.

The Raider team practiced from Monday to Friday afterschool until 5:30 PM, including running long distances, heavy lifting, crawling and rope crossing. Regular practices included running and training for obstacle courses, but once competitions get closer, drills become more intense.

“We all have one common goal and that is to win,” says Senior Male Team Commander Ernesto Zaballa “We are all willing to do what we have to do.”
The Raider competitions consist of five events. Cross-country rescue, Raiders fitness challenge, Raiders fitness test, rope bridge and the team run. The cross-country rescue consists of transporting a simulated casualty on a stretcher with obstacles, with four of the ten raiders carrying a weighted backpack. The fitness challenge is an obstacle course including crawling, heavy lifting, fast sprinting and teamwork. The fitness test includes carrying multiple 25 to 30-pound kettlebells in a 50-feet distance. The rope bridge involves rope tying and crossing, and the team run is a five-kilometer run.

**IN THIS TOGETHER:** The JROTC’s Raiders team pose with their total of seven awards. The Male, Female and Mixed Team all walked out with at least one win. *Photo courtesy of Jessie Peterson Photography*

“It is a unique event,” said JROTC’s Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Merkel. “I do not think anybody else or any sports team on campus does anything quite similar to it.”

In the state competition, the mixed, female and male teams received six wins. The mixed team won first place in cross country rescue, fitness challenge, team run and overall. The male and female team both won first place in rope bridge. The Raiders trained hard as a team, making sure to improve their weak points, and some members drove the team to the top.
“Our three senior team captains demonstrated that they could lead their team to winning state championships,” said Merkel. “Our Female Team Commander Annalyse Del Pozo, our Male Team Commander Ernesto Zaballa and our Mixed Team Commander Leila Ilnitskiy.”

JROTC’s Senior Battalion Commander and Mixed Raider Team member Addison App was another member who stood out. He participated in all five state events, and memorably faced wall climbing head first during the cross country rescue.

“I sat on top of the wall and pulled my teammates up and over to help them cross faster and easier,” App said. “This was a lot of fun, I enjoyed being able to help my teammates and earn first place in that event.”

App recalls other notable members who also helped out in leading the Mixed Team to first place. Senior First–year Raider Gabriel Orozco injured his finger before competitions, but this did not stop him from supporting his team by lifting people over and carrying heavy objects throughout difficult challenges. Mixed Team member Zoe Shuman, despite suffering an injured ankle, pushed herself and her team to first place in the five kilometer run.

The mixed team won the cross country rescue with a time of 344.03 seconds, compared to Atlantic Community High School with a time of 500.34 seconds. They also won the fitness challenge in 408 seconds and the team run in 2625 seconds. The male team won the rope bridge in 159.04 seconds and the female team in 227.32 seconds.

“We need to practice hard with the mindset that we are going to a competition to win, not to just go and compete,” said Merkel. “They practice hard, and it pays off when they go to competitions.”

Drill season is approaching with an upcoming competition this weekend at North Miami Beach High School. Despite new challenges to face, the Raider team continues to stick to their fundamental values, receive guidance from the program’s advisors, and grow together as family.

“We would not only get closer together as a family and as a team, but we are also getting better,” says Zaballa.