A few weeks from now, the state’s football championships will be decided in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.  However, one local team will visit Auburn sooner looking for a different kind of championship.

Isabella’s robotics team will compete this weekend in the 2010 South’s BEST competition. BEST stands for Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology.

The three-day event started Thursday and goes through Saturday’s championship rounds.

The Mustang robotics team, just in its second year, goes to the national stage after finishing sixth overall in the UAB Blazer Best competition last month.

At Auburn, the Mustangs will go up against 61 teams from across the country. Isabella is also the smallest public school from Alabama competing in the event.

While the competition is important, Isabella teacher and team co-sponsor Jay LeCroy said the weekend will also introduce his ninth through 12th graders to collegiate-level science.

The students will meet with engineers from across the country and have an opportunity to talk with science students and learn more about scholarships and different programs.

“Everybody that gets on that bus has a legitimate opportunity to be an engineer,” said LeCroy.

For results on how Isabella does this weekend and photos from the competition, see Tuesday’s edition of The Clanton Advertiser or visit clantonadvertiser.com.