Panola College welcomes 11 high schools for FFA Tractor Technician Contest

Panola College proudly welcomed 11 high school FFA chapters to campus for a Tractor Technician Contest – an exciting and educational FFA Career Development Event – held in the new Matthews Foundation Energy Building.

“We were thrilled to host such a hands-on, career-focused event here at Panola College,” said Daniel Hall, Chair of the School of Energy. “Bringing 11 high schools together not only showcases the strength of agricultural education, but also gives these students a real glimpse into careers in energy and mechanics.”

Designed to foster career knowledge for students pursuing futures in the agriculture mechanics industry, the contest challenged teams in three parts:

• Part 1: A 100-question exam testing foundational knowledge of diesel engines, hydraulics, and electrical systems.
• Part 2: Another 100-question exam, this time involving hands-on identification and evaluation of 20 real-world components and schematics.
• Part 3 – Tractor Debugging: A timed event where students diagnosed and repaired five mechanical “bugs” on a tractor before driving it through a designated course.

FFA chapters from across the state participated, including teams from James Madison, Bellville, Early, Glen Rose, Granger, Grapeland, Groveton, Gunter, Central Heights, Pilot Point, and Seven Lakes. After a full day of testing and competition, the top three finishers were:

• 1st Place: Glen Rose
• 2nd Place: Seven Lakes
• 3rd Place: Bellville

“This contest was a culmination of months of planning that started in the spring,” said Trevor Riley, Agriculture Mechanics Educator at Carthage I.S.D. “I want to extend a thank you to Panola College and Mr. Daniel Hall for graciously allowing us to use the Matthews Foundation Energy Building to host the event, Lowe Tractor of Henderson for providing the tractors, to all the schools that competed, as well as everyone who helped make this contest successful.”