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Ethan Reeves jumps for joy as his car comes in first Saturday morning at Andrews United Methodist Church. Photo by Samantha Sinclair -
Two Cub Scouts watch the race from the finish line. Photo by Samantha Sinclair -
Eddie Hollifield and Phil Keller place two cars on the track to race. Photo by Samantha Sinclair -
Families watch as two Pinewood Derby cars race past them. Photo by Samantha Sinclair -
The winners pose with their cars and trophies. Photo by Samantha Sinclair
Andrews - As his car crossed the finish line, Cub Scout Ethan Reeves jumped with excitement Saturday morning. He placed first in the Nantahala District Pinewood Derby for the second year in a row.
“I like racing,” Reeves said, adding that he’s both happy and nervous each time his car propels down the metal track.
“And I’m really competitive.”
Reeves, a Webelos in Murphy’s Pack 400, used a design similar to the one he had last year – a thin car with an oval-shaped dome over the rear axle area. A Batman car made by Zack Bryant of Andrews’ Pack 401 came in second place, while a car with a frog on top made by Matthew Baine of Murphy’s Pack 400 finished third in the Family Life Center of Andrews United Methodist Church.
The Nantahala District is comprised of units in Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties. Eighteen Scouts from three packs, including boys and girls from Cherokee and Clay counties, participated in Saturday’s race.
District Chairman Eddie Hollifield said the point of the Pinewood Derby is for families to work on a project together, and for Cubs to see what they can accomplish.
Reeves said in his three years participating, he’s learned a lot about building the wooden cars, which must weigh less than 5 ounces.
“It’s really neat,” Reeves said. “You get to build cars, and it’s good to learn.”
The district also awarded trophies for Most Unique to Dorian Taylor and Best Looking to Pierce Phillips, both of Marble’s Pack 430. The winners of the sibling race were Spencer and Logan Reid of Murphy.
It was Taylor’s second Pinewood Derby and his second time creating a car that looked like a shark, a creature he has always been interested in learning more about. His favorite thing about making a car is painting it.
“I really don’t care about winning,” he said, looking over his trophy. “It’s really cool. I just really didn’t think this car would win.”