Drills and saws echoed through an empty warehouse in Redmond Saturday as 16 students from Caldera High School, Redmond High School and Bend Technical Academy competed in the High Desert Skilled Trades Competition.

The regional competition, taking place in Redmond for the first time, judged the students’ workmanship, accuracy, and ability to read and interpret blueprints. At the carpentry competition, their first task was to build two sawhorses, which the students would later use to frame their own structure.

The judges quietly sat by, the smell of lumber filling the air around them, to ensure the students used their tools safely during the competition. At the beginning of the task, the students had 10 minutes to inspect a sample sawhorse, with the goal of replicating it in both measurement and technique.

“The biggest thing I’ve been watching for is safety,” said Ryan Monaghan, who works for Baxter Builders. “Everything about (their sawhorse) will be judged. Did they use the right number of screws? Did they get the angles right?”

Some of the contestants were almost done with their two sawhorses well before their time allotment expired, but others took their time. There are extra points for the first five contestants who finish, Monaghan explained, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will win. Sometimes, patience and accuracy are rewarded more than speed.

Parents and teachers stood by, too, eagerly watching the progress of the contestants.

Shala Aldous was there to watch her son, Seth.

“Seth has had a toolbox since he was eight or nine years old. It’s something that he’s always had an interest in. My father is a skilled craftsman with wood as well. One of my best friends growing up is into cabinetry and my oldest son is now working in that cabinet shop. It’s not something that’s far from the family,” Shala said, beaming with pride.

Also proud of the competitors was Kellie Loper, who runs the construction academy at Bend Tech Academy. She said that when she told her students about the competition there was a tremendous amount of interest. Although she is confident about their ability, she sees the real benefit as pushing her students outside their comfort zone.

“I’ve done a lot of things that are terrifying and hard,” Loper said. “By Monday morning, they are going to be proud of it. Even if they are nervous now, or if they don’t do great in the competition, Monday they can say, ‘I showed up and I did my best. I did something hard and the world is still turning.’”

Levi Fisher, one of Loper’s students at Bend Tech Academy, plans to make a career out of carpentry. After the 10th grader graduates from school, he said he intends to build his own house, just for the satisfaction of knowing he built something with his own two hands.

“You could just do so much with it,” Fisher said.

The enthusiasm Fisher feels about a career in carpentry is why Brody Baxter, owner of Baxter Builders, agreed to host the carpentry competition at his workshop.

Growing up in Powell Butte, Baxter’s high school had a construction program similar to the ones at Redmond High School, Caldera High School and Bend Tech Academy. It’s what first got him interested in a career in carpentry, before he began his own framing business a year after graduating school.

“It’s a fun and interesting job. You have something different every day. I liked it because it is physical work and it’s rewarding,” said Baxter. “If you work hard, you can stand back at the end of a day or a week and actually look at what you built. That’s super rewarding.”

Baxter decided that it was important to reward the students for a job well done, and arranged for a set of prizes to be given to the top three competitors.

Deven Johnson from Redmond High School won first place, getting a CLC Signature Series tool Belt and a Baxter Builders high performance jacket.

Second place went to Saul Sanchez-Robles from Redmond High School, earning him a Stiletto 16 ounce framing hammer and a Baxter Builders high performance jacket.

The third place prize, a Baxter Builders Hoodie and a Stanley FatMax tape, speed square and utility knife, went to Luke Harris from Bend Tech Academy.