Straight-shooting speller from Texas goes down

Perhaps the saddest moment in the bee so far was when Samir Patel of Colleyville, Texas, missed his word.
But wait, Patel's whole wrestling match with the word is being analyzed right now by the judges.
So it seems things are up in the air.
Still, a few minutes earlier, Scripps intern Felicia Maxwell dashed out to interview the 13-year-old home-schooled student sponsered by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Maxwell reported that Patel -- considered to be the favorite to win the bee since he's a fifth-year repeater -- is taking his defeat pretty well.
He went down just after noon Thursday after blowing "clevis" -- a piece of U-shaped metal used to fasten things.
But he was obviously still coming to terms with his loss.
"This is my last year, so this was my last chance," he said.
The rules dictate that Patel can't try again since he'll be a ninth-grader next year. The brainy and sweet-looking kid reportedly skipped fourth grade.
"I overthought it," Patel said. "I tried to outsmart myself."
The bee has taught him valuable life lessons though.
“I’ve learned a lot of skills such as diligence and perseverance," he said, adding that the bee's been a great experience.
His future plans still involve mind games that would frighten mere mortals: “I want to participate in math and debate competitions next year.”?