Beat Texas?

Does California have a hope against the awesome powers of John Carmack’s Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace team?
Yes.
A February 26 entry from Masten Space’s blog shows the frame for the XA 0.1, a potential contender for Lunar Lander Challenge (back when it was known as Lunar Lander Analog Challenge).

Elsewhere on the blog, more recent engine firings and bargain-price suborbital payloads.

Masten Space Systems relocates to Mojave Spaceport this month, and plans to begin tethered flight tests of XA 0.1.