FSHS debators finish second at State

The tournament features two divisions; a 4-speaker tournament in which teams qualify by finishing in the top two at the four regionals conducted throughout the state, and a 2-speaker tournament in which teams qualify by having a winning record during the regular season.

The Tiger squad earned their way by finishing second at their regional. The 4-speaker tournament is unique from all other state tournaments in that it is a round robin-style event; each team faces all seven other teams at state.

The team is comprised of two students who debate solely on the affirmative (Chase Rooks and Matt Carrillo) and the other two strictly on the negative (Daniel Lyon and Baker Weilert). At the conclusion of the tournament, FSHS and Tonganoxie were tied with 10-4 overall records.

The tie-breaking criteria of counting the total number of ballots won left FSHS two shy, and thus a state runner-up finish.

"As bad as it may sound, we were a bit disappointed," Fort Scott coach Brian Weilert said. "We understand the accomplishment but our goal is always a state title. The fact that we returned no students off our title team last year and were able to regroup to be in the hunt yet again is a tribute to the dedication of these students. It is also very encouraging that we return all four again next year."

FSHS also had success at the 2-speaker event. At this tournament, each school can be represented by up to four teams. These teams compete on both sides of the issue. They move through six preliminary rounds, with each round power matching them with others with the same record. The top 16 teams move on to the octofinals.

The 4A tournament was large this year as 67 teams compete for the state title. At the end of the six rounds, the Tigers had two of the 16 teams still competing. Coming up just short were the pairings of Chris Clay and Jeff Durbin and Tony Jackson and Reed Ramsey who ended the state tournament with a solid 3-3 record.

In the octofinals, Chris Herman and Kai Simmons (4-2) entered as the ninth seed and fell on a 1-2 decision. The team of Angel West and Blake Cowen (5-1) entered as the No. 2 seed and advanced to the quarterfinals on a 3-0 decision. Their run came to an end here after they were dropped after a close 1-2 decision.

"To make your way through the gauntlet of 67 teams to earn a medal in 2-speaker is a testament to the quality of your debating," Weilert said. "All of these teams represented our school well and should be very proud."