Debate bounces back from losses

by Paul Wilson

Debate: one of toughest and most competitive events associated with high schools. Flathead debate: a team rich with tradition but weak on returners — at least this year.

“Most of the old guard is gone,” said senior debater George Nelson. “Most of the varsity team graduated.”

Half of Flathead’s second-place team from a year ago is gone, including debaters Lindsey Lowery, Ryan Fuller, Richard Howell, Daniel Wing, Hubert Turner and Greg Little.

“We lost a lot of people,” said senior Dennis Meredith. “But we have a lot of shining faces eager to learn.”

The coaching staff is also concerned about the lack of returners, but is still optimistic.

 “We lost a huge amount,” said Flathead head speech coach Greg Adkins. “One of our strengths over the years has been our ability to rebuild. We have a dozen new kids this year that we’re very excited about.”

Among those newcomers are senior Travis Smith, juniors Daveleen DeMars, Dave Van, Matt Nelson, Einar Offerdahl, and sophomores Christopher Fredericks, Michael Greig, John Hanson and Malin Noreen. Adkins feels that the debate team will prosper because of the new blood.

“I think that it builds leadership from students who have never had to be in that position,” said Adkins. “They always had last year’s kids to look up to.”

With the retirement of last year’s debate coach Dave Ransier, Adkins and Sean O’Donnell have had to take over coaching duties on the team debate squad.

“O’Donnell and Adkins are good debate coaches,” said senior Travis Smith. “We should do pretty well.”

O’Donnell is also looking forward to the coming season.

“I think we have a squad in the process of rebuilding,” said O’Donnell. “We have a good novice squad and one  team that finished second at state last year.”

That team is made up of seniors Cassidy Agan and Naomi Gietzen.

“We don’t really have a coach,” said Gietzen. “Adkins and O’Donnell are being overworked, so Cassidy and I have had to do a lot of coaching.”

On the flip side, Flathead’s main rival for the past decade, Bozeman, has received equal treatment from the graduation gods.

“Although we lost a lot of people, Bozeman lost more,” said Adkins. “The beginning may be tough, but we’ll improve.”

Despite this youth movement, Flathead debate should prosper in the future due to this season.

“We have a very young novice team,” said Gietzen. “They’ll be really good next year. I’m very excited for them.”

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