Speech wizards dominate again

The trophy cases must be getting a little crowded at Columbia Falls High School.

Speakers and debaters brought home another piece of hardware last weekend by winning the Class A State Speech and Debate Tournament — for the sixth straight year.

That six straight is a state Class A record (the old one being five that Columbia Falls set last year).

Columbia Falls relied on three individual champions and plenty of other place-winners to overwhelmingly defend its state crown again. And the state trophy was added to the divisional tournament hardware that Columbia Falls earned by placing first in eight of nine speech and debate events. It all added up to an undefeated season for Columbia Falls.

Columbia Falls was joined in the championship arena by its neighbor to the south, Glacier High School, which achieved its first-ever state title in winning the Class AA Speech and Debate Tournament.

Glacier did it on the strength of nine state champions (the most ever for a Class AA school) and by outpointing runner-up Flathead High School, which itself has been a perennial power at the podium.

Other local schools also contributed to Flathead Valley dominance in the speech and debate world: Whitefish High School’s young team had an individual champion and Bigfork High School took fifth in the state drama tournament for Class B.

By now, the rest of the state must be getting pretty frustrated with trying to match the fabulous forensics exploits of Flathead Valley students.

Columbia Falls’ streak and Glacier’s groundbreaking triumph are but the latest indicators that our local word wizards reign supreme in Montana.

Columbia Falls has won 11 state speech and debate titles since 1991; Flathead High has won it all 11 times since 1994. Glacier’s arrival at the top means a Kalispell high school has taken state nine of 11 years since 1999.

As a matter of fact, Glacier became the only school other than Flathead or Bozeman to win the Class AA state title going all the way back to 1981.

All those trophies are reason to cheer for the young competitors whose season lasts longer than any sport and whose triumphs are not won in front of cheering crowds at gyms or stadiums.

But those achievements in speech and debate probably are more valuable later in life.

Congratulations to all the champions and their coaches and parents who helped make the trophies possible.