The De Soto High School Debate team traveled to Blue Valley Southwest High School to compete in the 5A State Debate tournament on Jan. 27-28. Qualifiers included senior Trevor Whitlow who competed with junior Zach Yarbrough as well as senior Carlie Harris who competed with sophomore Savannah Stine.

Both teams went 2-4 in the tournament, a major improvement from the Regional tournament, according to head debate coach Jason Hagg.

“I thought we did really well. We had a really rough Regional where we didn’t win anything. We didn’t win a single round, so I knew our kids were a little depressed going into State,” Hagg said. “They didn’t move into semi[finals] or anything, but it was great for us to get two wins under our belt on both sides to show that we can compete with some of those bigger schools.”

After a tough Regional tournament, the two teams spent Christmas break focusing on their affirmative cases and making sure they “closed up the holes,” according to Harris.

“We did a lot of talking about theory of debate, which is a lot of the 5A style,” Harris said.

One of the biggest obstacles the team had to overcome was the move from division 4A to 5A, which was announced last September. Although Hagg believes that “it didn’t play that big of a deal in the end to us,” there were still noticeable differences at tournaments between the two divisions.

“The judging pool is a lot different because in 5A, there’s a lot of college judges that come back, and they have a completely different style of debate than what we’re used to in 4A,” Harris said. “So, [it is] just a huge adjustment we have to do in order to be competitive in 5A.”

Although the State tournament was viewed as a success by the team, it was also bittersweet, as two of the four State qualifiers ended their senior season on the DHS team.

“It’s kind of sad because I love Debate so much,” Harris said. “Overall, I thought it was a really great season and I’m so proud of the team and I can’t wait to see how they do.”

Hagg expressed that he was sad to see the seniors go, as they were the students who “ had to buy into who I am as a teacher and as a person and how I want to coach and both those kids put a ton into who I am,” after he came to DHS in 2014.

“It was hard because I knew I wanted more for them, and we just didn’t get as far as I wanted with that group of kids. I felt like they deserved it, and any coach will say the same thing,” Hagg said. “When you have a good group of kids, that’s the team that you want to go the furthest, and that was kind of it with them, and I was really hoping for them. So, you’re losing two really good kids, but at the same time I think they were good enough leaders that I think we have a base for the following year.”

Hagg, Yarbrough, Stine and the up-and-coming debaters have already begun to prepare for seasons to come. Hagg has invited a Debate coach from Blue Valley Southwest to speak to the debaters and prepare them for 5A competition, and many have begun looking into Debate summer camps and other ways to improve in the seasons to come at a new level.