Tradition and History

The Jesuit Debate Team celebrates over 75 years of excellence and awards a varsity letter for TFA State Qualification.

Success at the National Level

Championships

National Debate Coaches Association National Varsity Championships (3^rd in 2007; 5^th in 2015 & 2011)
National Debate Coaches Association National Novice Championships (1st in 2022)
Novice Nationals at Woodward Academy in Atlanta (9^th in 2017, 2016)
Second Year Nationals at Woodward Academy in Atlanta (2^nd in 2005)

Competitions

competitions draw schools from across the country.

Jesuit Dallas placed within the top 10 at the following competitions:

Grapevine High School
Greenhill School
New Trier High School (Illinois)
St. Mark’s School of Texas
University of Southern California/Notre Dame HS

The Glenbrooks (Illinois)
University of Texas
Redlands University (California)
Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville)
University of Houston

Lexington Massachusetts
Colleyville Heritage High School
Emory University (Atlanta)
University of California at Berkeley

State Tournament Hall of Fame
1998-Present

Qualifying for the TFA State tournament is an accomplishment on its own... qualifying for the elimination rounds reflects a unique achievement for debaters. Jesuit debaters listed below not only qualified multiple times for state but also accomplished the unusual multiyear appearance in the elimination rounds.

Success at TFA State Championships

Texas Forensics Association State Debate Champions
2011, 2010 (closeout), 2002, 2000, and 1979

Texas Forensic Association State Debate Finalists
(Second Place) in 2007 and 2001

Texas Forensic Association State Debate Semifinalist
2020, 2016, 2007, 2005 (2 teams), and 1998

Texas Forensic Association State Quarterfinalist
2019 (2 teams), 2017 (2 teams), 2008 (2 teams), 2006, 2003, and 2001

3 Time Elimination Round

First Place	Third Place
Anthony Jardina ’02 1^st, 5^th, 9^th	Sean O’Brien ’08 3^rd, 5^th, 9^th Ryan Stevens ’07 3^rd, 5^th, 9^th
Fifth Place	Seventeenth Place
Jack Moore ’19 5^th, 9^th, 9^th Jack Griffiths ’19 5^th, 9^th, 17^th Riler Holcombe ’19 5^th, 9^th, 17^th Rich Graham ’08 5^th, 9^th, 9^th	Jackson Pyke ’14 17^th, 17^th, 17^th

First Place

Third Place

Anthony Jardina ’02
1^st, 5^th, 9^th

Sean O’Brien ’08
3^rd, 5^th, 9^th

Ryan Stevens ’07
3^rd, 5^th, 9^th

Fifth Place

Seventeenth Place

Jack Moore ’19
5^th, 9^th, 9^th

Jack Griffiths ’19
5^th, 9^th, 17^th

Riler Holcombe ’19
5^th, 9^th, 17^th

Rich Graham ’08
5^th, 9^th, 9^th

Jackson Pyke ’14
17^th, 17^th, 17^th

2 Time Elimination Round

First Place	Second Place
Ryan Gorman ’11 1^st (closeout), 1^st Sullivan McCormick ’11 1^st (closeout), 1^st Carson Young ’10 1^st closeout, 9^th Sam Ackels ’03 1^st, 5^th	John Hill ’08 2^nd, 9^th
Third Place	Fifth Place
Emmanuel Ruiz ’17 3^rd, 5^th Patrick Bender ’16 3^rd, 9^th Cameron O’Bannon ’05 3^rd, 9^th Trevor Howell ’05 3^rd, 9^th	Charlie Minato ’09 5^th, 9^th Bradley Craig ’09 5^th, 17^th Mark Offenbach ’07 5^th, 17^th Jonathan Powell ’01 5^th, 9^th
Ninth Place	Seventeenth Place
Chris Tran ’19 9^th, 17^th Derek Liles ’07 9^th, 17^th Jake LoRocco ’17 9^th, 17^th Adam Wiechman ’15 9^th, 17^th Gabriel Nunez-LaFontaine ’08 9^th, 17^th Matthew Schuster ’05 9^th, 17^th Michael Piellucci ’05 9^th, 17^th	Gio Ferrer-Falto ’19 17^th, 17^th Ethan Jackson ’19 17^th, 17^th Ben Miller ’18 17^th, 17^th Tanner Davis ’13 17^th, 17^th Christian Calilung ’07 17^th, 17^th

1 Time Elimination Round

First Place	Second Place
Joel Diamond ’10 (closeout) Tom Keane ’00 Ian Holmes ’00	Michael Haskins ’07 Edward Ackels ’01 Ben Bireley ’01
Third Place	Fifth Place
Steve Kovatis ’98 Matt Connolly ’98	Beomhak Lee ’17 Alandro Valdez ’17 Zach Watts ’17 Robert Foltz ’03
Ninth Place
Ashik Amar ’19 Logan Kim ’19 Praneeth Kalva ’16 Ethan Tsao ’16 Chandler Dawson ’15 Bennett Harrison ’15 Jason Martin ’05

Gold Medal Debates

1959-80 - Gold Medal Debates Plaque (No Other Inscription)
1944-58 - The Philp Citation Cup

1959-80 - Gold Medal Debates Plaque (No Other Inscription)

1980

Webb Millsaps and Jeff Tillotson

1979

Greg Ackels and Jeff Tillotson

1978

Greg Ackels and Jeff Tillotson

1977

Jay Liese and Jim Plummer

1976

vEmery Shannon and Chuck Winikates

1975

Joe Ackels and Randy Kucera

1974

Mike Ackels and Ken Hafiertepe

1973

Erin Dwyer and Randy Kucera

1972

Erin Dwyer and Tom Garvin

1971

Ken Petersen and Terry Kee

1970

Paul Clote and Terry Kee

1969

Gary Keane and Bruce Thompson

1968

Larry Ackels and Mike Fernandez

1967

Larry Ackels and Michael McKool

1966

Michael McKool and Anthony Iwanski

1965

Patrick Coerver and Irwin Sentilles

1964

Irwin Sentilles and James Turner

1963

Richard Atkinson and James Turner

1962

Richard Hughes and James Turner

1961

Kent Luecking and Harry Womackv

1960

Edward Carriere and Harry Salis

1959

John Brough and John Johnson

1944-58 - The Philp Citation Cup

Presented by Lt. Col Wm. H. Philp, USA for permanent record of the winning teams in the annual Jesuit High School Debate

1958

Patrick McGowan and James Miller

1957

John Johnson and Patrick McGowan

1956

William Hodges and John Brough

1955

William Hodges and Claiborne Johnson

1954

Jerry Fagin and T. Fuechtmann

1953

Joseph Kocks and Milam Joseph

1952

Patrick McDowell and Patrick Reames

1951

Joseph Pangle and William Williams

1950

John Keehan and Philip Hanley

1949

Albert Collins and Neil O'Brien

1948

James Cale and James McGaffrey

1947

David Knight and James Cale

1946

Joe Leverette and Jack Burney

1945

Stanley Redmond and Joseph Canty

1944

Cletus Brady and Jack Stanton

FAQs

Debate demonstration