JDCHS debate team claims fourth straight state title

Intermountain Catholic

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Tony Johnson (left) and Joseph Moyle of Juan Diego Catholic High School display the 2014 3A Debate State Championship trophy. IC photo/Christine Young

DRAPER — Joe Moyle, a Juan Diego Catholic High School senior who remained undefeated through region finals, accepted the trophy for the four-time 3A State Championship debate team at Dixie State University March 15.

The Soaring Eagle debate team also remained the Region 10 champions for the sixth year in a row.

"Joe has shown leadership beyond his years," said Tony Johnson, who became Juan Diego’s debate coach this year. He is the first debate coach to win a state championship in his first year.

"Winning state this year is a high honor and brings a fair amount of pressure with it to continue what my predecessor [Josh Clark] has established," said Johnson.

Although Juan Diego won the title, "we were kind of at a disadvantage because there weren’t any hotels available in St. George, so we stayed in Cedar City," said Johnson, adding that the team had a competitive disadvantage by having to wake up at 5 a.m. to commute, compete all day, and commute back in the bus for the three-day tournament.

Moyle attributes the state champion win to the coaching staff and the instruction he and his teammates received in critiques and practice, he said. "We practiced every day after school and we are able to interact with our teachers."

To qualify for the state tournament, students had to be among the top 25 region competitors.

The Saturday before the state finals, Juan Diego hosted a practice tournament in which more than 400 students from about 20 schools participated, said Johnson.

"It’s important that we give back to the debate community for as much as we benefit from it," added Juan Diego debate and speech co-coach Moses Baca.

The coaching staff is instrumental in the team’s success, he agreed, "but credit also goes to the Juan Diego community – the administration, teachers, parents and volunteers who helped us put on the practice tournament and help in so many ways."

In addition, Baca credits the debate students for "coaching each other, especially the inexperienced team members," he said.

Moyle, a public forum debate team member, joined the debate team as a sophomore because he wanted to improve his communication and critical thinking skills and to become more articulate, he said.

"Public forum is the common person’s debate and is open to anyone," he said. "In public forum, the topic is switched every month so [I] learn a lot about several different topics and my vocabulary has expanded."

Gabe Lewis, a junior, has been on the Juan Diego debate team since his freshman year and was on the Juan Diego policy debate team that was named No. 1 in the state at the 2013 Utah Debate Coaches Association Speech Arts Championship in November. All three of the Soaring Eagle debate pairs were undefeated in the competition.

"Policy debate is often regarded as the most difficult form of debate," said Baca.

Lewis agreed. "Policy debate requires a lot of research, which helps in other classes," he said. "We also spend a couple of hours each day practicing, sometimes online with coaches from Wyoming State and Idaho State colleges. We use webcams to talk about different strategies."

Being in debate has helped Lewis increase his confidence and has also "helped me with my communication, advertising and social media skills," he said. "In debate you have to research both the positive and the negative aspects of a topic, and that helps create a stance on an issue whether it is good or bad."

Lewis and the policy debate team members will attend the Gonzaga Debate Institute as well as the University of Michigan Debate Camp in June and July.