The Cleveland Cannibals brought home another win over the April 19-20 weekend at the Western Oregon University campus, securing their ninth state title by 18 points over Sunset High School. Although the victory is sweet, Cleveland must now say goodbye to the retiring and beloved coach and mentor, Patrick “Gonzo” Gonzales.
This year, the team had an excellent performance and achieved, by far, the most titles. Team event winners included juniors Josh Pontefract and Quinn Keogh, as well as sophomores Eliza Raymond and Annika Jacobson in Public Forum Debate, all considered co-state champions. Regarding Dual Interpretation, Keogh and Raymond placed second and juniors Ethan Daley and Nadia LeClerc took bronze.
In individual competitions, senior Owen Rowe won Humorous Interpretation, while senior Ezra Greenhill got into the semifinals for After Dinner Speaking and Prose Interpretation. In one of the most challenging competitions, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, senior Xander Bartlett earned a spot in the semifinals.
Additionally, senior Theo Donhowe placed third while senior Alvin Chan reached the top four in Extemporaneous Speaking. In LIELL, sophomore Melissa Brown got the bronze while Poetry Interpretation went well with juniors Hamza Akalin and Alabaster Richard placing in the semifinals. Sophomore Lucy Bernardo led Cleveland to a chance at semifinals in Radio Commentary, and in the Student Congress event, the Cannibals devoured their way to three qualifiers to Super Congress. These include sophomore Eugene Fedutinov, freshman Mason Lang, and junior Drew Sykes.
When asked what is next for this winning group, mentor Gonzo commented, “We had a very young group this year. So I really think these students should win the state championship next year.”
Even though this is a high bar, Gonzo believes that it is very plausible. Since the majority of those who competed in the state championship are not graduating this year, and a new wave of Cannibals are quickly emerging, this is not an impossible task.
While this competition was extremely successful and exciting, it is important to also acknowledge Gonzo’s departure from the Cannibals into retirement. He has been with the Speech and Debate team for 15 years, throughout which he has helped the program from its infancy stages to modern success.
One of his proudest accomplishments was a decade ago in 2014, where his team was able to achieve a state record in points. While this year’s team collected an incredible 110 points, the 2014 Cannibals was a step ahead with a staggering 119 points.
Esteemed speech and debate coach Matthew Parker commented, “Gonzo built the Cleveland Speech and Debate program. His sincere interest in each individual competitor’s experience and dedication to the program’s success has made the team what it is. Gonzo has also established effective systems that will allow the team to continue to be successful, especially by fostering a culture in which upperclassmen mentor underclassmen.”
During his career, he was able to coach the Cannibals to nine state titles and 14 district titles. Within only 15 years, this is a 60 percent state championship win rate.
“Gonzo has been a very influential role model for both myself and others. His unique character, enthusiasm, and vast knowledge have gained him a cult-like following within the team. I am extremely grateful for the effort he has put into the team, and though it will be a big adjustment without him next year, I believe his presence will have a lasting impact on both the team and its success,” remarked Keogh.
Gonzo feels hopeful about the future of the Cannibals under their new leadership of the new head coach Parker, and assures the student body that he will not be abandoning the program. Before his departure, he offered some advice: “I think it is very important for everybody to find something that they’re passionate about, and that something may not be what their major in college is, and it may not be what their job is. I would say, make sure you find a passion that you can really hang onto and enjoy.”