For the past ten years in a row, Cleveland’s Speech and Debate team, the Cannibals, have finished either first or second in the state championship. 2021 was no different, as the Cannibals came in second place.

The Cannibals owe their yearly success to their mentoring process with previous champions mentoring the next champions, said Patrick Gonzales, head coach. This year, Daniel Wittenberg and Eli Kruger won the 2021 championship in Public Forum Debate. They were mentored by Susan Mcharris and Talia Cordova, who were mentored by Quinn Samuoulidis and Henry Hawking, who were mentored by Terrell Cunningham and Joseph Brower, who were mentored by Emily Erickson and Henry Harding, who were mentored by Carson Patterson and Isobel Coen and Hannah Shilling, who were mentored by Ethan Adelman-Sil and Leah Woods. It was Ethan Adelman-Sil and Leah Woods who first founded this club back in the spring of 2009, Gonzales said.

There was a bit of a twist this year at state. Usually, only Cleveland, Westview and Lincoln take the state titles, and they still did, with Cleveland coming in second, Westview in third and Lincoln in fifth. However, in the closest race in state history, Sunset took the first place title with 84 points, bumping Cleveland to a close second with 81 points.

There were 56 schools in total competing this year. Points are counted towards the 6A champ, 5A champ, and 1A-4A. This year, the top ten schools and their points are as follows:
Sunset 84 points
Cleveland 81
Westview 76
Lakeridge 64
Lincoln 60
Wilson 43
Sam Barlow 42
Marshfield 34
St. Mary’s (Medford) 34
Oregon Episcopal School 29

The Advancing Entries and overall finish at State from Cleveland include:
Lit Interp for ELL Damaris Yu Finalist 2nd
After Dinner Speech Sophie Jacqmotte-Parks Finalist 7th
After Dinner Speech Flannery Gonzales Finalist 2nd
Humorous Interp Sabina Oldham Finalist 3rd
Informative Speech Flannery Gonzales Semi-Final 9th
Informative Speech Stella Greencoss Finalist 6th
Oratory Simone Guite Finalist 6th
Poetry Interpretation Sabina Oldham Finalist 7th
Prose Reading Stella Greenvoss Finalist 2nd
Impromptu Adley Schwartz Finalist 6th
Extemporaneous Eli Kruger Finalist 6th
Extemporaneous Gus Glasheen Finalist 2nd
Student Congress Liam Anthony Finalist 8th
Public Forum Debate Daniel Wittenberg and Eli Kruger State Champions (undefeated at 7-0)