USC High School Debate Team Wins State Championship

There’s no debating which western Pennsylvania high school has the best speech and debate team. It’s unquestionably Upper St. Clair.

The high school recently won its first Pennsylvania High School Speech League championship during a recent competition at Bloomsburg University in Columbia County. Founded in 1961, the league attempts to stimulate through educational competition an understanding and appreciation of all aspects of speech.

The state tournament was comprised of 100 high schools and more than 600 students representing the speech league’s 15 districts across the state. Upper St. Clair’s 177.5 points put it over North Allegheny Senior High School’s 167.5 points. Unionville High School finished a distant third with 121 points.

Upper St. Clair social studies teacher Ben Edwards, who coaches the team along with English teacher Dave Watson, said the championship capped a season of tremendous success.

“The team won its first-ever PHSSL championship, had more students advance to the second day of competition than any other school that qualified for the tournament and led District 3 (comprised of Pittsburgh’s South Hills) to the district championship,” Edwards said.

Edwards credited the team’s impressive showing to its veteran members.

“This group of seniors have been team leaders since they were sophomores and have done more to shape the program and its success than any group in the history of the team,” he said. “They definitely deserved to go out on top.”

Photo via Upper St. Clair School District.