The Brownwood High School (BHS) Congressional Debate team recently celebrated a dominant performance in the regional tournament in Mason, TX, on November 5, 2025, securing two spots in the State Congressional Debate Contest. Led by science teacher and debate coach Justin Moore, the Lions claimed four of the top six placements, showcasing their poise, preparation, and persuasive power in a field of fierce competitors.
Junior Ian Jones captured 1st place, while Aiden Oplotnik, also a junior, earned 4th. Eli Hutson (sophomore) and Cooper Morgan (junior) rounded out the top performers with 5th and 6th places, respectively. Jones and Oplotnik’s standout performances officially qualified them to represent BHS at the state level in early January at the University of Texas campus in Austin. This marks a monumental achievement for a program that Coach Moore describes as “starting fresh” this year, with only two of the six team members bringing any prior debate experience.
“It takes influence in the round—everything you say needs to have weight,” said one team member when asked what separates state qualifiers from the rest. Another emphasized the grind: “I need to make efficient speeches for each bill, practice them to memorize the best points, add lots of signposting, ask non-fluff questions, and speak clearly without pacing.” A third highlighted the dual emotional and educational demands: “It requires communicating on both levels, with lots of preparation.”
Coach Moore, who has poured extra hours into rebuilding the program, credits the students’ growth mindset. “We’ve worked a lot on handling aggressive questions humbly, responding with facts over emotion, and accepting criticism to move forward,” he explained. “An open mind is key—you might enter affirmative on a bill, but after hearing 23 others, shift your view. That’s how you grow as a competitor.”
Preparation for these young debaters has been intense and hands-on. Since August, the team has met twice weekly during lunch and once a week for 90-minute after-school sessions. Students begin by crafting their own bills or resolutions addressing real-world government and economic issues. Once final legislation is distributed, research kicks in, followed by mock sessions where they deliver 3-minute speeches, face 30-second questioning blocks, and vote on passage or failure.
“We run two 3-hour chunks discussing as many bills as possible,” Coach Moore noted. “The majority of time is spent on individual research, notes, speech writing, and anticipating tough questions.” On competition day, advice from the team focuses on composure: “Look nice, stay prepared, breathe, and lock in,” one student advised. Another added, “Keep a calm mind amid the stress and excitement to speak well.”
The state contest, a two-day event with finals on the second day, promises to be an eye-opening experience. Coach Moore plans to have the full team observe the top contenders. “I’m excited for them to learn from the best—speaking patterns, polite clashing, standing out, and building unbreakable confidence,” he said. “Taking four of the top six at regionals gave everyone a huge ego boost and a taste for winning. Now, the whole team is invested in prepping our state qualifiers, banding together to improve the group.”
The team continues to build on their successes and has already discussed off-season improvements. “This year has been fun and a great experience—we’ve all learned together,” stated Coach Moore. “It’s a great day to be a Lion!”
