Flathead Valley high schools are aiming to be the talk of the town as the 2026-27 speech season gets underway. 

With the Class AA season opening tournament scheduled Nov. 7 in Missoula and the state championship set for Jan. 29-30 in Great Falls, head coaches at Flathead and Glacier high schools are hopeful their respective teams' way with words will be enough to return the state title to Kalispell. 

In the last Class AA state tournament, a difference of 2.5 points separated defending state champions Bozeman High School from runner-up Flathead, which squeaked past third-place finisher Glacier by a single point. 

Flathead head coach Kelli Rosenquist said it will be a year of rebuilding after the majority of the team graduated last year. Still, Rosenquist is eager to see the talent that rises through the ranks.  

"We have some up-and-coming freshmen and sophomores this year with a lot of promise. We also have some strong seniors with great competitive performance and leadership who have been with our team for four years," Rosenquist said. 

They include returning 2026 Public Forum Debate state champion Josie Morrison and national qualifiers Jacob Braach, Lincoln McElwain, Cayden Porter, Bronson Willcut and Logan Yuasa-Green.  

In a rebuilding year, Rosenquist — who is marking her second season as head coach — said her goal is to foster a culture that is competitive and supportive. The coaching team has also added former competitors to its assistant coaching staff. 

WITH MORE than 130 students signed up for speech and debate at Glacier, head coach Greg Adkins expects the team's strengths will lie in numbers, experience and a seasoned coaching staff that also includes newer assistant coaches who are former competitors. 

"While the team will look different following the graduation of several key members from the Class of 2026, the Wolfpack expect[s] to remain competitive across a variety of events," Adkins said, such as Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. 

Bolstering the team's anticipated performance will be returning Dramatic Interpretation state champion Sophya Allred and national qualifiers Kendall Dolan (Original Oratory), Parker Scherer (Informative Speaking) and Z. Belt (Policy Debate). 

Adkins said the goals of the speech and debate program go beyond winning. 

“We want our students to become better communicators, stronger competitors and better people," Adkins said. "We believe success comes from recognizing your role, supporting your teammates and being willing to put in the work." 

DEFENDING CLASS A state champion, Whitefish High School, begins a new chapter with new head coach Jason Brown. Brown replaces Sarah Mueller, who stepped down after leading the team for the past 12 years. Brown brings five years of experience as an assistant coach. 

"I took on the role of head coach because I wanted to maintain coaching continuity. Sara Mueller worked tirelessly to establish a team culture of excellence and I am excited to write (or more accurately speak) the next chapter," he wrote in an email to the Daily Inter Lake. 

Brown anticipates the team will excel in debate this season with returning Extemporaneous Speaking state champion Logan Covey who will be competing in Public Forum Debate this year with partner David Losee, a two-time national World Schools Debate team member. Policy Debate state champion, Cohen Gates, also returns. 

"Coming off back-to-back state championships, our goal is to capture a third consecutive title. I set high expectations for my students, and regardless of the outcome, they always exceed them. Beyond that, I’m hoping to develop our interpretation program so we can compete more effectively against powerhouse programs like Bigfork and Columbia Falls," Brown said. 

Columbia Falls High School will be vying for a state win after coming off a second-place finish at the last state tournament. 

Bigfork High School, which finished in third place at state last year, comes into the season "with a dynamic mix of decorated veteran leaders and an energized new generation," head coach Shirley Stine said.  

"The team's core strength lies in its dominance Interpretation events and Memorized events led by senior Brody Henion — a two-time Humorous Interpretation state champion who finished 14th in the nation — followed by senior Olivia Close, a three-time Duo [Interpretation] state champion and two-time national competitor entering her final high school season with a determination to sweep with a fourth state title ..." Stine said. 

The public is invited to watch students compete at speech and debate tournaments. In December, the competition comes to the valley. A Whitefish tournament is scheduled Dec. 5 and the Kalispell Western Regional tournament, hosted by Glacier High School, is set for Dec. 11-12. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 406-758-4431 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Asher Stanfield practices his public forum debate at Glacier High School Speech and Debate team practice on Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Josie Morrison practices her public forum debate during Flathead High School Speech and Debate team practice on Thursday, Oct. 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Anna Stanfield practices her public forum debate at Glacier High School Speech and Debate team practice on Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Keegan West practices his public forum debate during Flathead High School Speech and Debate team practice on Thursday, Oct. 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Mavery Fauth practices her public forum debate at Glacier High School Speech and Debate team practice on Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

 Oliver Eklund practices his public forum debate during Flathead High School Speech and Debate team practice on Thursday, Oct. 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

    Oliver Eklund practices his public forum debate during Flathead High School Speech and Debate team practice on Thursday, Oct. 29. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)