By Lisa Guo and Prisca Kim Co-Ads Managers

     This season has been a remarkable triumph for Chattahoochee. The men’s and women’s basketball teams won the regional competition, varsity cheerleaders topped the regional and state competitions, and the debate team won awards at numerous local, state, and national competitions.  This month, The Speculator would like to congratulate these teams for their impressive performances.
     Cheerleading Takes State
     “All we wanted to do was do our best. After we got off the floor, we were so excited. It didn’t matter what place we got because we knew we couldn’t have done better,” declared Senior Meredith Powers of the Varsity cheerleaders. Their routine was perfect,a performance demonstrating skill and extensive preparation.
     Their coach, Caren Hudson stated, “I felt a great sense of pride as they called our name to take the floor. There was no more to teach, here was where their hearts had to take over. They were going to show everyone what Chattahoochee was all about.” The cheerleaders credit the untiring work of Coach Hudson for their state championships.
     Powers said, “She was with the squad more than she was with her family. She is the reason why we won. She did it all.” Her famous words, “Let’s run it one more time,” rang clear in the minds of the girls as they executed their final performance.
     Debate Continues Success
     “The main reason Chattahoochee has emerged this year as one of the top debate teams in the country is due to the hard work put in by our students,” says Steven Stein, who coaches along with Adam Smiley. “I am extremely proud of them.”
     At the Regional and State tournaments, Chattahoochee took home the championship title. The debate team also attended national tournaments such as the Barkley Forum at Emory University.  At Emory, the team of Julie Hoehn and Shama Barday reached the semifinal round of the tournament.
     At the national Harvard University tournament, Chattahoochee had four teams in the top twenty, including the teams of Anjan Deka and Victoria Salegna, Sarah Greenberg and Lauren Vevoda, and Chris Pozzi and John Warden. 
     Such success is not an easy task. It involves after-school practices as well as hours of individual work. “I spend more time on debate work than schoolwork, by far,” says sophomore John Warden.
     Although the tournaments are extremely competitive, debaters say that they can also be a lot of fun. “We get to know people from all over the country and see them every weekend,” explains Hoehn.
     Basketball Advances to State
     The Cougars varsity basketball team entered the 6AAAAA regional tournament ranked number one and continued their reign with their coronation as regional champions.
     Their ascension was strenuous, demanding continued dedication every day. “We felt confident even before we started the games,” said Rob Thomas, “I knew that we worked hard and hopefully we’ll show that when we play.”  Both aspects of their game were perfect as they defeated Murray County, Roswell High School, and Pope High School. Their ironclad defense and unstoppable offense boosted them to the championship pedestal. Michael O’Connor, who eclipsed his season high with 30 points, said, “It just felt right. I knew my shots would sink, so I just shot them.”
     But their quest is far from over. Through their regional victory, the Cougars qualified for the state play-offs. They took their first step towards state championships when they defeated the Douglass High School team with a score of 83-56.
     Lady Cougars’ Unprecedented Victory
     Lady Cougars proved that they were not to be trifled with either. For the first time, the Lady Cougars are ranked number one in the state. Kelsey Todd comments, “We have worked so hard that it is not that difficult to believe.” At the regional tournament, their playing dominated the competition from Cherokee High School, Sequoya High School, and Etowah High School. At the moment of truth, the Lady Cougars barely sealed their first regional championship with a narrow lead of 54-52 against Etowah. They also advanced to the state play-offs. They soared over Lakeside High School and the first round of the play-offs. We can only wait and see if our Cougars will conquer state championships as well.