December 2004

By Cadet Bryan Halfpap Last week on December 10 through December 11, Fort Defiance held a wrestling tournament with 12 schools, most notably Fork Union Military Academy, Monticello High school, Potomac Falls High, and Broad Run High. FUMA wrestler Drew Davis placed third in the tournament. When the weigh-in started for the tournament at 8:00, the auxiliary gym of Fort Defiance High was packed with mostly with 103-160 pound wrestlers. There were so many people and so few scales and officials that it took at least an hour to weigh everybody before they could start.

Rob Courtney won his third Debate trophy during the 2004-2005 season at Saturday's tournament held at Meadowbrook High School. Students from twenty-two public and private schools competed in this tournament. Thirty-two students competed in Student Congress. Rob has competed in three tournaments this year and has won a trophy at each one. Rob won third place in Student Congress at the December tournament, second place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the November tournament, and third place in Student Congress at the October tournament.

Following in the footsteps of Eddie George, who appeared last week with Coach Micky Sullivan and MAJ John DeVault on Friday Night Gladiators on Dallas radio to promote FUMA, Cadet Tyrone Wilson was on the air to discuss his acceptance of a football scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas next year. Cadet Wilson met with coaching staff of SMU this past week and both he and senior linebacker Curtiss Powell were offered scholarships to become SMU Mustangs. Both cadets have indicated their commitment to accept the offer and attend SMU.

Two members of the 2004-2005 FUMA Debate Team have earned trophies and received invitations to compete at State Finals which will be held on March 5, 2005. Rob Courtney and Jeremy O'Sullivan have become Student Congress State Qualifiers and Rob has also become a State Qualifier in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Rob won third place and Jeremy won fifth place in Student Congress. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate Rob debated the topic, "Resolved: The United States has a moral obligation to promote democratic ideals in other nations." He won second place.

By Cadet Bryan Halfpap The first match of the wrestling season took place in Louisa High, where 10 varsity wrestlers from FUMA competed in a tournament with three other schools: Louisa, Rappahannock, and Courtland. Below are the names and weight classes of the wrestlers for FUMA: Tim Brown - 103 Max Graham - 112 Reed