Big Sandy High School Speech, Drama, and Debate Team Finds Success

The team overcame early challenges to earn honors at the state competition.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Big Sandy High School's Speech, Drama, and Debate team had a successful 2025-2026 season, starting with just 3 members but growing to compete at the state level. The team earned several accolades, including a 3rd place finish at the Divisional Meet and a top 16 placement at the State B/C Meet.

Why it matters

The return of the Speech, Drama, and Debate program at Big Sandy High School is an important milestone for the school and community, providing students with opportunities to develop public speaking, critical thinking, and performance skills that are valuable both in and out of the classroom.

The details

The team began the season with just 3 members - Marquell Spotted-Horse Houle, Abbey Sietsma, and James Calvao - who competed in Dramatic Theater and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Over the course of the season, the team grew as Abbey and James switched to Informative Speech, and Jaeson Yirsa briefly joined the team, contributing to a 3rd place finish in Class C Speech. At the Divisional Meet, Abbey placed 7th with her speech on ADHD, while James earned 3rd place with a speech on the History of Ramen, allowing him to advance to the State B/C Meet, where he placed in the top 16.

  • The 2025-2026 season began on October 1.
  • The team competed at the State Speech and Drama Meet on January 30 to 31.

The players

Marquell Spotted-Horse Houle

A member of the Big Sandy High School Speech, Drama, and Debate team.

Abbey Sietsma

A member of the Big Sandy High School Speech, Drama, and Debate team who competed in Informative Speech.

James Calvao

A member of the Big Sandy High School Speech, Drama, and Debate team who competed in Informative Speech and placed 3rd at the Divisional Meet, advancing to the State B/C Meet.

Jaeson Yirsa

A brief member of the Big Sandy High School Speech, Drama, and Debate team who competed in Impromptu Speaking and helped the team earn a 3rd place finish in Class C Speech.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

The successful return of the Speech, Drama, and Debate program at Big Sandy High School demonstrates the school's commitment to providing well-rounded educational opportunities for its students, helping them develop important skills that will serve them both in and out of the classroom.