The Friendswood High School Speech & Debate team delivered another strong competitive showing this past weekend, earning numerous semifinalist and finalist placements at tournaments hosted by Cypress Ranch High School and Jersey Village High School. Coach Jose Rivera commended the students for their hard work and consistency across a wide range of events.
At the Cypress Ranch tournament, Friendswood advanced multiple students in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, with Sohaila Saleh, Jason Wei, Fatima Mujtaba, and Zayn Haniff each reaching the semifinal round. In Novice Extemporaneous Speaking, Vincent Ford of Friendswood Junior High earned an impressive 2nd place finish.
Friendswood also saw success in other events at Cypress Ranch, including a semifinal appearance by Bryce Flick in Original Oratory. In Congressional Debate, Mariam Aldeiri advanced to the finals, finishing in 8th place.
The team continued its momentum at the Jersey Village tournament, where five competitors — Aayush Jetly, Shayan Saqib, Fatima Mujtaba, Jason Wei, and Zayn Haniff — all reached the semifinals in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking. Navya Patel also advanced to the semifinals in Original Oratory.
In debate events, Carter Nguyen and Francesca Beale reached the quarterfinals in Novice Public Forum Debate, and Raga Akkaladevi competed into the octofinal round of Lincoln-Douglas Debate. In Congressional Debate, Carrigan Bradshaw advanced to the finals, earning 8th place.
Friendswood’s strongest finishes of the weekend came in Cross-Examination Debate, where two teams reached the final round: Mahum Jawed and Audrey Praisoody, who placed 3rd, and Ishan Pendyala and Aydin Haniff, who earned 2nd place.
Coach Rivera expressed pride in the team’s performance and the breadth of their success across multiple speaking and debate categories. The results highlight the program’s depth and continued growth as the competitive season progresses.
