Championship teams don’t just come together in a year, especially when it comes to mock trial contests, one of the foremost academic endeavors provided by high schools throughout the country. It requires years of efforts, of a coach learning his trade, of senior team members recruiting freshmen and sophomores and helping them to learn, of intensive and critical study of the evidence, of hours upon hours upon hours each week of meetings, discussions, sometimes arguments,and learning to work together.
Yesterday evening marked the McCaskey team’s greatest success to date, a victory over York Catholic to win the Central Pennsylvania Regional Championship.
Congratulations to coach and faculty member Kevin Webster, non-faculty advisor Keith Moody, to the team members and to the School District of Lancaster for its support of this program. Details will follow as they become available.
For some yesterday’s victory helped redress the accidental loss in the regional finals two years ago. For an infraction that occured a day earlier, a team member was suspended from school for the day of the contest. School rules do not permit participation in extra curricular activities during a suspension day. It all happened so quickly that there was no time for appeal and reconsideration. Despite having to use a less experienced substitute and shuffling the assignments of others to help compensate, McCaskey won on the points but lost on the jury decision. (We don’t know how that works either.)
No one was to blame. But this year’s Central Pennsylvania championship may help heal a lingering wound for those who missed their chance to go to the state finals.
Later report from the Lancaster Sunday News.
