Owasso High School “Rams” Charge Their Way to the Top of Oklahoma

Over the past decade, Oklahoma District Judge Daman Cantrell has seen his mock trial students at Owasso High School do it all.  They’ve practiced hard, grown the program exponentially, and established Owasso as one of the top mock trial teams in Oklahoma. Just one thing eluded them.

A state championship.

“We got to the semi-finals several years in a row, and to the state finals the last three years, but could never get over the hump,” said Judge Cantrell.  

That all changed on March 7, 2018.  Finally, ten years after starting the program, Judge Cantrell got to watch his students become state champions after a dominant showing.  Their teams took first, second and fourth place, solidifying Owasso High School as a mock trial powerhouse.

“We didn’t just kick the door down,” said Judge Cantrell. “We shattered it.”

While Owasso had an experienced group of students, one thing set them apart in 2018.  They competed at Empire New York in the fall.

“I give a lot of credit to Empire for getting us over the finish line,” noted Judge Cantrell.

If We Can Make It There, We Can Make It Anywhere

The initial nerves that come with tackling a complex fact pattern on an international stage blossomed into confidence for the Owasso students.

“We were a little nervous about how to handle the intricacies of the Empire case,” senior Jenna Randall explained.  “But after it was over, we knew that we could actually compete on a world-wide level.”

“Mock trial teaches you how to be a leader, but Empire put those abilities to the test,” added Senior Presley Stevens.

In addition to honing their advocacy skills, the students credit Empire for helping their team build camaraderie and friendships. The students stayed in the heart of Times Square, argued their case in one of the world’s most historic courthouses (SDNY), and met students from across the globe.  

“I appreciated the way that Empire structured the tournament so that it was very serious, but it made sure that mock trial didn’t get in the way of making friendships,” said Randall.

By all accounts, these friendships are going strong–lasting beyond the competition.  

“We all follow each other on social media now,” said Presley about the new friends that she made at Empire.  “We know we have places to stay when we travel.”

Owasso placed in the top third of Empire New York, besting some of the world’s most experienced and accomplished mock trial teams.  That’s an impressive accomplishment for a first-time Empire team.

“It felt almost too good to be true,” said Judge Cantrell.  “We exceeded our expectations.”

Their success provided the team with the confidence boost that it needed for the season.  But according to their coach, there may have been another secret to their performance: a Frank Sinatra inspired rallying cry that they used as motivation:

“If we can make it here, then we can make it anywhere.”

The Rams are hoping to ride those words all the way to Reno, Nevada, where they’ll be representing the state of Oklahoma at the National High School Mock Trial Championship on May 11-12, 2018.  

We send our well wishes to the entire team, on behalf of the Empire Family.

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Apply for 2018 Season
We are now accepting applications for the 2018 season.  Find out more information at: http://empiremocktrial.org/apply

About Judge Cantrell
Judge Cantrell got his start in mock trial while working as a juvenile court judge.  He founded a mock trial program for juvenile offenders, pairing them with mentors from the legal community.  It was the first program of its kind in the state of Oklahoma.