Calvary Lutheran
| Calvary Lutheran Lions | |
| |
|---|---|
| Location: Jefferson City, MO | |
| Coaches | Ginger Luetkemeyer |
| State Championships | 2016 MSHSAA Class 2 |
| National Appearances | NSC: 2016 |
| Program Status | Active |
| School Size | 97
(MSHSAA-adjusted: 131) |
| NAQT Page | link |
- This article is about the high school in Jefferson City, Missouri. For other uses, see Lutheran.
Calvary Lutheran is a private high school in Jefferson City, Missouri, currently competing in Class 2. To date they have won one MSHAA state championship, the Class 2 State Championship in 2016. They currently compete in the Cooper Country Activities Association (CCAA).
History
Calvary's quiz bowl team has existed since 2013, when coach Ginger Luetkemeyer started the team with four freshmen: James Schanbacher, Remington Wilson, Nick Spears, and Silas Luetkemeyer. Despite limited success in its first few years of existence, by the 2015-2016 season it had developed into a solid team capable of competing for a district title.
With a 390-290 win in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 10 championship game in 2016, Calvary Lutheran became the first team to advance out of its district over perennial contender Richland, which in previous years had won its district to advance to each of the first twenty MSHSAA State championships. After sweeping Belle in sectionals, Calvary Lutheran completed their first appearance at state undefeated to win their first state championship.
Retaining their most skilled players from last season, during the 2016-2017 season Calvary again won their district and swept South Callaway in their sectional tournament. In their second state appearance, the team placed second overall, being the runner-up to an upcoming Louisiana team.
Although most of their team graduated after the 2016-2017 season, during the 2017-2018 season juniors Samuel Luetkemeyer and Nathan Bates led the team to another district title and another sectional victory in which they once again swept South Callaway. Their ill-fated third state appearance ended with an 0-3 record and a seventh place tournament finish.
During the 2018-2019 season the team again placed first in their district championship and again won in sectionals, this time sweeping Richland. At their fourth state championship they placed fourth with a 2-3 overall record.
With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing during the 2019-2020 season, the team did not participate in many tournaments. The only online tournament they attended was the Eugene Valentine's Virtual Quad, in which the team placed first.
With the return of postseason play, the 2020-2021 season was far more active than the last. One event was the 2021 MSHSAA Realignment, during which the team was moved up to Class 4. Now led by senior Baileigh Morris and junior Alex Roettgen, the team once again won their district, but failed to advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2015, as they lost their sectional tournament to eventual state champion College Heights Christian.
The beginning of the 2021-2022 season led to Calvary changing classes yet again, from Class 4 to Class 3. The team would yet again win their district tournament, but lost 1-2 in the sectional tournament against Houston, the eventual state champion.
In their 2022-2023 district tournament, Calvary would finish the preliminary rounds with a 3-1 record, their only loss coming at the hands of tournament favorite Columbia Independent. They would once again play them in the semifinals, losing 450-280. This would be the first time Calvary did not win their district since the 2015-2016 season (with the exception of the 2019-2020 postseason, which was cancelled due to COVID-19), breaking a 6-year streak.
| Season | Class | Conference Result | District Result | Sectional Result | State Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | Class 1 | N/A
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2nd Place
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Did not advance
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Did not advance
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| 2014-15 | Class 2 | 2nd Place
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| 2015-16 | 1st Place
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1st Place
|
Winner over Belle
|
1st Place
| |
| 2016-17 | Winner over South Callaway
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2nd Place
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| 2017-18 | Winner over South Callaway
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4th Place
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| 2018-19 | Winner over Richland
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7th place
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| 2019-20 | The 2019-2020 MSHSAA postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19
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| 2020-21 | Class 4 | 1st Place
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1st Place
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Lost to College Heights Christian
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Did not advance
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| 2021-22 | Class 3 | Lost to Houston
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| 2022-23 | Class 3 | 1st Place
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4th Place
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Did not advance
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Notable Players
(Graduation year is denoted in parentheses)
- Caleb Ashlock (2016)
- Silas Luetkemeyer (2017)
- Remington Wilson (2017)
- James Schanbacher (2017)
- Samuel Luetkemeyer (2019)
- Nathan Bates (2019)
- Baileigh Morris (2021)
- Alex Roettgen (2022)
- Natalie Sommerer (2023)
- Joel Cluver (2024)
- Ben Kuhlmann (2025)
Miscellaneous Information
- The founder and first coach of Calvary's team, Ginger Luetkemeyer, has been the team's coach for its entire existence.
- Two of Ginger's children, Silas and Samuel, have played on the team.
- Calvary's quiz bowl team placed first in its district tournament every year from 2016-2022, excluding the 2020 tournament, which was cancelled due to COVID-19.
- Calvary has won its district tournament in three different classes: Class 2 (2016-2019), Class 3 (2022), and Class 4 (2021)
- In back-to-back years Calvary lost in the sectional tournament to the eventual state champion: College Heights Christian in 2021 and Houston in 2022.
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