Calvary Lutheran
| Calvary Lutheran Lions | |
| |
|---|---|
| Location: Jefferson City, MO | |
| Coaches | Ginger Luetkemeyer |
| State Championships | 2016, 2024 MSHSAA Class 2 |
| National Appearances | NSC: 2016 |
| Program Status | Active |
| School Size | 69[1] |
| 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 two MSHSAA state championships in 2016 and 2024, both in Class 2. They currently compete in the Show-Me Central Conference, previously competing in the Cooper County Activities Association (CCAA) until 2024.
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.
Before the 2023-2024 season, Calvary would drop from Class 3 back to Class 2, the class in which they last made it to the state tournament. With their starting 4 now made up of seniors Joel Cluver and Carter Brooks and juniors Ben Kuhlmann and Ella Roberts, the team would win their district once again before traveling to Joplin to take on ten-time state champion and 2023 runner-up Thomas Jefferson Independent in sectionals. Calvary would end up winning 2-0, marking their first sectional victory since 2019. At the state championship, the team would go 2-1 in the preliminary rounds with a loss to reigning Class 2 champion Weaubleau, but still qualified for the first-place finals game. In the final, Calvary defeated Weaubleau 390-270, winning the state championship for the second time ever. This would also mark Calvary's last season in the Cooper County Activities Association (CCAA), as they moved into the newly-created Show-Me Central Conference starting in 2024.
| Season | Class | Conference Result | District Result | Sectional Result | State Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | Class 1 | N/A
|
2nd Place
|
Did not advance
|
Did not advance
|
| 2014-15 | Class 2 | 2nd Place
| |||
| 2015-16 | 1st Place
|
1st Place
|
Winner over Belle
|
1st Place
| |
| 2016-17 | Winner over South Callaway
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2nd Place
| |||
| 2017-18 | Winner over South Callaway
|
7th Place
| |||
| 2018-19 | Winner over Richland
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4th 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
|
1st Place
|
Lost to College Heights Christian
|
Did not advance
|
| 2021-22 | Class 3
|
Lost to Houston
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| 2022-23 | 4th Place
|
Did not advance
| |||
| 2023-24 | Class 2 | 1st Place
|
Winner over Thomas Jefferson Independent
|
1st Place
| |
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)
- Clancy Dunn (2021)
- Alex Roettgen (2022)
- Natalie Sommerer (2023)
- Joel Cluver (2024)
- Ben Kuhlmann (2025)
- Ella Roberts (2025)
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- ↑ 2023-24 MSHSAA enrollment (grades 9-11 in March 2023), from https://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/SchoolEnrollments.aspx