Members of the Brookhaven Forensics and Debate team will competein the national High School Mock Trial Championship in OklahomaCity Oklahoma this week.

Team members earned the right to attend the National competitionafter winning the state championships in March. The team left thismorning for Oklahoma with their sights sets on the nationalchampionship.

“They are determined, these are some of your high-end kids,”said Carol Clanton, the team’s sponsor. “They are at the top oftheir game.”

Team members include seniors James Hoggett, Alex Lowman,LeTravis Lyons and Jonathan Walker, juniors Ryan Breeland andElizabeth Moak, and sophomores Kevin Moss and Maggie Cupit. Four ofthe team’s seven members will be competing in other nationalcompetitions, Clanton said.

Team officials are expecting strong competition from otherstates.

“Last year at nationals, there were 42 states as well as Guamand Mariana Islands represented,” said Brookhaven attorney WoodyBreeland, the team’s coach.

Competitors receive a mock court case including set ofstatements and facts. Teams must be prepared to be the defense andthe prosecution, Breeland said.

And they didn’t have much time for preparations.

“During the regular season, they were given a case in Januaryand they competed using that same case all season long. Thisinformation was only made available on April 1,” Breeland said.

Team members will face unique challenges as well.

The regular season case was completely different. Their regularseason case was an arson trial.

The case they will argue at nationals is entitled “Murder at theRodeo,” featuring a wide array of witnesses.

“They create the facts so the case is extremely even,” Breelandsaid.