School type Public high school Founded 1907 Principal Jeff Johnson Mascot Wildcats | Motto Tradition and Pride Superintendent James T. Roberts Phone +1 757-482-5191 Number of students 1,674 (2008–2009) | |
School district Chesapeake City Public Schools Address 301 Hanbury Rd W, Chesapeake, VA 23322, USA District Chesapeake City Public Schools | ||
Sportswrap vault 1997 michael cuddyer at great bridge high school
Great Bridge High School is a public secondary school in Chesapeake, Virginia, United States. It is part of Chesapeake City Public Schools and is located at 301 West Hanbury Road.
Contents
History
Great Bridge opened in 1907, holding students from 1st through 11th grade. Another larger building opened in 1924, which also housed students from 1st through 11th grade. In 1954, Great Bridge moved to another new larger building which accommodated students in 6th through 12th grade. This building has now become the site of Great Bridge Middle School. In 1983, the current site of Great Bridge opened, which accommodates students in the 9th through 12th grade.
Athletics and extracurricular activities
The mascot is a wildcat and the sports teams currently play in the AAA Southeastern District of the AAA Eastern Region. Great Bridge has been known for its wrestling team, which has won eighteen of the last twenty-three AAA state titles including nine straight AAA titles at one point in recent years. This is the longest streak of consecutive state titles won by any Virginia high school in any sport and enrollment classification.
The Great Bridge Crew Club is also nationally recognized. In 2005 the men's lightweight eight placed fifth at the Stotesbury Cup, the world's largest high school regatta. In 2007, the men's lightweight eight boat placed first in the state, sixth at the prestigious Stotesbury Cup, and fourth in the national championship in Camden, New Jersey. The men's junior 4 placed 1st in the region, 4th at states, and 6th in a national event. Other notable achievements in the club's history include the men's first eight placing 6th at states. In 2006, the men's lightweight four placed 1st in the region, 4th at states, and 11th in a national event. Also, the women's freshmen eight placed 2nd in the region and 16th in a national event in 2007. The men's lightweight eight won the Virginia state championship in 2009. Great Bridge Crew has won the past 9 southeastern Virginia regional championships. In 2009, the Women's Lightweight Four captured 1st in the region, 1st at states, and 2nd at the prestigious Stotesbury Cup.
In 2002 , the Great Bridge High School Theatre Company traveled to the Virginia Theatre Association and won first prize with the one act play, Gilgamesh: Man's First Story, written by William Russell Staggs and Brian Wrestler, an alumnus of Great Bridge High School. Student actor, Andrew Geimer, received the Outstanding Actor Award for his role as Enkidu. They returned the next year to perform a showcase play called, "Prometheus Bound", directed by William Russell Staggs. The GBHS Theatre Company traveled, again, to VTA in 2005 and won first prize with the one act play, The Standard of the Man, written by Brian Wrestler. The next year, the theatre company performed a 'showcase' play called Rashomon, directed by William Russell Staggs.
The Great Bridge High School Band Program involves nearly 200 students in grades nine through twelve. The high school band program includes three curricular bands: Ninth Grade Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. All band members in grades nine through twelve are offered the opportunity to participate in the award winning Great Bridge Marching Wildcats. High School students are offered opportunities to play in Jazz band(s), Indoor Guard and various other small ensembles.
Each year, Great Bridge students participate in district band auditions. For many years the high school district band has included many Great Bridge students. Fifteen times the band program has received the Virginia Honor Band Award for earning a superior rating at the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association Marching Band Performance Assessment and the highest level band receiving a superior at the District Concert Band Performance Assessment.
Sports offered at Great Bridge include football, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, soccer, golf, field hockey, lacrosse, marching band, cheerleading, and wrestling. The high school also has a dance team called the RockCats.