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.

History

Great Bridge opened in 1907, holding students from 1st through 12th 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

The mascot is a wildcat and the sports teams currently play in the AAA Southeastern District of the AAA Eastern Region. Sports offered at Great Bridge include football, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, soccer, golf, field hockey, lacrosse, cheerleading, and wrestling.
Great Bridge has been known for its wrestling team, which has won 18 of the last 23 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. Brandon Morales was a 4-time state champion. Morales graduated in 2019.
The Great Bridge Crew Club is 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 first in the region, fourth at states, and sixth 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 first in the region, fourth at states, and 11th in a national event.
The women's freshmen eight placed second 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 nine southeastern Virginia regional championships. In 2009, the women's lightweight four captured first in the region, first at states, and second at the prestigious Stotesbury Cup.
The women's field hockey team won the state title in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The team lost before making it to the championship match in 2019.

Extracurricular activities

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 250 students. The band program includes three curricular bands: Ninth Grade Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. All band members are offered the opportunity to participate in the award-winning Great Bridge Marching Wildcats. Students are offered opportunities to play in Jazz band, Indoor Guard and 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.
The high school has a dance team called the RockCats.
The high school has a variety of student government. Ranging from student government to class office.
YearSCA PresidentSenior Class President
2017-2018Mollie Parsons
2018-2019Robert HolroydLogan Newman
2019-2020Jessica Kroliczak

Notable alumni