CHESAPEAKE, Va. — For quite a while now, the Great Bridge Wildcats have been the queens of field hockey. But like all great things, it took some time to get there.
“I think when I started here in 2010, we won three games,” said head coach Katie Duke, now in her 14th season with the Wildcats.
But Duke hasn’t built this dynasty alone. Her husband, Jim, is an assistant coach on the team. The pair have three boys, something they believe may have foreshadowed their future.
“We always say God gave us boys because he knew we have enough girls out here,” said Duke. “Neither of us went to Great Bridge but we are all in here.”
Coaching the program together for over a decade, they’ve had a front-row seat to watch hundreds of players grow up. Duke says it’s a privilege.
“I’ve got girls out here who started in kindergarten and now they’re out here playing that many years later so that’s the most rewarding thing for me.”
Claiming five of the last eight Class 4 titles, it’s also rewarding to see their dedication come to fruition.
“Just being here for so long you don’t have a lot of changes. The kids come in knowing what our expectations are.”
But now aiming for their fourth consecutive title, junior forward Lily Johnson should help them get there.
“She’s super dynamic. Feisty is a good word to describe her. You put her in front of the goal and you know she’s going to score,” said Coach Duke.
But Lily isn’t like more players, for another reason.
“I don’t like watermelon,” she said when I asked for a fun fact most may not know.
Crazy if you ask me but coming off a season with 25 goals and a first-team All-State selection, but her pregame fruit salad filled with strawberries, blueberries, and cantaloupe, still gets the job done.