Bethel High School is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
located in the northwestern section of
Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
*Hampton, Victoria
Canada
*Hampton, New Brunswick
*Hamp ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Bethel is the third of four public high schools in
Hampton City Schools
Hampton City Schools is the school division of Hampton, Virginia.
Administration
Superintendent
The superintendent of Hampton City Schools is Jeffrey Smith. Before his appointment in July 2015, Smith was the superintendent of West Point Publi ...
along with
Kecoughtan In the seventeenth century, Kecoughtan was the name of the settlement now known as Hampton, Virginia, In the early twentieth century, it was also the name of a town nearby in Elizabeth City County, Virginia, Elizabeth City County. It was annexed int ...
,
Hampton
Hampton may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia
*Hampton, New South Wales
*Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region
*Hampton, Victoria
Canada
*Hampton, New Brunswick
*Hamp ...
, and
Phoebus
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
.
History
Bethel High School was built in 1968 to handle the overflow of Hampton High School and Kecoughtan High School students. Since the school board liked the Kecoughtan High School floor plan, Bethel's floor plan was designed similarly, with only a couple of differences (e.g., the courtyard and the 900 hallways). Bethel was named after the area of Bethel and also after the Civil War battle of Big Bethel. Since the school was in a rural location at the time, Bethel had the biggest school zone in the city. Most residents from
Langley Field Langley may refer to:
People
* Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name
* Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer
* Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perform ...
heading west toward the city of Newport News were all zoned for Bethel. Today the school is still considered the highest-populated school and still has the biggest zone in the city of Hampton.
*In 2009 Bethel became the first high school in America to ever have its own
arena racing team. The school partnered with Hampton Roads Racing in an effort to raise student involvement, provide mentorship opportunities, and improve graduation rates.
*In 2010, Phenix School (K-8) opened behind Bethel High, making Phenix and Bethel a shared campus.
*In late 2010, during winter break, the school began a remodeling project. Promethean boards were installed in all classrooms. The gym got a complete make over with a new finish and logo on the floor. In June 2011, new light fixtures were installed and the ceiling was lowered. Many of the classrooms have been repainted, and the awnings in the courtyard and main entrance/bus loading zone have been replaced, and the gym has been remodeled.
Feeder pattern
*Aberdeen Elementary School
*Burbank Elementary School
*Forrest Elementary School
*Kraft Elementary School
*Machen Elementary School
*Phenix PreK-8 School (Behind Bethel High School's campus)
*Philips Elementary
*Tucker-Capps Fundamental School
*Tarrant Middle School
*Eaton Fundamental Middle School
*Jones Magnet Middle School
*Kilgore Gifted Center
Demographics
Student Ethnicity Source: VA Dept. of Education, 2004-2005 Ethnicity This School State Average
*Black 64% 60%
*White, non-Hispanic 12% 27%
*Hispanic 2% 7%
*Asian/Pacific Islander 2% 5%
*American Indian/Alaska Native <1% <1%
Athletics
Bethel's athletic teams are nicknamed "Bruins", and the school colors are green and gold.
The school won three football state championships in 1974, 1976 and 1992. All won by coach "Koz" Kozlowski.
Former NBA superstar
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
led Bethel to state championships in both basketball and football. He was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 NBA Draft. Iverson is a four-time NBA scoring champion, an 11-time NBA All-Star, and the 2001 NBA MVP. In 2003, Bethel honored the former Bruin by retiring his high school basketball jersey.
Mike London
Michael Wilson London Sr. (born October 9, 1960) is the current head football coach for the William & Mary Tribe football program at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is a former defensive back and associate head coac ...
, former head football coach at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
, is a 1979 Bethel High School graduate. London won the NCAA I-AA National Championship as head coach at University of Richmond in 2008. As of 2018, he is the head coach at
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
.
In the 2005-2006 basketball season the Bethel varsity basketball team enjoyed an undefeated regular season (27-0), number two ranking in the state and was led by Coach Craig Brehon and power forwards
Duke Crews
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
(All-American) and
Jamel McLean
Jamel McLean (born 18 April 1988) is an American professional basketball player who last played for Skyliners Frankfurt of the Basketball Bundesliga. Standing at , he plays at the power forward and center positions.
Professional career
After fa ...
. Crews attended the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...
where he had some health issues. McLean attended
Xavier University
Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 studen ...
in Ohio. He went undrafted in 2011 and eventually signed with the
Leuven Bears
Leuven Bears, for sponsorship reasons also called Stella Artois Leuven Bears, is a Belgian professional basketball club from Leuven. The club competes in the BNXT League, the highest tier in Belgian basketball.
History
The team has played in the ...
of Belgium for the 2011–12 season. He now plays for the Italian club
Emporio Armani Milano
Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano, commonly known as Olimpia Milano or as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after its title sponsor, is an LBA Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy. Its colors are white and red, and the team is sometimes ...
.
It also has a successful track team who captured back to back state titles in 2005 and 2006. The boys track team attained a national championship in the 4x200 and 4x400 meter relays in 2007 and defended its 4x400 title in 2008. Individually its Francena Mccorory who broke the national 400 meter record indoor as well as the 300 meters and Ja-Vell Bullard who won two state titles in the 500 and 300 and also 400 meters in indoor and outdoor nationals. Both have graduated with McCorory going to
Hampton University
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
and Bullard to
George Mason University
George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...
Nathan Schy also won the 1998 AAA wrestling state championship.
Bethel Football enjoyed a Cinderella story for the 2007 season. Under 1st year coach Jeff Nelson and led by the performances of RB Jontel Evans, DB Marcus Cooperwood, and QB Aris Mcglone-English, the Bruins stunned the Peninsula District by enjoying a 9-1 regular season, which its only loss came courtesy of crosstown rival and defending state champion
Phoebus High School
Phoebus High School is a public high school in Hampton, Virginia. Named after the neighborhood and former town of Phoebus, Virginia, Phoebus, it is the newest of the four high schools in Hampton City Schools. It is considered unique for the IDEA ...
. They also beat
Hampton High School for the first time since 1992. They defeated
Ocean Lakes High School
Ocean Lakes High School (OLHS) is a public high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is located in the city's southeastern section.
Math and Science Academy
A notable feature of Ocean Lakes high school is the Math and Science Academy, started ...
in the quarterfinals of the regional playoffs 23–6. The next week at national powerhouse Oscar Smith High School, The Bruins magical season came to an end with 39–3 defeat.
In the 2007–2008 school year, the Varsity basketball team welcomed Mbai Goto Olivier, David Keyba Baroum, and Ali Abdou Djim from the war-torn nation of
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
. Before the VHSL season began, all three had committed to
Division I-A
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
schools, with Olivier headed to
Clemson, Djim to attend
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened as the Pittsbu ...
, and Baroum to play for
La Salle.
The Varsity Basketball team (30-2),coached by Bethel's Dean of Boys Craig Brehon, came up just short of the VHSL state championship title against
T.C. Williams High School
Alexandria City High School (formerly named T. C. Williams High School) is a public high school in the City of Alexandria, Virginia, United States, just outside of Washington, D.C. The school has an enrollment of over 4,100 students. The high sch ...
on March 14.
The Bruins also have the most competitive Varsity baseball team in the peninsula district, who made it to the state finals for the first time in team history in 2008. For football's amazing success, to basketball's triumph all the way to the state game, and baseball massive run to a state finals berth, to also the great run from the boys track team each led by senior leaders Marcus Cooperwood, Bill Weaver, Kizuku Scott, and Javell Bullard, the 40th anniversary was indeed a great one for Bethel in 2008.
The Varsity Cheerleading team also captured titles during their 2007–2008, 2008–2009, and 09–10 seasons. They were named the back to back Peninsula District Champions, Eastern Region Champions, and placed third in the AAA State Competition during the 2008–2009 season. They have worked for another Eastern Region title, and placed first for a "threepeat" at the Peninsula District Competition held on October 17, 2009.
The Bethel Lady Bruin Tennis Team of 2009/2010 became the first team in the history of the school to win the Eastern District Championship.
Extracurriculars
Army JROTC
As well as excelling in basketball and football, Bethel is also home to the largest and most accomplished
Junior ROTC
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military ...
unit in Virginia. The Army JROTC Bruin Brigade has for the past decade fielded the top Marksmanship Team and Raiders Team at any level, and consistently one of the best Drill Teams and Honor guards of Southeast Virginia. As well, the Brigade has achieved some of the highest scores possible during Regional Formal Inspections. These three year inspections test an Army JROTC unit in all areas, and gauge its overall proficiency as a unit.
The Bruin Brigade Marksmanship Team (known locally as "The Rifle Team"), with assistance from
Lafayette Gun Club in adjacent
York County, has dominated the local Old Dominion Junior Rifle League, and has been invited to compete nationally twice. The Bethel Bruin Marksmanship Team was denied the opportunity to compete, however, due to administrative decision. The team has sent at least one marksman to a Division 1 NCAA School (
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
), and at least one more shooter likely to gain a scholarship in the near future.
The Raiders Team has seen both rough and good times, but as of 2005, it officially became the top Army team in Southeast Virginia. It has seen a chain of consistently strong leadership, and has produced several
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in El Paso County, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs. It educates cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and Uni ...
,
Virginia Military Institute
la, Consilio et Animis (on seal)
, mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal)
, established =
, type = Public senior military college
, accreditation = SACS
, endowment = $696.8 mill ...
, and
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
officer candidates, as well as a large number of enlisted in all branches. Those who have graduated from the aforementioned military schools have been awarded pilot, infantry, and special forces assignments.
Professional education
Bethel's AJROTC and athletic achievements are supported by a number of programs specifically tailored by the administration toward education in commercial activities. Projects like the FIRM, a large base of business classes, Governor's School opportunities offering college credit, fashion programs, and other such university style programs allow students to pursue a course in high school similar to their expected college major.
Bruin Band
In January 2006, the Bethel High School Marching Band was selected to march in the Governor's Inaugural in
Williamsburg
Williamsburg may refer to:
Places
*Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia
*Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City
*Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California
*Williams ...
, the only band in the district to receive that honor. In addition, the marching band was selected to participate in the
2008 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl halftime show in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
, as well as in the
2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl was college football bowl game between the Clemson Tigers and the Auburn Tigers played in Atlanta, Georgia on December 31, 2007. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 40th edition of the game known throughout mos ...
in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. At the 2007 District Band Festival, the Concert Band earned their first Superior rating in over thirty years, and the Symphonic Band earned an Excellent rating, their first in a decade. In May 2007, the Concert and Jazz Bands swept the "Music in the Parks" competition in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, with addition of the best solo played by Becky Paul on Flugelhorn. The 2007 marching band season gave spectators flashbacks of
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
,
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
,
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979)
was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use o ...
, and
Tom Jones with a "Las Vegas" themed show. In November 2008, the Superior rated Jazz Combo was hand picked and performed at The Williamsburg Lodge for the Virginia Department of Education. The Bruin Concert Band earned a Superior rating for the second straight year on Wednesday, March 12, 2008. In the year of 2008–09, the Bethel Bruin Band has gone through another season of marching with the theme of ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...
''. The band was successful at getting first place overall for class III in the Granby "Comet Classic" Competition at
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia with ...
, as well as the Landstown High School Marching Competition. The Concert Band participated in the District VIII Band Festival at
Woodside High School in Newport News, Virginia on March 12, 2009, and received an 'Excellent' rating. From August 2005 until April 2009, the Bruin Band was under the direction of Mr. Chris Murray. It is now under the direction of Mr. Jerry Lancaster, who has been teaching at Bethel from 2009–present.
In the 2012–2013 school year, the band was awarded its first ever Virginia State Honor Band award, meaning that the band scored a Superior rating in both VBODA State Marching Assessment and District Band Festival with their highest group, the first time ever in school history. In the 2013–2014 school year, they received a Superior rating at VBODA State Marching Assessment with their show, a tribute to "Little Shop of Horrors," and the symphonic band received straight 'Superior' ratings at the District VIII Band Festival, marking the second time in school history that it has received Virginia Honor Band.
Notable alumni
*
Harrison Davis, former NFL football player
*
Chris Ellis, practice team member for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
*
Carl Francis, NFL Players Association Communications Director
*
Shaun Gayle
Shaun Lanard Gayle (born March 8, 1962) is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He played twelve seasons, eleven for the Chicago Bears (1984–1994), and one for the San Diego Chargers (1995). He was a m ...
, captain of the 1985 Super Bowl Champion
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
football team.
*
Jerry Holmes
Jerry Lee Holmes (born December 22, 1957) is an American football coach and former cornerback. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mainly for New York Jets but also with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. He also pla ...
, former Head Football Coach at
Hampton University
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
*
Brian Hubble
Brian Hubble (born 1978 in Newport News, Virginia) is an American artist. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2001 and attended The Illustration Academy the following summer. In 2011, he received his M ...
, artist
*
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
(transferred, class of 1993), former NBA player, class of 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame
*
Todd Kelly
Todd Kelly (born 9 October 1979) is a retired Australian professional racing driver who competed in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. He is the older brother of fellow Supercars driver and former Bathurst 1000 winner, Rick Kelly. H ...
, former NFL football player
*
Mike London
Michael Wilson London Sr. (born October 9, 1960) is the current head football coach for the William & Mary Tribe football program at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He is a former defensive back and associate head coac ...
, former Head Football Coach at the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
*
Francena McCorory
Francena Lynette McCorory (born October 20, 1988) is a retired American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 meters. She was the 2011 World bronze medalist in the 400 meters and was a member of the gold medal-winning 201 ...
, Olympic Gold Medal Winner in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and again in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Summer Olympics
*
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (born November 4, 1999) is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Butkus Award and was named the ACC Def ...
, professional football player for the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
.
*
Ovie Soko
Ovie Soko (born 7 February 1991) is a British professional basketball player for the London Lions (basketball), London Lions of the British Basketball League (BBL) and the EuroCup Basketball, EuroCup. Soko played college basketball for the Univer ...
, British professional basketball player and
Love Island Love Island may refer to:
Film
* ''Love Island'' (1952 film), an American film directed by Adam Lloyd starring Todd Wathen and Eva Gabor
* ''Love Island'' (2014 film), directed by Jasmila Žbanić
Music
* ''Love Island'' (album), a 1978 album ...
contestant
*
Ricky Walker, NFL, CFL, and XFL football player
*
Jimmy Williams, former NFL football player
*
Nyra Williams, college basketball player
References
{{authority control
Public high schools in Virginia
Educational institutions established in 1968
Schools in Hampton, Virginia
1968 establishments in Virginia