Bethel High School (Virginia)

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Bethel High School is a public high school located in Hampton, Virginia. Bethel is one of four high schools located in the Hampton school district, the other four being: Phoebus High School, Hampton High School, and Kecoughtan High School.

[edit] Information

Bethel is most famous for NBA superstar Allen Iverson having attended there. In 1993 Bethel not only won the state championship in basketball but football and girls track as well. Allen Iverson led the basketball team as a point guard, and the football team as the starting quarterback. He played iron man football, coming into the defensive secondary as needed, as well as returned kickoffs and punts.

In the 2005-2006 basketball season the Bethel Varsity basketball team enjoyed an undefeated regular season (27-0), #2 in the state, led by Coach Craig Brehon and power forwards Duke Crews (All-American) and Jamel McLean. Duke Crews is currently attending the University of Tennessee. Jamel McLean is currently attending the University of Tulsa.

As well as excelling in basketball and football, Bethel is also home to the largest and most accomplished Junior ROTC unit in Virginia. The Army JROTc Bruin Brigade has for the past decade fielded the top Marksmanship Team (air rifle) and Raiders Team at any level, and consistently one of the best Drill Teams and Honorguards 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 it's 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 national college team (The United States Air Force Academy), another possibly to join the United States Coast Guard Academy team, 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 Air Force Academy, VMI, Virginia Tech, and other officer candidates, as well as a large number of enlisted in all branches.

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 oppotunites 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. These programs have promoted a large number of Bethel's allumni acceptance to colleges, including the local and very historical Hampton University, ODU, and TNCC, and distant schools including William and Mary, Virginia Tech, VCU, VMI, USAFA, USMA, USCGA, MIT, and Columbia University and other Ivy League schools.

[edit] Notable alumni

• Allen Iverson - Point Guard for the Philladelphia 76ers
• Tony Rutland - Shooting Guard for Wake Forest University
• Jimmy Williams - Defensive Back for the Atlanta Falcons, Drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft from Virginia Tech
• Shaun Gayle - Captain of the Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears football team