This fall, 18 StoneBridge student-athletes will make school history when they take the field as the Cavaliers’ first-ever football team. The inaugural eight-man squad, made up of students in grades 6th–9th, is more than the start of a new athletic program; it’s the first chapter of a tradition they hope will shape generations of Cavaliers to come.
The program has been laying its foundation since mid-April through practices and team-building activities before officially kicking off preseason on August 10.
“It’s awesome to start something and hopefully make this go on for however many years.” Gideon Thompson, 7th, offensive and defensive lineman, said.
Leading the team is Head Coach Joe Jones, whose decades of coaching and mentoring young athletes have shaped the vision for building a program rooted in character first. Jones has also joined the StoneBridge family as a P.E. teacher this year.
“I thank our Good Lord and the StoneBridge administration for allowing me the opportunity, and trusting me to be our school’s first football coach and to teach here,” he said. “I also thank our football family parents for all of their support and communication with me and in trusting me with their sons.”
“This is much more than about football,” he added. ”It is helping build life skills that will help them become successful in life and with their personal relationship with God.”
Building Young Men
At StoneBridge, athletics have always been about more than developing athletic ability; they are a proving ground for Christian character. Like every SBS athletic program, football challenges students to grow through competition and teamwork, but the sport offers something uniquely powerful: a brotherhood forged through shared adversity.
“Football uniquely requires individuals to forgo personal recognition for the team’s success,” SBS Athletic Director Paul Martin said. “Every player has a role, and success depends upon trust, sacrifice, and shared responsibility. These lessons reflect the biblical vision of the body of Christ, in which each member contributes to the flourishing of the whole.”
For these young athletes, showing up to practice all summer has been building more than just their physical strength and fundamental skills. It’s been building a certain “mental toughness” as they have powered through the summer heat and overcome obstacles presented to them from being so new to the game.
“We have made tremendous strides over the past 3-plus months of specific football training,” Jones said. “I have been profoundly excited and pleased with our progress and look forward, with much anticipation, to getting into the physical aspect of the game. This also includes the ‘mental toughness’ part of the game to play with confidence and learning that they will face adversity on the field and know how to respond to that adversity by having faith in their ability, technique and, most importantly, our God.”
Jones has already seen that growth take shape on the practice field, and the players say they are experiencing it firsthand.
“We’re also learning how to cooperate as a team,” Cayden Barnes, 9th grade, center linebacker, said.
“We’re learning how to work together,” Thompson agreed. “Building the brotherhood bond together. I’m looking forward to all of us getting better as a team and individually.”
The confidence these athletes have in their coaches is also unmistakable. In addition to Jones as head coach, the inaugural coaching staff brings together a group of experienced mentors committed to developing both the athletes and the culture of the program, including Nic Gordon, defensive coordinator and offensive line coach; Savonte Chappell, offensive and defensive line coach; Reggie Bonney, running backs and linebackers coach; Jon Plant, wide receivers, defensive backs, and strength coach; and Adam Cole, technology and long snapper coach.
“We’re all new to this,” Sam Felling, 9th grade, said. But that doesn’t seem to deter any of these players.
“Our coaches are teaching us how to win, how to grow,” Thompson added.
That confidence has been evident to Jones as well, who has watched the team embrace both the challenge of learning a new sport and the opportunity to build a culture from the ground up.
“I’ve seen a lot of team comradery, leadership skills and team pride from our players and coaches,” Jones said. “We always stress to them that our main purpose in playing football, or any sport, here at StoneBridge School is to glorify God by using our God-given talents to the best of our ability while also putting forth our best effort in the classroom.”
Launching a Tradition
While this season begins with an eight-man JJV team, the vision reaches much further. This inaugural group is laying the groundwork for a future varsity program, setting the culture, traditions, and expectations for future athletes. Every practice has ended in a huddle with the team calling out their CAVS mantra introduced by Coach Jones. More than a chant, the CAVS acronym serves as a daily reminder of the values the team is striving to live out together.
We are…
Christlike (We love Jesus Christ)
Accountable (We are trustworthy)
Virtuous (We are morally strong)
Sanctified (We believe in the Holy Spirit)
Like many of his teammates, Thompson said he hopes future Cavaliers will build on the foundation this team is forming. “I hope they can look back, learn from us, and see how we acted as Christians.”
The StoneBridge community is invited to be part of this historic season from the beginning. Join us for the Blue & White Scrimmage and Media Day on Saturday, August 29 at 9 a.m., for the first public look at StoneBridge football. Then return for the first home game on Tuesday, September 8, at Cavalier Manor in Portsmouth, Va. Come pack the sidelines, encourage the team, and be part of the community that will help shape this program for years to come. Check Bound for the full schedule.
“Football provides a powerful opportunity for the community. Friday nights on the field have long been places where schools and families gather, relationships deepen, and shared identity is strengthened,” Martin said. “At StoneBridge, we hope these moments will become celebrations of our common mission, to raise the next generation to know Christ, love what is good, and faithfully steward the gifts God has given them.”
