Family, friends and supporters of the Lady Dukes’ field hockey team filled the Gloucester High School auditorium last Thursday night as members of last year’s team—winners of the VHSL Class 4 state title—received their state championship rings.
GHS principal Ade Brayboy served as master of ceremonies, with the program beginning with team member JoJo Williams performing an a cappella version of Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” dedicated to the team and coaches.
“Tonight is all about you, ladies,” Brayboy said to the assembled team members.
The path to the state championship began the day after Nov. 15, 2024, the day when Lady Dukes fell to that year’s eventual state champions from Loudon Valley in the state semifinals, said coach Joe Dougherty.
It was a difficult challenge for the squad, Dougherty said, losing 10 seniors and six starters. “Most programs can’t recover from that,” he said. But when over 50 girls showed up for tryouts the following fall, Dougherty saw that he had the possible makings of a state champion.
“We had the potential, but it was just that … potential,” he said.
But they turned that potential into something more as the season rolled on. “They truly sacrificed on the field for each other,” he said. “They came so far as a team this year” with every player a contributing vital part to its success, with Dougherty saying this team will go down in history as one of the greatest sports teams ever to play at Gloucester High School.
“You should cherish every one of these moments,” he said, adding he is “blessed to be a small part of your success.”
Dougherty spoke about the outpouring of support from everyone—from parents and school administration to the community at large, receiving an escort from the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office as they headed to the Nov. 15, 2025 rematch with Loudon Valley, this time for the state crown.
He confessed he had a hard time letting the trophy go after the team won it. “I almost slept with that bad boy,” he joked.
That support continued after winning the state title, as attorney Bill Johnson of the Johnson Law Center, Gloucester, stepped up to donate the money to pay for the championship rings that were presented.
The program also included the team’s captains addressing the crowd, with Hannah Symonds encouraging all the girls to reflect on the meaning of the one word—Ohana—carved inside each ring. Ohana means family in Hawaiian, encompassing blood relatives, adoptive members, close friends, and anyone connected through love, loyalty and mutual support.
“What’s most important is the legacy you are leaving,” Brayboy said at the conclusion of the roughly hourlong ceremony.
