The coaches and footballers of the Gloucester High School varsity boys’ soccer team believe they can make states, and a 3-1 start certainly bodes well for the Dukes.

Thanks to a frenetic pace of play, cohesive team defense, and a senior class who leads by example, the team looks set to make some noise in the Peninsula District and improve on last year’s regional semifinal appearance.

“Right now, it [the Peninsula District] is kind of up in the air,” said head coach Craig Raines. “Menchville is always strong, Kecoughtan is typically a strong team, and then Hampton is coming up out of nowhere.” The Dukes were undefeated going into Tuesday’s away matchup with the Warriors of Kecoughtan, where they incurred their first loss of the season in a defensive affair that ended 2-1.

Gloucester has graduated 19 seniors in the last two seasons, which would normally make for a rebuilding year when faced with three other top teams gunning for the playoffs...