SUFFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — The Golden Bulldog statue that watches over King's Fork High School's football field has some new territory to oversee.
The turf playing surface, installed at all Suffolk Public Schools, already getting Bulldog players dreaming of the Friday nights in the fall.
"To play on that nice turf field, not that wet grass, it's exciting," said senior defensive lineman Cameron McDaniel. "It's going be a great season."
"It feels really great because it makes us feel like we're doing something for the city and make the city look good," said junior running back JaVon Ford.
The new turf field is another addition to the momentum King's Fork has built over the last two seasons since Anthony Joffrion took over as head coach. The program has gone 22-4 in that span.
Yet it's two losses, one against Varina in the 2021 Class 4 state semifinals and another against Warwick in last year's Region 4A championship game, that continue to sit with the Bulldogs.
"The last two seasons have been really good but for everyone involved in King's Fork, it's not good enough," Joffrion said.
"We've got to get over ourselves," McDaniel said. "We've been block ourselves back. So we've got to get over the hump right there."
They're looking in the mirror throughout camp going into the season, not shying from the disappointments of getting so close.
"It's not easy like they really think it is. They all think it's all sweet and games, you can come out here and play," Ford said. "It's really harder than you think, you've got to come out here and work everyday."
"Now we've reached the point where everyone knows the expectations," Joffrion said. "At first it was, 'Let's do it. Well it's never been done before.' Now we've set the background to what we can do."
18 starters return for King's Fork this season,a group with eyes on the ultimate prize; a Virginia High School League state championship trophy. Something that would make quite the gift to break in the new turf field.
"Just show people who we really are," Ford. "We've worked so hard for it, now it's time to show it."
King's Fork opens its season on August 25 at Churchland. The first home game is September 8 when Western Branch pays a visit.
