SUFFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — It's almost seemed like destiny for Jean-Pierre Bilé.
A freshman at King's Fork, Bilé is becoming a steady kicker for the Bulldogs unbeaten football team. That includes making a game-winning field goal in a double-overtime thriller against Nansemond River earlier this season.
"It felt like I was in a movie," he said. "Really exciting and then when I tried to go to sleep, I couldn't because I was still thinking about it."
"The kid's got ice in his veins. After the field goal we're all excited and he's like, 'I just did my job,'" said King's Fork head coach Anthony Joffrion. "I said, 'OK this kid is different.'"
The pressure of stepping on the field for a kick like that his something Bilé has experienced before, though he was watching during those moments.
He's seen his two older brothers, Jean-Mathias and Jean-Claude, also run onto the gridiron as the kicker for King's Fork.
"I went to a lot of my brothers' games and kicking looked pretty interesting," Jean-Pierre said. "When the time came they asked me if I wanted to do it and I thought I could do it."
Jean-Mathias graduated in 2018 while Jean-Claude last kicked for Joffrion's team in 2021.
"Ever since I've been here, aside from one year, I've had a Bilé as a kicker," the head coach said. Joffrion's seen enough to know all three brothers have a few different tendencies.
"(Jean-Mathias) would kick it off in a football game, run down and try to tackle somebody," he said. "(Jean-Claude) would kick it but if someone broke off on a kickoff return, he'd go make the tackle. When (Jean-Pierre) kicks it off on kick off, he's running off the field getting ready for his next kick."
So far the youngest brother proving to be ready for the spotlight in his early career. Along with the game-winner against Nansemond River, Jean-Pierre has been trusted to come through like he did against Grassfield with three field goals.
He's now working on extending his range, something Jean-Claude excelled at.
"When he was in 12th grade, he was out here kicking 60-yard field goals," Jean-Pierre said.
He knows he's got two people in his corner who understand the challenges kickers have to go through. Bilé can lean on what his brothers have already experienced to carve his own path in the new Bulldog family tradition.
"If I need advice, I know I can ask them and they've been through it," he said.
Jean-Pierre and King's Fork hit the field again on Friday night with a big matchup with Oscar Smith.
