On Monday, Dec. 5, Men’s Basketball head coach Darren Stratton was named National JUCO coach of the week for the first time ever as basketball head coach.
“It’s a tribute to my staff, the basketball players. Like I told the player’s earlier it’s a tribute to good basketball players that work extremely hard and my staff is bar none on better than one in the country against everyone,” Stratton said.
It was very surprising for Stratton to be named for this award. “… There are so many good coaches out there so it’s a little different. It’s my first time winning this award but it also is a tribute to what we have going at Northern Essex and like I said before if you don’t put together the right staff or the right people around you or the right basketball players. I could be looking for Mr. Blair to be firing me if I was 1-12 instead of 12-1 right now so good players make good coaches in that aspect, same thing good staff makes good coaches and good players…,” Stratton said.
Stratton told me his wife was the first one to tell him about the news. “…She was the first and from the time she texted me. I must have close to 100 texts at work of my phone blowing up and I didn’t had no idea what was going on but after that you know we understood. I’m glad that people will start to follow Northern Essex Basketball and what we have going here, it’s such a good thing for the young men and the student athletes what we are trying to do here as a basketball program, like I told the players this is their award, not mine and I told them from day one they will tell you I’ll take credit for the losses and I’ll protect them the best that I can and the wins is all them. Coaches put players in position to win games, players go out and execute right now their executing,” he said.
Stratton told me that his ultimate goal beside his player’s graduating and moving on to a four year school is looking to win their first Regional Championship in school program history.
“I have a great coaching staff, I’m going to be honest with you Jose I couldn’t ask for a better coaching staff. I got Coach (Joe) Tardif has been with me for 20 on years he is probably my best friend… then I have Coach (Nick) Nofi who has been a head coach I think in four or five different colleges you know Coach Tardif has been a head coach, Coach Nofi has been a head coach then I have Mala(quias) (Canery) who just got the Women’s (basketball) job who brings a young invaded mind to us then I have my son Cameron (Stratton) as my volunteer assistant my younger son Talon (Stratton) who is my (Team) manager all of these people. A tribute what we are trying to do here…” Stratton said.
The Knights will travel on the road on Tuesday night on Dec. 6 against Massasoit for a 6:30 p.m. tip off before the Knights will return home on Thursday night on Dec. 8 to battle against number 12 nationally ranked in the nation Roxbury Community College tip-off at 6 p.m.
