The Northern Essex Community College Knights men’s basketball team has won the National Junior College athletics division three National Championship. They defeated Dallas College Richland in Herkimer New York on Saturday March 14th 68-62 to win the first national championship in NECC’s history. 

 “I don’t really know how to explain it man, it’s a different type of feeling,” said sophomore and national tournament most valuable player Alex Johnson describing his feelings after the team’s win.

“We finally did it and I would never take this moment for granted.” 

Johnson scored a total of 51 points through the Knights three tournament games including a 39-point performance in their semi-finale game against Salem Community College on March 13. 

“I think it means a lot to the school I mean the support all year from the school was tremendous,” said Head Coach Darren Stratton who’s been coaching the team for 24 seasons and won his fourth straight regional coach of the year this season. 

“I think it means a lot to the college, and it means a lot to everybody here.” 

Stratton said that next for the Knights will be recruiting and building the team for next season and the ultimate goal of many more national championships. 

“Hopefully this is one steppingstone in building the future for the next student athlete” he said, “It’s a no brainer to come to Northern Essex.” 

“Being part of this team is never something I would find again,” said sophomore Cristian Moscat speaking on the team’s close bonds. 

“It wasn’t a structure where guys were forced to be one way or another, everyone was themselves and it made us better.” 

NECC received the one seed placement for the national tournament giving them a by for their first game. 

They took their first game of the tournament against Genesee Community College by a score of 99-78. 

The semi-finale against Salem Community College was a closer matchup as they took it by a finale score 88-85. 

The championship was decided in a neck and neck matchup against Dallas College Richland where the Knights took the game in a finale 68-62 victory. 

The team’s successful season resulted not only in a national championship but an overall record of 30-3. 

Their success resulted from an offense 88.9 points per game with a field goal percentage of 43.5 and a three-point success rate of 30.8.

 The Knights offense was heavily driven by region 21 player of the year and first team all-star sophomore Alejandro Delgado. He averaged 17.9 points along with 11.6 rebounds per game.  

Sophomore Christian Sanders also received second team all-star recognition. 

He averaged 11.8 points per game with 9.3 rebounds. Sophomores Yunosuke Matsuda and Alex Johnson also received honorable mentions. 

The Knights baseball team is back for the 2026 season. Coming off a season where they went 30-12 the team is looking to have another successful campaign under the guidance of long-time Head Coach Jeff Mejia. He listed consistency at the plate, and overall consistently throwing strikes as the keys to success the Knights will need to have to be successful this year. “Are they gonna have that nitch where they want to win it? Do they hate losing more than they like winning?” Said Mejia. 

The Knights players have strong belief in their team this year. Sophomore Jack Kellher says “We know we can succeed; we want to succeed on a national level.” In the Knights first game on March 13 Kelleher pitched four innings striking out seven batters in a loss to Oakton Community College. 

“I think we have a really really good group of guys. I think this is, in my life, probably the best starting pitching I’ve ever had.” Said sophomore first basemen Jack Aylward who was a midseason transfer last year. 

So far this season Aylward has a total of six hits with six runs batted in and one home run. 

 “Day in and day out, whether it’s in the Fall or in the Winter we’re getting work in at least 5 days a week, and I think this is a really close group.” Added sophomore outfielder Brooks Keefe speaking on the team’s drive to succeed this season. Keefe has collected six hits with two runs batted in so far this season. 

The Knights went 0-4 to start the season but were able to quickly bounce back from these losses in their two matchups against Genesee Community College on March 16 where they won 5-4 in the first game and dominated the second game by a score of 28-7. The Knights went on to defeat Waubonsee Community College 4-1 on March 18. Later that day they lost Hudson Valley Community College 3-2. 

The day after the Knights split a double header with Westchester Community College losing the first game 8-7 and then winning the second 17-6. 

On Sunday March 22nd they won both games against Suffolk Community College the first in a 3-0 shutout and the second 4-1. 

Their next game is today at 3:30 p.m. when the Nights play at Community College of Rhode Island.

The NECC Knights men’s basketball team are region 21 east district champions for the forth year in a row. Information from a press release by Athletic Director Dan Blair details the Knights game on Sunday Mar. first as they defeated Quincy college at the Sport and Fitness Center in a thrilling 68-66 victory. Capped off with a last-minute layup from Alex Johnson to clinch the victory. The team’s strong brotherhood along with their immense skill has led them to this point.

The Knights season was impressive from beginning to end. According to the Knights homepage they finished the season with a final record of 30 wins and 3 losses. This was good for a winning percentage of .909. This high winning percentage was thanks to an immaculate offence. They shot 42.9 percent from the field with a 3-point shooting percentage of 30.5. The Knights won an outstanding 16 games straight; they have not lost since Dec. 13. Their most dominant win of the year came on Nov. 29 when the Knights took down Suffolk Community College by a final score of 110-55 in the NECC Turkey Classic. Their immaculate campaign this year led them to the top seed position in region 21 along with being ranked second nationally, according to the Knights website. 

The team credits their great success to the family like bond they share. 

“We bond a lot more off the court, we’re always together building up chemistry,” says sophomore Christian Sanders “We came together as a team and started playing for each other.” The team’s brotherhood started off slowly, but over time they became a true unit, sticking together through all their trials. 

“At the beginning of the season we didn’t but now we know each other deeply,” says sophomore Yunosuke Matsuda, “We’re always together.”

The strong team dynamic in the locker room has been fostered and defined by their outstanding head coach Darron Stratton. 

“His coaching is amazing.” Says Christian, “He helps us a lot of the court, and makes sure our minds are right.” According to the NECC knight’s website Darren has been coaching this team for over 20 seasons. His dedication to the team shows in their play and how they respect each other. 

“They’re holding each other accountable and that’s showing on the court,” says coach Darren, “They’re very unselfish. Happy when another succeeds.” 

A key factor in the success of the Knights this season has been the play of top offensive performer Alejandro Delgado. According to the NECC Knights homepage the sophomore Delgado is averaging 18.1 points per game over his 32 played this year. His most impressive performance of the season came on Jan. 23 when he put up 32 points against MassBay Community College in only 27 minutes played. “The kid’s gonna be there.” Said coach Stratton about Delgado, “A player that lights up a box score but is extremely unselfish.” Delgado’s strong leadership and team first mentality has bolstered this roster to an impressive performance this season. “He is the heartbeat for this basketball team.” Says coach Stratton. 

The Knights success and chemistry this year came to fruition when they clinched the region 21 east district championship. They’ll look to continue this stellar play into the rest of the playoffs as they seek the national championship. According to Dan Blair’s press release the national tournament schedule will be released on the NJCAA network on Wednesday Mar. forth 6 p.m. The tournament is scheduled for Mar. 11th-14th at Herkimer college in New York. 

The season is over for the NECC women’s basketball team. Coming to a close on Friday Feb. 27 against Holyoke Community College. According to NECC Knights homepage they finished the season with a finale record of 14 wins and 12 losses making their win percentage .538. 

In a season full of ups and downs the Knights were able to put up solid offensive numbers throughout the year. According to the Knights website they averaged 32.1 percent success in shooting from the field, with a three-point success rate of 22.7 percent. These shooting qualities were bolstered by their 41.8 rebounds and 13.3 assist average per game. 

Their biggest win of the season came on Saturday Dec. 13 when they decimated Massasoit club by a finale score of 99-33. 

The Knights playoff run started with a win in their Feb. 26 game against Quinsigamond Community College. NECC took this game by a finale score of 74-34. The victory was highlighted by a 23-point performance from sophomore Rhaelyn Gutierrez who also scored a milestone 1000th career point in the matchup. Gutierrez was backed up by two 10 point performances from Serena Rechdan and Rebecca Heathman, as well as 16 points from Shaneley Henriquez.

Despite a win streak of 5 games leading up to their finale match of the season NECC fell to Holyoke Community College by a final score of 63-49. The Knights will look to build off this competitive season and create a winning team for next year. 

The NECC men’s soccer team put on a show this season and made some waves in the championship race. 

NECC soccer fans witnessed something special this year as their team played a top-notch campaign. 

The team made it all the way to the men’s NJCAA championship quarterfinals after an impressive season and according to the NECC Knights home page they finished in fifth place nationally for NJCAA men’s soccer. 

Stats from Presto Sports show them having a record of 13 wins 4 losses and 1 tie. 

Their most impressive stretch of the season came when they won 7 straight games from Sept.. 6 to Oct. 7. This month-long win streak was capped off by a crushing 9-0 victory over MassBay Community College. 

The team’s success can be contributed to the strength of their offense. 

According to Presto Sports in the 17 games they played this year they scored a total of 53 goals averaging 3.12 per game. 

NECC’s ability to maintain stellar offense while playing at home or away was exemplary. 

They scored 26 goals in 8 games at home and 22 in 7 games on the road. This consistency was key for a successful season. The team also averaged 2.12 assists per game to further bolster the offense. 

The team was strong and full of belief this season. As they grew closer as a team they grew in success as well. 

“In the beginning it was tough with a lot of new players trying to build chemistry,”  Head coach Eusebio Marote said. “But as the season went on things started to click.” 

This strong team dynamic boosted the squad to major success this year, eventually culminating in a fifth-place national finish. 

Coach Marote attributes the team’s success this year to their talent and size 

“We were a very talented group this year,” Marote said “The talent was above and beyond. It’s the biggest roster we’ve ever had.” 

Team captain, MVP all region, and exercise science major Christian Colem described the team moral as “A brotherhood.” 

“We were really a family since the start,” he said. 

Colem says that building chemistry over the offseason and putting in the work every day is what made them so close. 

“Practice every day, that’s what makes us different than everyone else,” he said.  

This determination and skill would eventually lead the team into the playoffs.

 They would take the Northeast district championship over Bristol Community College in a close 4-3 game. 

This would qualify them for the division three championship round. 

They would fall to Bergen Community College in the quarter finals before going on to secure a fifth place national finish in a win against Raritan Valley Community College. 

NECC took down Raritan CC in a decisive 4-0 victory on a cold night in New York. 

“They wanted this and this is the highest we’ve ever placed.” Coach Marote said, referring to the team’s drive for success “Fifth is the number to beat going forward.” T

he team hopes to build on this successful season and continue to be a winning program in the future.  

The NECC basketball seasons are on the horizon, with the women set to start in late October, and the men in November.  

Women’s:  

The NECC women’s basketball team is coming into the new season with room for improvement. The team had a considerably mediocre run last year, losing 12 games and winning only 10 out of 22. This would rank the team in 26th place overall, from Presto Sports. The women’s unsuccessful season can be partly attributed to a lack of offense. The team shot a 32.4% field goal success rate and would only make 23.5% of 3-point attempts. The team had success on the defensive end, averaging 10.1 steals per game along with 1.3 blocks.  

The women are set to start play on Oct. 25 at Salem State University. NECC Knights shows that the team has a total of 25 games scheduled this year with 12 of those games being at home.  

Men’s:  

The men’s team is going into this year with high prospects after a successful last season. Stats from Presto Sports show that the team is coming into the season ranked 3rd overall; they won 29 games and lost only 4 last year. The team played the defensive game well, averaging 10.2 steals and 2.9 blocks per game. Their game truly shined on the offensive side of the ball where they boasted an average of 94.7 points per game. Shooting field goals at 47.3%, and 30.8% from the three. 

The start of the season for the men comes on Nov. 1 against Rockland Community College ranked 40th in division 2 NJCAA basketball. NECC is scheduled to play 30 total games this year, and 15 of those will be at home.  

It’s shaping up to be two seasons worth watching for any NECC student. The men will look to build off a successful 2024-25 campaign and push themselves forward. The women have some work to do but will be trying to bounce back from last year’s tough season.  

Track and field, an important, yet often overlooked aspect of school sports. The NECC track team is on the rise, having an increase in participation from last year to now. 

Stats from Athletic.net show that the team has increased from 13 members (11 men and 2 women) in 2024 to now having 24 total members (18 men and 6 women). 

NECC Knights.com records that the past season NECC had 13 student-athletes qualify to participate in the NJCAA track and field championships. 

NECC Track and Field 2025 roster, from Athletic.net:

Adriel Rosa Sanchez

Othmane ElHayani

Cristian Moscat

Patrick Walker 

Derrick Pierre Paul

Renefred Jean Charles

Samuel Reinoso Reyes 

Francisco Laracuente

Victor Metivier

Grayson Fowler

Vinny Schmidt 

Jacob Kemblowski

Catherine Schwarts 

Karl Wolfgang

Estephany Lizardo

Kevin Adu

Janelis Uviedo 

Lemuel DelValle

Juliet Sellers 

Matthew Stevens 

Laylani Crespo 

Maximilian Lockard 

Maci Abbatessa

Player profile: (Kevin Adu) 

Kevin Adu has been running track since elementary school, and now he’s running for your Knights.

A resident of Haverhill, his talents have benefitted Hunking Middle School, Whittier Tech, and now NECC. Kevin believes that the college competition level is a big step up from high school. “The college competition level is very different from high school. It’s a lot more competitive,” he said.

Kevin is studying political science at NECC and has been running for the Knights for 2 years now. Stats from Athletic.net show that in his freshman year, competing in the 100 meter sprint, Kevin had an average time of 14.44 seconds his best being 13.64. Kevin Improved in his sophomore year with a new personal record of 13.41 seconds, and an average of 13.6. In his sole competition in the 200 meter event he placed 31st with a time of 29.46 seconds, putting him 8th on the team for this event. 

“I’ve liked running since I was 5 years old” Kevin Said “People told me I should join cross country in second grade.” Inspired by his father at a young age, Kevin has been running since he was in 4th grade. “My dad was really my inspiration. He ran track and field at school growing up in West Africa”. Kevin plans to continue running track at NECC, and hopes to make the team at the school he transfers to. 

Jordan Harris, who grew up in Haverhill Mass, is now playing for the Boston Bruins.  

Jordan Harris, the son of an NHL drafted hockey player (Peter Harris). inherited not only his father’s athletic ability, but also his love for hockey. 

After graduating from Kimball Union high school Jordan spent 4 years playing division 1 NCAA hockey at Northeastern University before being drafted into the NHL by the Montreal Canadiens, according to nhl.com.

He spent the first 4 years of his professional career playing for Montreal and later the Columbus Blue Jackets before Boston acquired him the offseason.  

Harris hasn’t fully shown his potential at the pro level up to this point, but he is more than skilled enough to fill a defensive position on an NHL roster. 

In his nearly 5 years in the NHL Harris has amassed a total of 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points in 166 games played, according to nhl.com 

His first goal as a Bruin came when he scored on a breakaway against Tampa Bay goalie Jonas Johansson, Monday, Oct. 13.