Jones commits to University of Delaware

Pictured from left to right: Ben Jones(brother), Liz Jones(mother), Luke Jones(seated) Will Jones(father), Claude and Norma Jones(grandparents).

Northampton Yellow Jackets senior Luke Jones has announced his commitment to continue both his academic and athletic career at the University of Delaware, where he will join the Blue Hens men’s soccer program.

Jones officially signed with Delaware during a ceremony held Sunday afternoon at the Beach FC facility in Virginia Beach, surrounded by family members, coaches, teammates and friends.

A standout forward for the Beach FC U19 ECNL National team, Jones earned Mid-Atlantic ECNL All-Conference honors last season while helping lead his club team to the ECNL National Playoffs in 2024. He has led Beach FC in goals during each of the past two seasons.

Jones has also been one of the top offensive players for Northampton High School during his four-year varsity career with the Yellow Jackets. He helped lead Northampton to three Region 1A championships and two Class 1 state titles over the past three seasons.

Last season, Jones earned First-Team All-State honors and finished among the team leaders statistically. He scored 13 goals this season, averaging 1.2 goals per match, while totaling 28 points. Over his varsity career, Jones recorded more than 60 goals and 20 assists for the Yellow Jackets.

Northampton’s offense this season was led by senior Sebastian Mayorga, who finished with 16 goals, 10 assists and 42 total points. Fernando Palacio added eight assists and 16 points, while Joseph Castillo contributed five goals and three assists.

Jones said Delaware provided the balance of academics and athletics he wanted in a college program.

“UD has many attributes that I looked for in a school — strong academics along with a top-tier soccer program: the facilities, athletic staff support, and coaching staff,” Jones said. “Coach Tommy McMenemy is building a top-notch program and they are having great success. I’m really excited.”

The Delaware men’s soccer program is coming off a strong season in NCAA Division I play, finishing with a 12-1-3 record in Summit League competition.