Northampton’s Jones named VHSL Class 1 Player of the Year; Baxa earns Coach of the Year Honors

Pictured: Luke Jones (left) and Coach Chase Baxa(right). 

Fresh off its second consecutive state championship, Northampton High School received two of the Virginia High School League’s highest individual honors as senior forward Luke Jones was named the 2026 Class 1 Boys Soccer Player of the Year and head coach Chase Baxa was selected as the Class 1 Coach of the Year.

The awards were announced as part of the VHSL’s 2026 Class 1 All-State Boys Soccer Team, which featured five Northampton players on the First Team.

Jones completed an outstanding senior season by scoring 27 goals and adding 13 assists in 17 games while averaging 1.6 goals per contest. He capped his high school career with a hat trick performance in Northampton’s 6-0 victory over Galax in the Class 1 state championship game.

A four-time all-state selection, Jones earned first-team All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors for the second consecutive season and was named Player of the Year at the district, region, and state levels. He finished his Yellow Jacket career with 78 goals and 35 assists and has signed to continue his soccer career at the University of Delaware.

Joining Jones on the First Team All-State squad were senior midfielders Sebastian Mayorga and Fernando Palacio, senior defender Gaige Kellogg, and junior defender Adrian Rosales.

Mayorga was one of the state’s most productive offensive players, finishing with 30 goals and 14 assists in 21 matches. He averaged 1.4 goals per game and recorded 74 points during the season, providing Northampton with a second elite scoring threat alongside Jones.

Palacio anchored the midfield while contributing offensively with five goals and 12 assists. His 22 points ranked among the team’s leaders and reflected his role as one of Northampton’s primary playmakers.

Kellogg, a senior defender, helped lead a back line that was instrumental in Northampton’s championship run. He also contributed offensively with a goal during the season while serving as one of the team’s defensive leaders.

Rosales earned all-state recognition after helping anchor a defense that allowed just one goal during Northampton’s four-game state tournament run. He added four goals and three assists from his defensive position.

Baxa guided Northampton to a 13-8 record. The Yellow Jackets captured their third state title in the past four years by defeating Galax 6-0 in the championship match.

Since taking over the program in 2022, Baxa has compiled a 72-24-1 record while building one of the state’s premier Class 1 programs. During his tenure, Northampton has won three state championships, finished as state runner-up once, and appeared in four of the past five Class 1 state championship matches. The 2026 honor marks the third time Baxa has been named VHSL State Coach of the Year, having previously earned the award in 2023 and 2025.