EASTVILLE (WAVY) – For the second time in three years, the Northampton boys soccer team won the Class 1 state championship.

The Yellowjackets defeated Eastern Montgomery 7-1 on Saturday behind a hat-trick by senior Thomas Dix.

Northampton ended the season with a 12-game winning streak and the small school on the Eastern Shore tested itself in the regular season with games against the likes of Class 5 heavyweights Cox, Hickory and Great Bridge.

The Yellowjackets played Cox to a 3-3 draw and defeated Hickory 2-1 which made it all the way to the Class 5 state semifinals.

“Just competing with those teams is a great feeling,” Thomas Dix said. “Winning though is what matters the most.”

This isn’t some feel good underdog story of a team playing above its level.

Northampton is good. It scored 94 goals and posted 11 shutout wins.

“Incredible,” head coach Chase Baxa said. “One of the best teams in Class 1 that I think I ever come across in soccer. Winning the state championship 7-1 is something to be said.”

Dix added, “It’s relief after a great season, everyone worked so hard. Soccer is more than a sport here, it’s more like a lifestyle.”

The moment of reality that a state title is in the grasp is something junior Fernando Palcacio won’t forget.

“It was an amazing feeling that we are gonna get another ring and bring it back to the Shore,” Palacio said.

When the team arrived to school on Monday morning, it was a hero’s welcome for the champs.

“So many congratulations,” Junior Sebastian Mayorga said. “First day back we got a walk-through in the morning, the band, everybody cheering, it was amazing.”

In the close-knit community of Eastville, the congratulations from the people keep coming.

“When we played Cox and tied 3-3, we had everybody out here, the stands were packed, Coach Baxa said. It was a huge community event as soon as we won the state championship it was the same thing.

“You go to the grocery story, you here congratulations, you come into school and it’s all you here. You travel anywhere and someone’s talking to you about this soccer team.”

Coach Baxa does lose some players. Thomas Dix for example is headed off to college to play at Division I Mount St. Mary’s.

But he does return a lot of players like Fernando Palacio and Sebastian Mayorga who had 18 goals and 16 assists.

Don’t be surprised to see Northampton win the state title again next year as there’s a budding soccer dynasty on the Eastern Shore.