Blake Barklay
NJCAA – Southeastern Community College
Iowa
From: Wollongong, NSW
Athletic Scholarship – NJCAA Division II
The Journey
Blake Barklay's story is one of the most hard-fought chapters in Upper 90 College history – a young defender from Wollongong, NSW, who joined a brand-new program and helped it conquer the nation in just three years of existence. Placed at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa – a program that had only been established three years prior – Blake joined the Blackhawks' men's soccer team as a freshman defender for the 2020-21 season. Head Coach Zac Newton had assembled a remarkable group of internationals from Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, the Netherlands, Honduras, and Australia, building something genuinely special in rural Iowa. Blake was part of a squad that navigated one of the most disrupted seasons in college soccer history. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the season to be split across fall 2020 and spring 2021, with the team playing 36 games in 38 days during the spring window. Despite that extraordinary physical toll, the Blackhawks – seeded eighth nationally – arrived in Wichita, Kansas for the NJCAA Division II National Championship with momentum and belief. The final against #2 seed CCBC Essex was a thriller. Essex led 1-0 after Takeroh Murakawa's 26th-minute strike, before Bart Muns equalised for SCC. Essex retook the lead (2-1) just before halftime. SCC pushed relentlessly in the second half and when the game went to overtime, Guilherme Cunha struck the decisive goal for a 3-2 victory – completing an extraordinary championship run. Blake returned for his sophomore year (2021-22), starting 11 of 13 games, scoring 1 goal and registering a game-winning goal, demonstrating continued growth as a key contributor in the Blackhawks' backline. Across his two-year career at SCC he made 27 appearances with 17 starts, scoring 1 goal and earning 1 game-winning goal. "When we first began the soccer program, I had confidence that I could build a team that would land at the national championship," Coach Newton said after the title. "I didn't expect that it would happen so soon." Blake Barklay was a proud part of making that dream a reality.
Challenges Overcome
Blake arrived in rural Iowa as a teenager from Wollongong into a program that was still finding its feet – only three years old at the time of his enrollment. The 2020-21 season was played under extraordinary COVID-19 restrictions, with 36 games compressed into 38 days during the spring window. Blake and his teammates had to follow strict health protocols, make sacrifices off the field, and maintain physical readiness through one of the most demanding schedules in junior college history. Being seeded eighth and defeating the #2 team in the country in the final is a testament to the resilience of the entire squad.
Achievements
2021 NJCAA Division II Men's Soccer National Champion with Southeastern Community College – defeated #2 seed CCBC Essex 3-2 in overtime in the national final in Wichita, Kansas. First national championship in SCC men's soccer program history (program only 3 years old). Returned for sophomore season (2021-22): 13 appearances, 11 starts, 1 goal, 1 game-winning goal. Career totals at SCC: 27 appearances, 17 starts, 1 goal, 1 game-winning goal. Part of an international squad drawn from Australia, Brazil, Spain, South Africa, Japan, the Netherlands, and Honduras.
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