Players Of Note in the L-L League
The L-L league has had many strong teams throughout the years and from those teams come excellent players. The section MVPs were automatic All-State soccer players who were then entered into the All American List that would be voted on by coaches across the state. This is certainly not a complete list nor are the players here listed in specific order or rank. Besides you can always email llsoccersite@gmail.com to drop us a few lines over a glaring omission or gross oversight.
Keith Fulk-ELCO
Keith Fulk was a two time state champion for ELCO in 1977 and 1979, winning the state title when there were no classifications so the entire state competed for one cup. He was also an All State player and Parade All American his senior year. As a collegian at Division II Tampa University he was national champion, all-American, and team captain in 1981, and represented the U.S. in the Pan American games. Following graduation he played professional indoor soccer in the MISL and AISA for over 10 years when options were nearly non-existent for top level U.S. players to continue their careers. Following his career as a player he went into coaching both at the NCAA and youth international levels. In college he was an assistant as well as a head coach for national championship teams at Tampa. He worked primarily with the USYNT U-17 for 8 years, coaching many future USMNT stalwarts.
Brent Longenecker-Hempfield
Brent Longenecker-was a true pioneer as the first player from the L-L League to play Major League Soccer during its inaugural season with the MetroStars. This stint in America’s newly minted first division was preceded by a stellar career at nationally ranked Rutgers. He is still the Scarlet Knights all-time leader in games started and games played, a record that has stood for over 25 years. Three out of the four years he started at Rutgers his team made the NCAA playoffs. For the Black Knights of Hempfield he was a dashing figure who could dribble the entire length of the pitch, beating defender after defender. It was common for him to beat the same defender multiple times during one of his extended dribbling binges. In the man marking era it was foolish to expect one player to try and neutralize him.
Kosta Bournelis-J.P.McCaskey
Kosta Bournelis- played for the Red Tornado during their resurgence in the early 1990’s, capping off the section, league, and district champs treble in 1994. Kosta was a three-time section MVP and three-time All-State selection, a feat only met by one other player in L-L League history, ELCO’s Scotty Adams. Kosta was a gifted attacking midfielder who could hold the ball and multiple defenders at bay until a play developed to his liking. He could determine the tempo of high school matches with his insightful passes that were reminiscent of Columbia’s #10 Carlos Valderrama. Kosta later played for Division I for James Madison for four years in the nationally competitive CAA conference. At James Madison the Dukes made the NCAA national playoffs twice including a run to the third round during the 1995 season.
Scott Adams-ELCO
Scott Adams-was the other three-time All-State selection the from L-L League, tying J.P. McCaskey’s Kosta Bournelis. Scotty Adams started from day 1 as a freshman on very strong ELCO squads in the late 1990’s. ELCO won their section 3 times in row while Adams was in the line-up. ELCO was also the AA district champs in 1998 and 1999. Scotty teamed with Regional All-American Andy Hibshman, Division III All American Adam Hibshman, and a host of other excellent players to win the 1998 PIAA AA State Championship. Scotty was a bruising forward who tended to thrive with contact. He was able to finish most chances supplied to him from his teammates. No mere goal poacher, he would often drop deep into the midfield to win balls most forwards would shy away from.
A.J. Kulp-Ephrata
A.J. Kulp was an attacking midfielder who was able to re-establish Ephrata as a power in the L-L League. He wore #10, played as a #10, and netted 66 career goals for the Mounts in his career. He was a two time Regional All-American who would create panic for the other team as soon as he possessed the ball in their half and often had two defenders assigned to monitor him, and just him, before the opening whistle. His vision and work rate allowed him to put continuous pressure on an opponent and he was listed in Adidas’ ESP Top 150 High School Soccer players by the time he was a senior. After Ephrata he moved on to Division I Old Dominion, where he started over 80 games for a program that made the NCAA National Playoffs four years in a row and was ranked in the top 25 in each of those seasons from 2004-2007.
Andrew Wenger-Warwick
Andrew Wenger is the most decorated high school and college player in league history. He started from day 1 and was a big contributor to Warwick’s lone state championship as an outside back in 2005. As his career progressed, he settled in to play center midfield but could be counted on to provide scoring from anywhere on the field. He was a two-time All-State selection and a two time All American, culminating in being named Gatorade State Player of Year in 2008. His career continued at Duke where his total game allowed him to be utilized as a defender as a freshman and then move to forward in subsequent seasons. The accolades continued as in 2010 he was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, and then won the Hermann Trophy 2011. The Hermann Trophy is for the top college soccer player in all the United States-much like the more publicized Heisman Award. The positional versatility worked for him also being used all over the field in his multi-year MLS career for three teams. He appeared in over 150 matches for the Montreal Impact, Philadelphia Union, and finished his career with the Houston Dynamo and retired from professional soccer on his own terms at age 28, but not before winning the U.S. Open Cup against...The Philadelphia Union, his former club.
Keegan Rosenberry-Lancaster Mennonite
Keegan Rosenberry was a center midfielder for Lancaster Mennonite and a two-time Weaver Award winner in 2010 and 2011. He was an All-State selection in his senior year. Lancaster Mennonite won the section 4 title all four years that Rosenberry played at LMH and was able to cap off his L-L career with the AA State Championship win over district 3 rivals Tulpehocken. Rosenberry continued his college career with Georgetown where he played four years and made a Final Four. Following his Georgetown career, he was drafted 3rd overall in the MLS Super Draft by the Philadelphia Union. Rosenberry has been deployed at professional level as a modern outside back, frequently joining possession in the attacking half and hitting crosses from the wings. He has over 130 professional appearances to date in MLS between the Union and the Colorado Rapids.
Zarak Valentin-Manheim Township
Zarak Valentin was an in-demand player even as a youth, coming up through the youth U.S. National Teams and logging over 31 matches for the U-20 U.S. Youth National Team. He was also involved in the early residency programs for U.S. Soccer players at IMG Academy. His stay in the L-L was rather brief but he played on arguably one of the stronger teams the L-L has seen, the 2008 Manheim Township Streaks. He ran the midfield for a team that dominated possession and could be counted on to be a tremendous two way player. Moving on to the University of Akron he had immediate success and was an integral member a team that was a runner up to the national title in 2009. In 2010 he was able to win the NCAA Division I national championship at Akron as a centerback and collected All Conference, All American, and the College Cup All-Tournament Team honors. He turned pro after his sophomore season and logged more than 165 games for three MLS franchises as a steady outside back with a career spanning at least 10 years. He has also represented Puerto Rico at the international level, earning two caps for the U.S. territory.
Nate Delgado-Conestoga Valley
Enthusiasm and spirit marked this fireplug forward that sparked Conestoga Valley’s first district title and state final run in 2013. No mere cheerleader, Delgado could keep the ball close to him and displayed creativity in the final third of the field not seen in a player his age. His creativity kept defenses off guard and unable to predict his next move. A two time all-state player, he scored a walk-off goal against the other “CV” Cumberland Valley, in the AAA district finals. Along with Andrew Wenger, Nate Delgado remains the only other player from the L-L to be named Gatorade State Player Of Year, capping a tremendous career where he was also named All-American in 2013 one of only three spots awarded to Pennsylvania.