The best of the best of the Lancaster-Lebanon League: The Big 37
A 37-team league produces a lot of outstanding football players, and the Lancaster-Lebanon League has done that in abundance since 13 teams from Berks County joined two dozen others from Lancaster, Lebanon, and Chester counties for the 2022 season.
How do you boil that down into one All-Star Team: Say hello to the Big 37.
The team, selected by Jeff Reinhart of LNP/LancasterOnline.com and Mike Drago of MikeDragoSports.com, includes the best players in the league. It was determined by weighing the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s five all-section teams and top awards, college potential and statistics, mixed in with personal observationa.
Each player’s overall game was considered, and two- and three-way players were given special consideration. Each player is listed at just one position in order to include as many of the league’s top players as possible.
The Big 37 roster includes at least five Division I recruits and a possibly a few more.
Among those already committed are Wyomissing lineman Caleb Brewer, to Penn State; Manheim Township quarterback Hayden Johnson, Lehigh; Wyomissing linebacker Ryker Jones, Princeton; Twin Valley lineman Paul McClune, Naval Academy; and Manheim Township wide receiver Landon Kennel, Monmouth.
The team includes the Outstanding Lineman from Section 1, Wilson’s Jack Dendall; Section 2, Conestoga Valley’s Soren Stoltzfus; Section 3, Solanco’s Gavin Cox; Section 3; Section 4, Brewer; and Section 5, Annville-Cleona’s Darrian Holloway.
It includes the L-L’s Outstanding Back from Section 1, Johnson; Section 2, Manheim Central quarterback Zac Hahn; Section 3, Garden Spot quarterback Kye Harting; Section 4, Elco running back Jake Williams; and Section 5, Lancaster Catholic running back Elijah Cunningham.
There are players from 20 different schools, with at least six players from each of the five sections. Manheim Central, the Section 2 champ and District 3 Class 4A finalist, has the most selections, with six. Manheim Township, the Section 1 champ and District 3 Class 6A finalist, has four. Twin Valley and Conestoga Valley each have three.
There are three repeat selections, each from Manheim Central: Hahn, running back Bryce Armold and wide receiver Aaron Enterline.
The team includes six juniors and just one sophomore: Twin Valley running back Drew Engle, who set the program record with 1,599 rushing yards.
The juniors: Conestoga Valley running back Jayden Johnson, the Section 2 Back of the Year; Exeter running back Jayden Zandier; Manheim Central offensive lineman Tyler Groff; Schuylkill Valley wide receiver Kowen Gerner; Annville-Cleona defensive lineman John Shay, the Section 5 Defensive Lineman of the Year; and Cocalico linebacker Dane Bollinger.
Last year’s team included recruits headed to Penn State (Jven Williams of Wyomissing and Joey Schlaffer of Exeter); Holy Cross (Wilson’s Cam Jones); Delaware (Exeter’s Anthony Caccese); and Southern California (Hempfield’s Deyvid Palepale).
Offense
| QB | Zac Hahn | Manheim Central | Sr. |
| QB | Kye Harting | Garden Spot | Sr. |
| QB | Hayden Johnson | Manheim Township | Sr. |
| RB | Brycen Armold | Manheim Central | Sr. |
| RB | Elijah Cunningham | Lancaster Catholic | Sr. |
| RB | Drew Engle | Twin Valley | Soph. |
| RB | Jayden Johnson | Conestoga Valley | Jr. |
| RB | Jake Williams | Elco | Sr. |
| RB | Jayden Zandier | Exeter | Jr. |
| WR | Aaron Enterline | Manheim Central | Sr. |
| WR | Kowen Gerner | Schuylkill Valley | Jr. |
| WR | Landon Kennel | Manheim Township | Sr. |
| WR | Artie Poindexter | Lancaster Catholic | Sr. |
| TE | Mason Semmel | Hamburg | Sr. |
| OL | Gavin Cox | Solanco | Sr. |
| OL | Jack Dendall | Wilson | Sr. |
| OL | Tyler Groff | Manheim Central | Jr. |
| OL | Paul McClune | Twin Valley | Sr. |
| OL | Soren Stoltzfus | Conestoga Valley | Sr. |
Defense
| DL | Caleb Brewer | Wyomissing | Sr. |
| DL | Xander Kolk | Manheim Central | Sr. |
| DL | Eli Rodriguez | Manheim Township | Sr. |
| DL | John Shay | Annville-Cleona | Jr. |
| DL | Ean Winchester | Twin Valley | Sr. |
| LB | Dane Bollinger | Cocalico | Jr. |
| LB | Declan Clancy | Manheim Township | Sr. |
| LB | Ryker Jones | Wyomissing | Sr. |
| LB | Julian Lopez | Lampeter-Strasburg | Sr. |
| LB | Seth Morgan | Conestoga Valley | Sr. |
| LB | Quintin Pfautz | Ephrata | Sr. |
| LB | Luke Shaffer | Northern Lebanon | Sr. |
| DB | Owen Chernich | Cedar Crest | Sr. |
| DB | Jeremiah Knowles | Ephrata | Sr. |
| DB | Aaryn Longenecker | Cocalico | Sr. |
| DB | Nate Pashley | Exeter | Sr. |
| DB | Bode Sipel | Manheim Central | Sr. |
