A historic season for Exeter girls soccer now has a story to match, thanks to senior Adam Cooke. His 75-minute film, Ladybug: A Story of Champions, tells the story of the Exeter girls soccer team’s unforgettable rise this fall from early struggles to a historic county championship season.

The feature-length documentary, which he wrote, directed and produced, premiered on March 14^th in the auditorium at the Junior High, drawing a large crowd of players, coaches and community members eager to relive the team’s journey. Blending game footage, interviews and behind-the-scenes storytelling, the film captures not just the wins, but the resilience, chemistry and hard work that defined the team.

Throughout high school, Adam has covered Exeter’s and other Berks County high school sports for WEEU, Spotlight on Berks Sports, and for his own freelance site, Adam Cooke Journalism. Following graduation, he is hoping to attend college for sports broadcasting. We caught up with Adam to learn more about the inspiration behind Ladybug, the process of bringing it to life and what the project means to him.

 

What inspired you to take on a project as ambitious as a feature-length documentary?
I’ve always admired the grand scale and brilliant storytelling in documentary form. I grew up watching productions like 30 for 30 and The Last Dance, the latter of which had a similar urgency to the soccer team. It was a dream for me to replicate something of a similar scale, and I was thrilled to release this. I’ve never had a “defining project” during my high school journalism career, but this was truly it for me. Creating something that can define my time as an Eagle while making such an impact on the team and soccer community has been the most rewarding.

Why did you choose this particular team and moment to focus on?
I entered high school when the girls’ soccer team was at their lowest. I eventually picked up on their growth and began watching more and more games. I became very close with many of the girls and saw the work they put in day in and day out. Their county final win was such a monumental moment for this program and school since it was the first for girls soccer. They helped make this process easy and enjoyable for me.

When did you realize this could be more than just a short project?
From the final horn at the county championship, I knew this was a special story worth retelling. It was a culmination of three things that made me realize it could happen: finding footage of the county championship (I livestreamed the audio), realizing how valuable my own video broadcasts were, and finding a defining song to conclude the film. The pick was Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, which I randomly stumbled upon via a silly TikTok edit of Derrick Rose, an NBA player. My creative vision in moments like these were what drove my success ultimately. One night in early December, I stayed up until 2:00 AM to start writing the script, getting ideas on paper.

What made this team’s journey special or worth telling?
The roller coaster of emotions really made this story interesting. There aren’t many high school teams that progress so fast by developing talent and experiencing postseason heartbreakers. They are such a well-bonded and hard-working group, and nobody deserved success more than them. They truly are some of my best friends, and that’s why I loved living this journey both on the sidelines during the season and in their shoes during this documentary project.

Was there a particular moment during the season that you knew would be powerful on film?
I think the losses really made this more powerful. I was at the Mifflin county semifinal game, and I even felt crushed secondhand. It really “fueled a fire” as Aubrey Ridge said to give them an urgency in 2025. With such a talented and large senior class, there was no better time to make history. They could not let go of the opportunity of being in a county final, which pushed them to rally back down a goal to ultimately win it. Mairead Dolan’s two unlikely goals were absolutely incredible, and then Julieanna Albu’s season culminating in a game-sealing save was incredible. By the time Piano Concerto No. 2 hits in the final sequence, the scenes of hugs and cries on the field hits so much harder because they represent everything that this team embraced over the past four years.

How many hours of footage did you end up capturing and what was the most challenging part of turning all that footage into a cohesive story? Did anyone assist you with capturing footage?
Since production started after the conclusion of the season, I relied almost exclusively on b-roll footage shot by others, along with my home broadcasts throughout the season. I really enjoyed lacing my play-by-play commentary and energetic calls through the season. Getting so many photos and videos throughout the season made it difficult, but the help of local media enhanced this process heavily. It was made possible with the help of Jill Mentzer, the boosters president, Ben Amps and Bill Snook, local photographers, AK Soccer Films, who captured video of the county final, and others. Interviews were done over three long days at Lausch, which made this process super straightforward.

What skills did you develop that you didn’t expect?
This project really allowed me to showcase all of my skills. I’ve been familiar with high-quality video editing for awhile, but this required new techniques in the editing process and a better ability to refine my work. I watched the film about ten times before I even published. This whole process has also changed how I interact with people in sports. I have developed better relationships with local photographers and media members as a result of compiling so much footage. I’ve learned that having a personal connection and understanding of the athletes that I cover is so valuable and rewarding, whether it's for a simple article or full project like this one.

What did you learn about storytelling in sports that goes beyond just the game itself?
The girls really broke down what it took off the field to become a successful team. It took countless hours of practice and an unbreakable team chemistry. I was honestly a bit surprised by the connection they all had this season. Holly Skipper did a great job at explaining how early bickering and a lack of desire to thrive graduated into a group of girls who pushed each other to be their best. I was able to learn a lot about what sports really mean to these players and how they can bounce back from heartbreak.

Do you see yourself continuing documentary-style storytelling in the future?
I hope so. The University of Maryland is one of my top picks currently and has a minor in Video Production and Documentary Filmmaking. There’s really no feeling like building up a release and feeling it all pay off when it’s screening. Saturday, March 14th will always be a date that I remember for Ladybug’s release, and I’ll always be able to look back at this project for a start in filmmaking. My focus has been in television and radio play-by-play, but the creative aspect of the documentary craft has been so enriching.

How did the players and coaches react when they saw the final film?
Most of them were seeing Ladybug for the first time at our premiere showing. We had over 120 people in attendance, and the reception was amazing. Having people come up to give hugs and compliment the film at the end was such an amazing feeling. My hope was to have this film be enjoyable at a real level, not just “good for a student filmmaker.” Of course I understand that this is a building block for what’s to come, but I really put in the extra effort to make this perfect for them. When they surprised me on the field, I was honestly shocked and so happy. They have been so supportive of me and my craft and shown immense appreciation for my coverage all-year long. This goes back to the season itself and all of the kind words they’ve had, to all of the support they showed at the postseason banquet, and to now, where we reflect on the championship and my film. Coach Milt Scholl told me afterwards that this was the first time that he truly got to reflect on the season and Ladybug allowed him to relive it, which I thought was awesome. I’m really hoping these players can grow up and still show this film to their families and friends, since their history can live through my documentary forever.

What does it mean to you to document a “first” like this in school history?
When I first started my heavy research into the team this past August, I was shocked to discover that they had never won a county or district title. Then I thought of the distinct lack of a banner in the gym and made the connection: this is the year that they can finally “hang that banner,” as I emphatically called at the end of my county championship broadcast. To grow up with this senior class and watch them become such amazing athletes and players has been incredible. I went to Lorane with Chayse Flood and Kenzie Mentzer, and to see them hold first and second place, respectively, on the goalscoring leaderboard is crazy. Every one of these players are good enough to play collegiately, but that doesn’t tell their story. Ladybug channels this and allows for me to analyze how they were able to make history in such a way. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, but this talent DID work hard. When I look back at all of the championships that I’ve covered, this may just be the most special.

Where do you hope to go to college, and what are you hoping to study?
I am currently uncommitted, but will make my final choice in the next couple of weeks. I am between the University of Maryland at College Park, Syracuse University, and Penn State Main. Maryland and Syracuse are my two main choices, where I would be majoring in journalism. I will be focusing on sports broadcasting through both the curriculums and student organizations.

What are your long-term goals in sports media or broadcasting?
Through boys soccer and Reading United, I developed a real love for soccer, which I was able to channel through the girls team this year. I hope to cover more soccer in college, alongside baseball and basketball, my other favorite sports. I hope to be an on-air personality to talk about some of these sports on a national level. My dream role would be to broadcast for an MLB team and call playoff series as well.

If you could cover any team or event in the future, what would it be?
I’m very excited about calling baseball games this spring all across Berks County. I hope to cover a variety of Big 10 or ACC sports at whichever university that I choose to attend. If I could become the television play-by-play voice of the Phillies, along with experience calling World Series games, March Madness, or the World Cup, that would be incredible. I can’t particularly foresee myself pursuing another local high school documentary, but when the opportunity arises, I’m excited to embark on another feature-length project.

Watch Ladybug: A Story of Champions on YouTube