LHS cafeteria worker once played professional soccer

• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.

Libertyville High School students know Manny Rojas as the friendly cafeteria worker, now in his 10th year at LHS. What they may not know is that Manny had a long career as a professional soccer player in his home country of Chile, as well as here in the USA.

Rojas was born in 1954 in Santiago, Chile. A very active child, the only sport he had the opportunity to play growing up was soccer.

Rojas showed great potential in the sport at an early age. At age 12 he joined a junior professional team. He was training with the Chilean National Team at age 16. By age 17, he was playing professionally with the Chilean First Division club Palestino.

Rojas was a member of the Chilean National Team from 1976 to 1982, highlighted by his selection to the Chilean team that played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. He was awarded the Chilean National Sportsmanship Award in 1978 and 1981.

For the 1983 season, Rojas was loaned to the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League. He scored nine goals in 29 games. When the season was over, he was to go back to his Chilean pro team. But by that time he knew the USA was where he and his wife Maria wanted to be.

Rojas signed with the Golden Bay Earthquakes. After he had some good games against the Chicago Sting, the Sting decided they had to have Rojas. He came to Chicago in a 1984 midseason trade.

The Sting went on to win the 1984 NASL Championship. Although Rojas only had one goal during his shortened regular season time with the Sting, he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 first game finals win over the Toronto Blizzard (a best of three series).

With the score tied 2-2 late in the second game, Rojas assisted Pato Margetic on the winning goal in clinching the championship.

Rojas stayed with the Sting until the team folded after the 1988 season. He played with a couple of teams after the Sting, including the Chicago Power indoor team in the American Indoor Soccer Association.

His time with the Power included the 1991 season when the Power won the league championship, a season where Rojas was a playing assistant coach.

Rojas got into youth coaching when his professional career was over. He spent two years in the LHS Soccer program and six years with the Vernon Hills High School program. He is currently coaching with the Trevian Youth Soccer program in Winnetka.

Rojas' son David and daughter Daniella both became involved with soccer, first playing for Buffalo Grove High School, then several years for Northern Illinois University.