Gatorade Player of the Year
THE BASICS
School: St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.)
Grade: Senior
Position: Forward
Height: 5-foot-7
Weight: 140 pounds
THE PILLARS
Athletic achievement: Francois led the Gray Bees to a 24-0 record and the New Jersey Prep A state championship this past season. He scored 44 goals and passed for 22 assists, including a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Pennington School (Pennington, N.J.) in the state final. The 2011 Newark Star Ledger New Jersey Prep Player of the Year, Francois is a two-time First Team Prep All-State selection. He concluded his two seasons at St. Benedict’s with 60 goals and 41 assists.
Academic excellence: Francois has maintained a B average in the classroom.
Exemplary character: A refugee from Haiti who came to the United States two years ago, he has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and on behalf of the Special Olympics in addition to serving as a gospel singer in his church choir.
“Christiano Francois is a fabulous player. His speed and technical ability make him as dynamic as any player I have seen in New Jersey over the last decade,” said Ryan Spring, head coach of Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.). “He is a tireless worker who is constantly making runs, finding space and creating opportunities for himself and his teammates.”
THE FUTURE: Francois has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at the University of Maryland this fall.
By Ben Rohrbach (ESPN.HS)
