Soccer: Somerville's Franco voted MyCentralJersey.com Athlete of Week

Somerville High School boys soccer coach Bryan Smith already can  tell that goalie Julian Franco has a dominant career ahead of him. 

Franco took over in net after the graduation of three-year starter Will Sokol, and according to Smith, "He had big shoes to fill, and he’s come in and done tremendous so far. He acts like a veteran, he plays like a veteran, there’s nothing that rattles him."

And it's only Franco's first year on varsity.

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Despite only being in 10th grade, Franco has brought poise and confidence to the position, helping the Pioneers to a 10-4-1 record with eight shutouts. Franco has 104 saves and has anchored a defense that has allowed 12 goals in 15 games. 

For his efforts, Franco was voted  MyCentralJersey.com Athlete of the Week with 47.12 percent of the vote. 

"It’s definitely a whole team effort, we lost a lot from last year and the team has stepped up," Smith said. "We had more experience coming back this year, and I was always confident about who would fill in for Will and be confident in there, and (Franco) stepped up from day one and earned his spot. There is no hesitation in there one bit. I always know that he’s going to be there and make saves and keep us in games, and the rest of the team is going to step up and score goals."

Last season, Franco played on JV, but started practicing with the varsity squad during the second half of the season. Being able to practice closely with Sokol helped to give Franco the insight on what it takes to be a starting varsity goalie. 

"He was a big influence, he’s a very good goalie. It was a big thing, he was a big player to live up to, he’s been there for three years playing varsity, he’s very good," Franco said. "I played for the same club team as him and my coach always said he’s a great keeper, it was a lot to live up to."

Franco, who started playing soccer when he was 3 or 4, started playing goalie kind of by default. 

"Since I was little, I was always the tallest kid on the team, so coach just stuck me back there," he said. 

When Franco was named the starting goalie for this season, it came as a surprise, but he quickly overcame the intimidation he felt and got used to playing at the varsity level. 

"It’s pretty great, it has its up and downs, it’s good having the team supporting you and telling you you’re doing great and helping pick you up when you fall down," Franco said. 

So far, Franco seems to be handling the high-pressure games just fine. Somerville, the No. 4 seed in the Somerset County Tournament, defeated No. 11 Bound Brook 1-0 in the quarterfinals last Saturday, with Franco making eight saves for the shutout. This Saturday, the Pioneers will face No. 2 Pingry in the semifinals and will look to avenge a 1-0 loss that knocked them out of the tournament last year. 

If he's nervous about taking on one of the top programs in the Skyland Conference, don't expect Franco to show it. Franco is confident that his teammates will go out and play their game, knowing he's back there in goal. 

"It feels great, just being at that level and knowing how far you’re getting your first year, it sets high expectations for years to come," Franco said. "I think I give them a sense of comfort where they don’t have to be nervous about who’s in the back, someone who’s there and that’s capable of keeping them in games."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego