Junior is looking to future
On a rare occasion, an elite prep athlete is offered a scholarship before her senior season begins.
Greenbrier junior Stephanie Fransoso was named the 2005 Columbia County News-Times' Player of the Year. Fransoso, who led the Wolfpack with 34 goals, chose Auburn over Georgia, Georgia State and UNC-Charlotte.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
That happened to Greenbrier's Stephanie Fransoso.
The junior forward recently ended the process by committing to play soccer for Auburn.
The commitment capped a stellar season for Fransoso, the 2005 Columbia County News-Times Player of the Year.
"I just felt like if I knew where I was going to go, then there was no reason to wait around," said Fransoso. "I wanted to be a Tiger."
Fransoso, who led the Wolfpack with 34 goals, chose Auburn over Georgia, Georgia State and UNC-Charlotte. She also had interest from Tulane and Wake Forest.
Already the career goal scoring leader in school history with 85, Fransoso was the offensive leader of the best team in Greenbrier's history. She is two assists shy of having the career assists mark at Greenbrier and had a six-goal game this year.
"Obviously, Stephanie's statistics show how valuable she is to the team," Greenbrier coach Alex Heider said recently.
"She will probably end up with 100 goals. But she is a great team player as well. She looks for her teammates all of the time, and she values assists as much as she does goals."
The Wolfpack (18-2-2) was ranked as high as No. 3 in the state and lost in the Class AAAA state semifinals to Marist.
"You have to know where she is on the field at all times," said Marist coach Sergio Stadler. "She is a presence and is one of the top players in the state."
Fransoso also plays on Atlanta's PTC Lazers Elite club team - which is ranked in the top 15 nationally - and has played in the Olympic Development Program for the past three seasons.
She makes the 2 hour drive to Peachtree City on the weekends to practice with the Lazers Elite.
"Club soccer is so much different than high school soccer," said Fransoso.
"You play to get noticed by college coaches and to play against the best competition.
"We play against college teams. But now that I have already made a commitment to Auburn, there is really only one reason to keep playing club soccer: to get better."