Daily Pilot Football Player of the Week, Willy Franco: Making the

grade

Barry Faulkner

As a heat-seeking safety and the team’s leading receiver, Willy

Franco did plenty for Costa Mesa High’s Pacific Coast League

co-champions.

The Mustangs’ football program, however, did much more for the 6-foot,

180-pound senior.

It motivated him to get his diploma.

“(Football) has been a real positive for him,” Mesa Coach Jerry Howell

said. “Last year at this time, he was not on track to graduate. But when

he decided to play football, he had to make sure he was eligible.

Football is the reason he’s going to graduate.”

Football was Franco’s favorite sport growing up and he was always one of

better players on his Pop Warner teams. But when high school rolled

around, Franco’s priorities shifted.

“I was slacking off and stuff,” recalled Franco, whom Howell said was

caught up in a circle of friends not always interested in doing the right

thing.”I was going through some hard times and I didn’t want to take the

time for football.”

Constant badgering by Mesa players, as well as continued interest from

the coaching staff, finally persuaded Franco to join the team a handful

of games into the 1998 season.

Too far behind to make a significant contribution to the varsity, Franco

sparkled in the junior varsity games and became more attentive in the

classroom.

“I finally realized I didn’t want to go through high school without

playing football,” Franco said. “I didn’t play my freshman or sophomore

years. I watched some of the games, though, and it felt like I was

supposed to be out there.”

Newly committed, Franco caught up on some credits in summer school and

won starting assignments at tight end and free safety.

He led the Mustangs with 20 receptions for 260 yards and he was among the

leading tacklers. Beyond that, his ability to deliver crowd-pleasing

hits, fostered his reputation as a fearsome last line of defense.

“Willy is more of hitter than a cover guy,” Howell said of the Daily

Pilot Player of the Week, who temporarily suspended the gravitational

relationship of a Pacifica receiver’s feet to the turf with one of the

season’s most vicious collisions in Mesa’s 14-6 first-round playoff loss

Friday at Orange Coast College.

Franco, who recovered a fumble, also caught passes of 29, 25 and 2 yards

against the Mariners. He also blocked effectively for one of Orange

Counties more productive rushing attacks.

“Willy just loves to play football,” Howell said. “When we take water

breaks in practice, Willy doesn’t go get water. He stays on the field,

kicking the ball, throwing it, or talking someone into throwing it to

him. He likes to play.”

Franco’s fondness for contact, sometimes creates conflict with his pass

coverage responsibilities.

“I always want to fly up and hit someone, so sometimes play-action fakes

me out. But hitting is the most fun part of the game. Me and (inside

linebacker) Shaun Ferryman always had a thing before games this year.

We’d say ‘It’s time for big-dog hitting tonight,’ because me and him

considered ourselves the big dogs when it came to hitting.”

Franco said football helped improve his self-esteem and, after making his

baseball debut with the Mustangs this spring, he hopes to give football a

try at OCC next fall.

So, perhaps, football can continue to help him add to his diploma

collection.