Franklin Senior Earns All-County, All-State Soccer Honors

Four years ago, boys soccer coach Ian Reid brought then-freshman Michael Cronauer up to the varsity squad for the second half of the 2008 campaign. It didn’t take very long for Reid to realize that Cronauer would not be returning to junior varsity for his sophomore season.

“Right away he was probably our best player,” Reid said. “It’s been that way ever since.”

In 2011, Reid was hardly the only coach to take notice of Cronauer’s talents.

Leading the Indians in both goals (11) and assists (12), the senior striker garnered first team All-County and second team All-State honors, as well as a spot in the Senior All-Star game, which pits the best public and private school players against one another.

In addition to the stats, Cronauer’s overall size and his deceptive speed—along with a devastating combination of ball skills and a keen understanding of the game—gave opposing defenders fits all season long.

“He’s probably one of the top two technically gifted soccer players that I’ve ever had in the nine years that I’ve been coaching here,” Reid said. “He’s able to beat a man one-on-one, which I don’t think a lot of people in Baltimore County soccer can do.”

Following his final year at Franklin, Cronauer is headed to Frostburg State, where he’s signed on to continue his soccer career while pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He has also been accepted into the school’s honors program.

Whether he’s in high school or college, Cronauer will always be a student of the game when it comes to soccer. He and Reid would regularly discuss English Premier League action and the sport in general.

“He’s interested in the game above and beyond just showing up for the two hours that I’d get him each day,” Reid said. “It was really a pleasure spending the last three and a half years with him.”