Getting ready to load up the bus Nov. 7 and head to Farmington High School, where Minnetonka was set to meet St. Michael-Albertville in the Class 6A quarterfinals, Skippers coach Mark Esch overheard a comment by his star running back that he didn’t expect.

But, knowing Caleb Francois like he does, Esch admitted he wasn’t surprised at all.

“Caleb said, ‘I don’t care where I sit, as long as I’m sitting next to Parker,’” Esch recalled.

That’s a reference to running back Parker Running, who’s considered a future star in the Minnetonka system. But Francois, a senior, sitting with a sophomore?

“That says all you need to know about the kind of kid Caleb is,” Esch said. “He’s a leader. He’s selfless.”

And he’s the Strib Varsity All-Minnesota Football Player of the Year.

Caleb Francois, sleek and smooth, rushed for 2,055 yards and 31 touchdowns this season and passed for three more TDs. The son of collegiate athletes at South Dakota State — mother Nikki played volleyball, first at Bethel and then at South Dakota State, and father Rodney was a running back and linebacker for the Jackrabbits — his talent on the gridiron was evident the instant he stepped on the field as a youth player.

“I think the first time I touched the ball, I ran 60 yards for a touchdown,” he said, admitting to receiving a lot of attention for most of his football life. “I’ve always been that kind of player.”

His stats speak for themselves. He put up 1,624 yards and 24 touchdowns rushing as a junior, when he played quarterback for the Skippers. It wasn’t his first choice. He grew up a runner, not a passer, but his elite-level skills made him stand out at a position he had to learn.

He acquitted himself well in his first season as a passer, too, accumulating 828 yards and seven touchdowns while leading the Skippers to the Class 6A championship game.

This year, Minnetonka coaches made the decision to move Francois back to his original, natural position: running back. Francois accepted the move, saying, “Anything for the team.”

Which sums up Francois’ approach succinctly. He’s soft-spoken and thoughtful. Finding a shred of ego in Francois’ demeanor is a big ask. He simply wants to be a part of the team and influence future Skippers.

“The first time I saw him, he was playing catch with a football with his mom,” Esch said. “I think he was in sixth or seventh grade. I said to myself right away that he could be special.”

Getting to know Francois’ family, which also includes younger brother Nolan, confirmed Esch’s initial reaction.

“You can see that his parents have had such a big influence on him,” he said. “They were athletes themselves, so they’ve taught him the right way go about things and how to compete.”

Francois credits his father, an assistant coach for Minnetonka, for his on-field skills.

“He taught me everything I know,” Francois said. “How to read holes, how to hit the hole hard and just having a feel for the game as a whole.”

When Minnetonka starting quarterback Caden Gutzmer went down for five games with a knee injury midseason, Francois stepped forward, filling in at QB and keeping the Skippers afloat.

“He’ll tell you he was fine going back to running back before the season, but I think he was a little disappointed to do that,” Esch said. “He wants to finish what he starts.”

On Thursday, against Edina in the Class 6A semifinals, Francois was easily the best player on the field in the first half. The climate-controlled environment at U.S. Bank Stadium proved the perfect setting for him.

Showing his vision to identify the smallest of gaps and his explosive speed to accelerate through holes, Francois ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns before halftime, helping Minnetonka build a lead that reached three touchdowns.

The good feelings didn’t last. A hip injury that had been nagging at him all season flared up, slowing him. He finished with 255 rushing yards, but the electricity he had been running with was no longer there.

Minnetonka lost to Edina 42-41, a disappointing ending to the Skippers’ season.

There’s a possibility he will need surgery to fix the hip problem before he heads off to play at Iowa State next year.

Of course, he will bring with him the lessons his parents taught him. And he has a couple of his own that Iowa State coach Matt Campbell will appreciate:

“Never fumble. And never get tackled by corners and safeties.”