Manatee’s A.J. Colagiovanni, Tarique Milton add first-team All-State honors from FloridaHSFootball.com

A.J. Colagiovanni fell short of picking up a Player of the Year honor from FloridaHSFootball.com, but the Manatee quarterback has another All-State accolade to his name. The senior was one of two Hurricanes named to FloridaHSFootball’s All-State first team for Class 8A on Monday. Wide receiver Tarique Milton, the Herald’s All-Area Offensive Player of the Year this past season, also earned a first-team nod as an athlete.

Colagiovanni was one of five players named as finalists for the USA Today affiliate’s 8A Offensive Player of the Year awards, one which is handed out by fan vote and the other which is chosen by FloridaHSFootball staff members. The fans chose Vero Beach wide receiver Michael Smith as Player of the Year and the website’s staff selected Jacksonville Sandwalwood running back Logan Wright. Still, Colagiovanni’s 2,759 passing yards and 31 touchdowns — plus his 263 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground — earned him a spot as one of the two quarterbacks the All-State first-team for the second consecutive year. Colagiovanni was also named to the Associated Press’ first-team All-State team for 8A and the All-Area second team. He signed with Stetson, a Football Championship Subdivision program, on National Signing Day.

Milton settled for a spot on the AP’s All-State third team, but followed up an All-Area Player of the Year season with a first-team All-State nod from FloridaHSFootball. The wide receiver, who is committed to Iowa State, hauled in 64 passes for 1,087 yards and a Manatee County-leading 17 touchdowns. The senior also ran for 240 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries.

Three more Canes earned All-State recognition as either second-team selections or honorable mentions. Senior guard Seth Walter, who has signed with FCS Dartmouth, was one of five offensive linemen named to the All-State second team after paving the way for the Hurricanes’ high-powered offense.

And even after the Canes’ defense struggled in 2016, Manatee had a pair of defensive players named honorable mentions. Senior linebacker Garrett Ware, who has also signed with the Hatters, was chosen after leading the Hurricanes with 112 total tackles. Cornerback Sir Williams was also picked as an honorable mention after recording 35 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble as a junior.

Both Walter and Ware were named to the Herald’s All-Area first team, while Williams was a second-team selection.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 5:09 PM with the headline "Manatee’s A.J. Colagiovanni, Tarique Milton add first-team All-State honors from FloridaHSFootball.com."