All Area | Antonio Colacci's midfield mastery nets Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors
BRADENTON -- The blueprint for how Antonio Colacci plays soccer is traced to one of the most popular clubs in the world, FC Barcelona.
Specifically, the club's maestro in midfield: Andres Iniesta.
The Spanish wizard is at the tail end of an illustrious career that has seen him on the short list of the best midfielders in the world.
Colacci, a Saint Stephen's senior, naturally gravitated toward emulating that playmaking style.
"There's one thing I'm missing from him and that's his acceleration," Colacci said. "His acceleration's incredible When he was in his prime, nobody could stop him."
Colacci has been so good during his Falcons career he earned a scholarship to play collegiately for the University of New Hampshire. And that talent made him the Herald's player of the year for boys soccer.
"It's really an honor to be player of the year for this area," Colacci said. "It shows that hard work pays off."
Longtime Saint Stephen's head coach Marc Jones has seen that hard work firsthand. Jones said during Colacci's six years with the Falcons he has grown into a great role model, student and player on the pitch through a tireless work ethic.
"Antonio has a great first touch and has the ability to play quickly under pressure," Jones said in a text message. "He has terrific vision, and he has the technical ability and passing range to pick out a pass and connect with his teammates."
Having that vision is paramount to Colacci's role as
a center midfielder. Roaming the entire pitch, his attacking style is one that is a mix of scoring, passing and building the play through the middle. It's how he scored 15 goals and had 14 assists. That latter part of Colacci's game is steeped in the realization that if he stayed on the ball the entire time, he'd be labeled a ball hog and never receive it back.
And that's not his style. Instead, he enjoys his role on the pitch as an attacking instigator.
"I love getting the ball," Colacci said. "I like dictating the play. It's like the quarterback of the team almost. You always spring passes, spring passes and it's your game."
If there's a weakness in Colacci's game, it's his consistency in set pieces such as free kicks and corners that's lacking.
"I don't really practice those," Colacci said. "I should because they're kind of one of my weaknesses, and they're not always 100 percent accurate. So it's something I still need to work on."
At 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, Colacci said he also needs to get better physically, which means adding 15 pounds of muscle.
But before that happens, he has several memories from an illustrious career at Saint Stephen's, which included a Class 1A Final Four berth as a junior and last season's march to the regional semifinals. He also listed a free kick goal against Braden River as his top individual moment.
Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017. Follow him on Twitter @Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.
2016 All-Area boys soccer team
Domenic Aluise
Senior, Braden River
To his credit: A three-year varsity captain, Aluise embodied the leadership and on-field skills needed for a standout career. Aluise was a forward who capped his high school career with 20 goals and 11 assists.
Fast fact: He said the hardest part about soccer is the combination of tactics and fitness.
Up next: He is undecided on where he'll attend, but he plans on playing college soccer somewhere.
Vincent Archibald
Junior, Lakewood Ranch
To his credit: A center back, Archibald became Lakewood Ranch's defensive player of the year through his penchant for stopping opposing forwards from getting space or time on the ball. The problems he created helped anchor a back four that pitched 11 clean sheets.
Fast fact: His favorite subject is science.
Up next: Offseason training before next year's season begins.
Jonathan Boyd
Junior, Saint Stephen's
To his credit: Along with Antonio Colacci, Boyd formed a tight one-two punch in the Falcons' midfield. He recorded a team-high 16 assists, while scoring 15 goals. Boyd (hand) and fellow first-team selection Alex Virgilio played the regional semifinal with an injury, and the Falcons missed not having both at full strength.
Fast fact: His favorite moment was beating Palmetto 2-1 this season after losing 8-1 to the Tigers as a freshman.
Up next: He plans on getting bigger physically for his senior season.
Liam Bramley
Senior, Lakewood Ranch
To his credit: The keeper experienced a final-four run as a sophomore and was the area's player of the year as a junior. This season Bramley recorded 11 clean sheets in 14 victories and claimed his fourth district championship.
Fast fact: He was a team captain the last two years and earned the team's MVP award each of the last three years.
Up next: He is torn between Florida and Ohio State for academics next fall.
Kemal Inandi
Junior, Braden River
To his credit: As a left wing, Inandi isn't in the traditional scoring striker role. Inandi's work rate is what elevated him into the area's elite. He finished with nine goals and four assists.
Fast fact: He enjoys playing the video game "FIFA" to learn skills shown to apply to his real game.
Up next: He plans to prepare for his senior season through working out, playing, running and working on his long-range shots.
Kevin Morillo Melendez
Sophomore, Southeast
To his credit: A forward in his second prep season, Morillo Melendez scored 19 goals and added seven assists. A constant goal-scoring threat for the Seminoles, who had a tough season, he was a bright spot in a youthful setup.
Fast fact: Both his dad and his uncle played professional soccer in Honduras.
Up next: He should return to the Seminoles next season.
Christopher Morrish
Senior, Saint Stephen's
To his credit: One of two keepers to make the team. Morrish was a key for the Falcons' success, leading the team into a regional semifinal.
Fast fact: His cousin, Shannon, plays goalkeeper for Vanderbilt's women's soccer team.
Up next: He plans to go to Trinity University for college soccer.
Ricardo Rodriguez
Senior, Southeast
To his credit: The center back was Southeast's captain. He had a big presence on the back line. Head coach Jamie Richards said Rodriguez was a big and strong player for the Noles. He also kicks for the football team, showing his versatility.
Fast fact: He was named Southeast's most valuable player on defense.
Up next: He plans to attend State College of Florida.
Pablo Vargas
Sophomore, Lakewood Ranch
To his credit: Not someone a defender would enjoy encountering on the pitch, Vargas flourished with 19 goals and eight assists in a breakout campaign that saw him partner with fellow first-teamer Ricky Yanez to form a dynamic attacking threat.
Fast fact: The hardest part of soccer for Vargas is conditioning.
Up next: He plans to spend the offseason dedicating his time to club soccer.
Alex Virgilio
Junior, Saint Stephen's
To his credit: Possessing upper body strength for a forward is a necessity to hold up play, when it calls for it, and Virgilio could do so. His hat trick in the regional quarterfinals highlighted his 15-goal and 14-assist season.
Fast fact: His father, Guy, is the head coach of Lakewood Ranch's girls soccer team.
Up next: He wants to continue training and attending ID camps in the offseason.
Ricky Yanez
Junior, Lakewood Ranch
To his credit: A lightning-quick forward working in tandem with first-team selection Pablo Vargas, Yanez recorded 14 goals and 10 assists. Referred to as gnats by head coach Vito Bavaro due to their constant, unrelenting pressure high up the pitch, Yanez and Vargas were tough to defend.
Fast fact: Favorite school subject is math.
Up next: Playing club soccer in the offseason.
Honorable mention
Bayshore -- Caleb Freeman, junior; Alvaro Garrido, junior.
Braden River -- Michael Villarante, junior; Kyle Villarante, sophomore.
Lakewood Ranch -- Nate Ellis, junior; Tyler Puhalovich, junior; Felipe Dangond, senior; Daniel Rocco, junior.
Palmetto -- Ben Espinal, senior; Frankie Arroyo, junior; Ty Dolan, sophomore.
This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 12:03 AM with the headline "All Area | Antonio Colacci's midfield mastery nets Boys Soccer Player of the Year honors ."