All-First Coast boys soccer: Antonio Mancinotti used teamwork to make Mandarin magic

With one more chance to electrify Jacksonville on the high school stage, Antonio Mancinotti knew defenders across Florida had their sights set on stopping him.

Teamwork helped make the burden a little easier.

"This year," he said, "our chemistry was way up there."

With speed, agility, shooting from distance and mastery with both feet — and working wonders in combination play with his Mustang teammates — Mandarin's senior winger repeated as the Times-Union's All-First Coast Player of the Year in high school boys soccer.

He joins the likes of Englewood's Tommy Krizanovic and Fleming Island's Reed Davis as a repeat All-First Coast boys soccer player of the year in the 21st century.

Slashing through opponents from the wings and finishing without mercy in the box, Mancinotti scored 29 goals and 19 assists — giving him 59 goals for his last two years and 80 for his Mustangs career.

But he didn't do it alone.

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ACE COMBINATION SPURS MUSTANGS

Mandarin soared to the heights of the national rankings, spending much of the season in the top five before their upset loss to Timber Creek in the Class 7A regional quarterfinal, thanks to teamwork.

In particular, Mancinotti's longtime combination with senior midfielder Adis Mesic, teammates going back to their middle school days, stood out more than ever in the 2022-2023 season.

For Mandarin head coach Jason Cooley, they're practically 1A and 1B, an unstoppable tag team through the regular season, districts and regionals.

"It was just magical to watch. We work on all kinds of one-two combination patterns of play and we work on that all the time in practice, but to see it bear fruit in actual games when the game can be overly physical in high school, you see some brilliant soccer from them," Cooley said.

They combined for 52 goals and 48 assists, more than half the Mustangs' total.

When Mesic danced into open space in midfield to set up a teammate, Mancinotti had the knack for finding the perfect position to finish. And when Mancinotti danced through traffic on the outside, he knew where to look to conclude the attack with a flourish.

"We were linking up the whole season. I probably have most of Adis's assists, and he probably has most of my assists," Mancinotti said. "It was just amazing playing with him."

ADAPTING TO PRESSURE

In 2023, coming off 30 goals as a junior, Mancinotti was practically wearing a target for opponents every time he stepped onto the field.

So he had to deal with pressure from defenders. From midfielders. Sometimes, as in the Gateway Conference tournament, from the crowds.

"They played hard, and the people on the sidelines were calling me overrated," he said. "I had to fight through it."

But that he did, scoring in the Gateway final against Englewood to lead the Mustangs to their third consecutive Duval County public school title, the sign of a take-charge mentality that's helped him take the next step.

When Mancinotti started at Mandarin, he would sometimes play what Cooley called "too unselfish," deferring to older teammates when he worked his way into promising positions. Over time, he built the confidence to take charge and zero in for the kill.

"He really got the message," Cooley said, "and he had a brilliant year."

Now, for Mancinotti, it's about confidence. Through the years and through the goals, he's learned when to dribble straight at opponents, and when to stay patient away from the ball — and then, at the perfect moment, to pounce.

"I try to use my speed a lot and get in behind the defense," he said. "I now try to get them unbalanced. Most of the time, they get distracted, and they don't look at me for a split second.

"And then I'm gone."

EYES ON THE PRO GAME

What does the future soccer dream look like for Mancinotti? Maybe one that takes him a long way from home.

Since his elementary school days, he's cheered from across the Atlantic for Premier League giant Manchester United. In the long run, he said, he's hoping to build a professional career that could extend all the way to Europe.

While grabbing a foothold in the pro game is far from easy, it wouldn't be unprecedented for Mandarin. Former Mandarin winger Rijad Kobiljar has played for much of the last decade in Europe, with stops in Bosnia, Slovenia and Germany.

Other players from area high schools to make the professional leap in recent times include Ethan Dudley (Bartram Trail), Tony Taylor (Bishop Kenny), Jay Bolt (Bolles) and Nurdin Hrustic (Wolfson).

Maybe, Mancinotti hopes, he might join the list of Jacksonville athletes at the next level.

"That's been my dream ever since I was a little kid," he said. "I want to work hard to see if I can go professional."

Antonio Mancinotti

Forward, Mandarin

Age: 18

Resume: Scored 29 goals and 19 assists to lead Mandarin to a District 1-7A title. … Led Mustangs to three consecutive Gateway Conference titles. … Scored 80 career goals at Mandarin. … Class 7A player of the year. … Back-to-back All-First Coast player of the year. … Runner-up in Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Soccer voting.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school boys soccer 2023: All-First Coast, Antonio Mancinotti