Maxpreps names this local ex-coach one of its greatest of all time
Former Johansen High School water polo coach Brent Bohlender was unaware of what MaxPreps had just written about him.
Central California Athletic League Commissioner Ed Felt had to let him know that the website, one of the encyclopedias for high school sports since its inception in 2004, had bestowed a huge honor on him.
Once he got the news, he looked at the site’s link and was shocked.
On December 1, MaxPreps named the greatest coaches of all time in every high school sport and chose Bohlender the greatest girls water polo coach ever.
“Ed sent it to me, and he goes, ‘Congratulations’ and I didn’t even know,” Bohlender said. “I was like, ‘Oh wow.’”
While the award surprised Bohlender, those around Stanislaus County sports probably aren’t as shocked.
He taught at Johansen, started coaching in 1975 and stopped in 2012. During that time he coached swimming and water polo at all levels from freshman to varsity and compiled 1,666 varsity wins in the two sports. More than 1,200 were in boys and girls water polo combined. He led Johansen to its only four girls water polo Sac-Joaquin Section titles in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 and won 128 straight matches.
Bohlender’s resume is long.
He was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2001, the first Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2010 and the California Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015, and he has done a lot more.
“There are a lot of coaches out there,” he said. “I saw (De La Salle football coach Bob) Ladouceur and then I went down and saw all the people in all the sports and all the long careers that we have all had and I felt very humbled.”
Though he’s done teaching and coaching, he is still heavily involved in growing water polo across the area. He is in charge of the Western States and DeLong tournaments for girls and boys high school teams, respectively, and is an administrator for the Modesto-Stanislaus Water Polo Club. He has been around to see the sport grow in the area and across the state.
“It’s been great to watch it grow from what it used to be,” Bohlender said. “The first Western States we put on, there were eight or nine teams and six of them were local. Those early years, there were people playing, but in pockets. It’s nothing like it is today.
“It’s very gratifying to see the growth and the interest and the fact that other coaches have decided that this is what they want to do, especially on the women’s side.”
Holiday Hoops starts Tuesday: Modesto Christian’s Holiday Hoops Classic kicks off Dec. 27, and will feature a number of section champions, state playoff qualifiers and Northern California champions including Clovis West, Vanden, Campolindo and last year’s tournament champion Modesto Christian among others. The tournament championship will be Dec. 30. Here are the Day 1 matchups:
10 a.m. - Clovis West vs Gregori
11:30 a.m. - Clovis East vs Edison
1 p.m. - Cosumnes Oaks vs Northgate
2:30 p.m. - Campolindo vs Turlock
4 p.m. - Weston Ranch vs Bullard
5:30 p.m. - Vanden vs Pleasant Valley
7 p.m. - Modesto Christian vs Downey
8:30 p.m. - Manteca vs Ripon Christian
MJC football players recognized: After earning a spot in the Northern California football playoffs, four MJC football players were recognized by the California Community College Football Coaches Association for their outstanding seasons. Linebacker Cam Snow (Oakdale) and running back Aiden Taylor (Central Catholic) earned All-State honors. Snow finished second on the team with 52 tackles and recorded two sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. Taylor led the Pirates in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns with 838 and 10, respectively.
Receiver Jacob DeJesus (Manteca) and center Alex Lopez (Beyer) received All-American and All-State honors. DeJesus finished fourth in California in receiving yards with 914 yards and added five touchdowns. Lopez was the leader of an offensive line that protected four different quarterbacks throughout the season and blocked for Taylor and the Pirates’ rotation of running backs.
Stan State women’s hoops wins at buzzer: The Warriors women’s basketball team picked up its fourth win this season on a 63-62 buzzer beater over Seattle Pacific University. Stan State trailed by three points heading into the fourth quarter but Jadyn Patterson scored all eight of her points in the final frame and Liliana Marques knocked down the game-winning mid range jumper to cap a seven point performance. Makayla Rose finished with a team-high 21 points and Ashmeen Sran added 14. The Warriors play their next game on New Year’s Day in Turlock against Chico State as they look for their first California Collegiate Athletic Association win of the season.
Oakdale among best wrestling teams in California: Oakdale High wrestling coach Steve Strange has the Mustangs ranked among the best in the state once again. A year after losing 170-pound State Champion Ceasar Garza, the Bee’s 2022 Wrestler of the Year, to Michigan State, Strange seems to have reloaded with the 11th best team in California, according to The California Wrestler. The Mustangs finished second behind Turlock in the Bulldog Classic at Turlock High and will participate in the upcoming Ceres Invitational at Ceres High on December 23.
