THE TIMES’ ALL--COUNTY TEAMS : Awards--and Goals--Keep Piling Up : Brent Bish Was a Marked Man This Year but Still Had Another Dream Season

Brent Bish probably wouldn’t want this to get around, but by now he has gathered so many plaques and awards that some sit on the counter in his family room still wrapped in their protective covering.

Bish had the kind of season last year that most don’t even dream about. He scored 27 goals and helped lead Esperanza to the Southern Section 3-A championship.

And he did almost the same thing this year, scoring 26 goals and assisting on 21. The Aztecs made it back to the 3-A title game but came up just short, losing to Diamond Bar, 2-1.

“He did it last year,” said John Coppage, Esperanza coach, “and then he came back with everybody knowing Esperanza was No. 1 and did it again.

“Nobody who ever played us this year walked in and said, ‘Oh my gosh, who’s that guy?’ They knew already.”

For his efforts, Bish was named first-team All-Southern Section and Empire League most valuable player, sharing the honor with Luis Cabral, the superb Aztec defender.

Add one more honor: Bish has been chosen The Times’ boys’ soccer Player of the Year.

Coppage likes to call Bish a “self-made man,” and will recount how Bish spent extra hours on the practice field, honing his skills.

“He’d look at a kid with one good move, and he’d study it,” Coppage said. “He’d get that and then go learn a move from somebody else . . . he wasn’t a prima donna at 11. His first really good year was his sophomore year at Esperanza.”

Bish, with a more modest hand, figures he just got better because he grew to his adult stature, 5-feet 11-inches.

“His freshman year, we saw this raw-boned kid with a lot of basic ability,” Coppage said. “He was about 5-4. Then his sophomore year he was 5-9. Boom. All of a sudden he was really good.”

Bish’s mother, Nancy Bish, remembers that he was always good at whatever sport he tried.

She also thinks he developed his strong legs partly because there was something he wouldn’t try for most of his childhood: bike riding.

“He would just run alongside while all the other kids rode their bikes,” she said.

Bish just shrugged.

“No one ever taught me.”

As for his season as a closely marked man, Bish said it worked out all right except for coming up short in the title game.

“I never felt like I had three people on me all the time,” he said. “But when they were big guys, it could make it pretty hard to work. But if they put people on me, that always left somebody open and we would score with them.”

Bish, who plays third base on the Aztec baseball team that won the 4-A title last season and is ranked third in Orange County, said he will consider his college options later in the baseball season.

ALL-COUNTY BOYS’ SOCCER TEAM BRIAN FISHER GOALIE VILLA PARK SENIOR

Missed most of the Century League season after being injured in an automobile accident in December, but still had 7 shutouts in 16 games and allowed only 2 goals in 11 games after returning.

PAUL OLDHAM FORWARD MATER DEI JUNIOR

Set a school season scoring record with 41 goals, breaking the mark of 32 held by his older brother, Ray. Scored the only goal in the Monarchs’ 1-1 tie with West Torrance in the Southern Section 4-A championship.

BRENT BISH FORWARD ESPERANZA SENIOR

Scored 26 goals and had 21 assists although always closely marked. Led the Aztecs to a second straight appearance in the Southern Section 3-A championship game. Empire League most valuable player with teammate Luis Cabral.

JOSE VASQUEZ FORWARD SANTA ANA SENIOR

Had more assists (25) than goals (19). Coaches call him perhaps Orange County’s most talented player. Century League most valuable player.

DARIN FISHMAN MIDFIELDER MARINA JUNIOR

Scored 20 goals and had 13 assists for the Sunset League champion Vikings, who were ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section 4-A poll for much of the season but were upset in the second round of the playoffs. Sunset League offensive player of the year.

BRIAN LOU MIDFIELDER CANYON JUNIOR

Scored 22 goals and had 17 assists, leading the Century League champion Comanches, who were eliminated in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A playoffs by eventual co-champion Mater Dei.

RAMON MIRAMONTES MIDFIELDER SUNNY HILLS SENIOR

Led the Lancers to the Southern Section 2-A title and a 19-2 record. Finished the season with a dozen goals and a dozen assists and was named Southern Section 2-A offensive player of the year.

JEREMY AMEN MIDFIELDER VILLA PARK SENIOR

Helped lead surprising Spartans to 16-3-4 record, and was lauded by coaches from all parts of Orange County, even though no one kept statistics for the Villa Park team.

LUIS CABRAL DEFENDER ESPERANZA SENIOR

Anchored an Aztec defense that had 42 shutouts in two seasons (20 this season). Helped lead team to Southern Section 3-A final for the second straight year. Southern Section 3-A defensive player of the year and Empire League most valuable player with Bish.

CHRIS MASTROPAOLO DEFENDER MATER DEI JUNIOR

Anchored the defense of the Southern Section 4-A co-champion Monarchs (24-4-2), an unseeded team that tied West Torrance in the championship game. Southern Section 4-A defensive player of the year.

TOM PATTON DEFENDER EDISON SENIOR

Sunset League defensive player of the year. Helped Edison to eight shutouts in a 17-3-1 season.

BERNARD PHELPS DEFENDER SUNNY HILLS SENIOR

With freshman goalkeeper Jason Sugarman, anchored the defense of the Southern Section 2-A champion Lancers, who defeated 1986 champion Brea-Olinda in the final, finishing with a 19-2 record.

SECOND TEAM

Goalie: Jeff Holcombe, Troy, junior. Forwards: Jose Cueva, Bolsa Grande, senior; Rhett Harty, Servite, junior; Graham Vernon, Sonora, senior. Midfielders: Sam George, Mater Dei, junior; Pat Merrell, Corona del Mar, senior; Mark Soma, Orange Lutheran, senior. Defenders: Brian Wilson, Villa Park, junior; Rod Barker, Marina, senior; Kevin Hull, Brea-Olinda, senior; John Alvarado, Orange, senior.