Coach Aaron Skinner thought the older Rylan Bohnett would be a smart choice to serve as his defense on Bishop Diego High School’s football team.
Bohnett’s grade point average is an intoxicating 4.67.
“He’s our high school quarterback,” said Skinner, the Cardinals’ defense coordinator and the school’s athletic director. “He’s obviously not the greatest, but he makes up for it with his wits.”
Bishop Diego High football team’s star defensive safety Rylan Bohnett was honored as the school’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. (Noozhawk photo)
Bohnett, a 5-foot-11 safety and wide receiver, was honored for his academics by the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Monday when he was presented as Bishop Diego’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award is sponsored by The Gamberdella-Spruill Group at Merrill Lynch.
He started out in three different sports for the Cardinals and was a team captain in both basketball and soccer.
He helped lead the basketball team to a CIF championship in 2021 and a runner-up in 2019, winning the Tri-Valley League championships both years. He has also competed in two league championships in soccer and is expected to earn his fourth varsity letter in volleyball next spring.
Bohnett, the son of Dominic and Darci Bohnett, was named 2019 English Student of the Year by Bishop Diego and received an Honorable Mention for Multimedia Student of the Year in 2020. He made the school honors list and was recognized as a National Merit Scholar throughout his four years with Bishop.
He has also attended the Global Leadership Conference, the Pepperdine Youth Conference and served as a school ambassador. He has achieved class marshal status as one of Bishop’s top 10 rated students.
Bohnett has volunteered for both the Boys & Girls Club Christmas program and Direct Relief. He is also the coach of the FNL (Friday Night Lights) Youth Flag Football League.
He has particularly enjoyed working for BDTV – the daily news program that airs on Bishop Diego High’s campus.
“I loved creating videos and sports announcements,” he said.
Bohnett is also one of the founders of Bishop’s Public Speaking Club, an ability Skinner used in his defense.
“He is a true leader for us and takes care of all our communication,” he said. “He knows where and when to be there and that counts for a lot, especially in high school football.
“As a defensive coach you have to trust that the guys back there are making the right decisions and communicating well, so it’s great to have him back there.”
He started for a Bishop football team that won the Camino League championship last year and ranked in the top-25 in the Cal Preps state rankings. The Cardinals are 4-2 so far this year with rankings of No. 62 in the state and No. 39 in the CIF South Section.
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