The Cathedral Catholic boys water polo team opened the 2025 season with an exciting 12–11 win over Oaks Christian at home on Friday, then lost 8–11 to top-ranked Newport on Saturday.

Against Oaks Christian, a top-10 Southern California program, the Dons battled through a competitive game. Cathedral led 3–2 after the first quarter and 9–7 at halftime, with Diego Dantas ’28 scoring an electric goal from half-tank at the buzzer. The Lions narrowed the gap to one before the final quarter, but the Dons held on for a 12–11 victory. Dantas led the offense with five goals, followed by Colin McPhail ’26 and Jett Taylor ’27, each with two, while Jack Davis ’28, Kenly Braylen Axline ’27, and Eamon Bruhn ’27 each contributed one.

On Saturday, Cathedral faced off against the national powerhouse Newport. After falling behind early, the Dons rallied in the second half, outscoring the Sailors in the final two quarters to close the gap, but ultimately fell 8-11. Axline scored four goals to lead the offense, with key contributions from seniors Maximus Arnold and Hudson Tweed, along with Dantas and Bruhn.

The Dons aim to build on their strong start as they face some of California’s top teams early in the season.