San Diego | September 24, 2026 | Post-Game Interview by Erik Boal Sports

In a playoff-like atmosphere with the stands packed by family, friends, and spirited student support, Cathedral Catholic boys water polo jumped out to a fast start and held on through a furious fourth-quarter rally to defeat rival La Jolla 16-15 yesterday at the Waitt Aquatic Center.

The Dons established control early, racing to a 6-3 lead after the opening quarter behind four goals from junior Grayson Taylor. Cathedral Catholic continued to build its advantage throughout the first half, showcasing an offense that consistently found ways to generate scoring opportunities.

Taylor led the Dons with six goals, including the most important one of the afternoon. With La Jolla mounting a late comeback and cutting a 15-10 Cathedral Catholic lead to 15-14 with four consecutive goals, Taylor found the back of the net with 49 seconds remaining to push the lead back to two.

La Jolla’s Levon Kevorkian answered with a goal with 17 seconds left, but the Dons remained composed and secured the 16-15 victory.

The win offered Cathedral Catholic a measure of redemption after La Jolla edged the Dons 13-12 in last season’s CIF-San Diego Section Open Division championship game. It also gave Cathedral Catholic an important opening victory in City-Western League play.

While the Dons’ offensive firepower was on full display, the fourth-quarter rally highlighted an area the team knows needs improvement. After the game, Taylor emphasized the importance of defensive discipline and communication.

“Our offense is there, and our defense is what we need to work on the most,” Taylor said. “If we can limit the other team’s scoring opportunities and goals, I think the offense will just outscore their offense every game.”

Cathedral Catholic will look to build on its victory and continue sharpening its defensive execution against the area’s top competition. The Dons return to action on September 26 in a matchup at Long Beach Wilson, ahead of the Elite 8 Tournament in two weeks.