Cathedral Catholic Water Polo | Elite 8 Tournament
October 2, 2025 – Harvard-Westlake High School

In a clash between two of California’s top programs, #2-ranked Cathedral Catholic earned a gritty 11-10 victory over #7-ranked Corona Del Mar in the Elite 8 Tournament, demonstrating composure under pressure and timely execution on both sides of the pool.

The game started with Corona Del Mar striking first, building a 2-0 lead before Max Bruhn ’28 (#17) broke through with Cathedral’s first goal late in the opening quarter. From there, the Dons settled into a rhythm and began exchanging scores in a back-and-forth display of elite water polo.

In the second quarter, Jett Taylor ’27 (#4) and Jack Davis ’28 (#12) each scored, while Bruhn continued to energize the offense, including a slick assist to Jett Fago ’29 (#15) for a late goal that gave Cathedral a 6-5 halftime lead.

The third quarter showcased defensive grit and clutch playmaking. After Bruhn forced a steal, Hudson Tweed ’26 (#9) hit a long-range shot to regain momentum. But Corona responded to tie the game at 8-8 heading into the final quarter.

That’s when Cathedral demonstrated its championship composure. The Dons took advantage of a man-up opportunity as Grayson Taylor ’28 (#20) scored off a setup from Colin McPhail ’26 (#3). McPhail then added his own goal to push the lead to 10-8.

Corona closed the gap late, but Cathedral refused to break. With under a minute remaining, Eamon Bruhn ’27 (#7) converted on a deep pass from Diego Dantas ’28 (#5), which became the game-winning goal. The Eagles tried for one last score with their goalie pushed forward, but the Dons kept possession in the final seconds to secure the 11-10 victory.

Dons play again tomorrow, October 3rd, at 9:40am against Bishop’s and at 2:40pm against Sacred Heart. Dons aim to go 3-0 heading into championship Saturday.