While they are still underclassmen, three Cathedral Catholic High School boys water polo players bring a world of experience to the defending CIF San Diego Section Open Division champions.
Sophomores Braylen Axline and Jett Taylor and freshman Grayson Taylor, Jett’s younger brother, all competed for the fifth-place Team USA at the World Aquatics U16 Water Polo Championships in Malta in June.
“Everyone is so good there,” Grayson Taylor said. “You’re playing international teams, while you’re representing your country. It’s just a great experience.”
The tournament involved 32 teams from around the globe. In seven games, the USA suffered just one loss, a quarterfinal setback to eventual champion Spain.
“It was a lot of fun with a great, great group of guys,” Jett Taylor said. “The coaching staff was really nice and inviting. This is the kind of eye-opening for me seeing that there’s a whole new level to my game.”
The Taylors and Axline have been connected since age 12 in club water polo. Jett Taylor and Axline earned All-CIF recognition as freshmen last season, while Grayson Taylor geared up to the varsity upon entering high school.
“To have three junior national players from one team is pretty remarkable,” Dons coach Tommy Corcoran said. “It’s a credit to their work and efforts in the pool. All three were keys to the success that the United States had.”
This was the first worldwide tournament on a national team for the three.
Grayson Taylor and Axline had some previous experience with playing internationally.
After the loss to Spain, the United States rebounded to win its last two outings, including a 17-16 shootout win over Greece for fifth place in a match that was tied 11-11 at the end of regulation.
“It was soul-crushing to lose that one game, but at the end of the day, we still had a job to do the best we could do,” Jett Taylor said. ”With the circumstances, we did.”
In addition to the Taylor brothers, Axline has a brotherly tie in water polo. His older sibling, Bennett, helped Cathedral Catholic win the 2021 Open Division championship before heading to UC San Diego, where he’s entering his junior season.
“I talked to my brother about his championship year, and he said it was a really great experience,” Braylen Axline said. “I wanted to recreate that kind of feeling for my own. We ended up doing that, and it was just incredible. I mean, I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.”
The Dons won the Open Division final over Bishop’s 11-10 in overtime for their second title in three years. After an 8-8 regulation tie, Axline opened overtime with his second goal of the match.
“We knew it would be a close game,” said Jett Taylor, who had a second-half goal. “We had to go out and play our game and not worry about them but worry . Never give up, never quit. We knew that we could pull it out.”
Among the senior leaders then were Ben Mirisch (currently at USC) and Orion Erwin (Naval Academy) along with goalie Victor Bonhomme.
“As a freshman, being named on varsity was a little bit nerve-racking, but I trusted my team a lot, and it ended up paying off,” Axline said. “The seniors, they did a really good job at embracing the freshmen.”
The three junior national team players won’t be mistaken for small underclassmen. Jett Taylor stands 6-foot-6, Grayson Taylor 6-3 and Braylen Axline 6-foot.
Jeff Taylor plays the defender spot, the other two have offensive positions.
To go with the talented trio, juniors Max Arnold, Colin Mhail and Emon Brush also spearhead the youthful Dons team.
“We have super high expectations,” Jett Taylor said. “ We just have to find our our rhythm early in the season and stick with it.”
The Dons open the season Wednesday, hosting Poway, which reached the Open Division playoffs last year.
“We’re looking strong,” Axline said. “We’re working really hard in the pool as well as conditioning. We’re going to have a great season if we just keep up the hard work, keep up the morale and stay together.”
With the help of some worldly experience, of course.
