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Newport Harbor’s boys water polo team faced Cathedral Catholic on Saturday for the second time this fall in a major tournament final.
The Sailors again had the answer for the San Diego power.
Connor Ohl scored five goals and Kai Kaneko had four goals and three assists as top-seeded Newport Harbor held off No. 2 Cathedral Catholic 14-13 in the championship of the Elite 8 at Harvard-Westlake High.
Ohl and Kaneko are seniors committed to Stanford.
After the first half ended with the score tied 6-6, Newport Harbor (18-0) netted the first three goals of the third period to separate from Catholic Catholic, whom it defeated in the finals of the South Coast Tournament last month.
Ohl scored four of his five goals in the second half, including an extra-man strike with 3:10 left in the fourth for a 14-10 lead.
Cathedral Catholic tallied the last three goals of the fourth period, including one with four seconds remaining to make the score close.
Newport Harbor received strong play off the bench from Mason Netzer (one goal, one assist) and Sean Anderson (two goals, one assist).
Both teams went 4 for 8 on the power play.
In the semifinals, Newport Harbor beat Corona del Mar 14-9.
The Sailors, ranked No. 1 in Orange County, have won 50 consecutive regular-season matches.
Corona del Mar lost to Miramonte 19-17 in the third-place match.
JSerra defeated Harvard-Westlake 14-10 seventh-place game.
In nonleague:
Santa Margarita 14, Mira Costa 9: Evan Wu had six goals and three assists, and Logan McGann and Owen Raney each added three goals to lead the visiting Eagles (16-2).
