'Iolani's Ha'aheo Dela Cruz is no choir boy

Nov. 15—There is a reason choir is a favorite class of Ha 'aheo Dela Cruz.

The patience. The rhythm. The poise. Teamwork.

There is a reason choir is a favorite class of Ha 'aheo Dela Cruz.

The patience. The rhythm. The poise. Teamwork.

Mainly, he just likes to sing.

"His voice reminds me of Kolohe Kai, " teammate Keao Kawa 'akoa said.

Dela Cruz defers.

"Nela (Taliauli ) is the best singer on the team, " he said of his choir and football teammate. "He sings anything and everything. Step into the locker room and that's what you hear."

Dela Cruz knows transformation. As a young—3-year-old—flag football player, he was a wide receiver. When he played tackle football for the Manoa Paniolos and Hawaii Kai Dolphins, the learned to be the aggressor. Linebacker became his position.

"I liked linebacker better, " he said. "I can deliver the hit, not be hit."

When he played intermediate football at 'Iolani, it seemed that was his path. By sophomore year, he envisioned his role with the varsity. But COVID-19 wrecked that fall season of 2020.

"I was supposed to be a hybrid, " he recalled.

A hybrid in 'Iolani's unique defensive scheme is what it sounds like. Dela Cruz was going to be an athlete who could cover any pass-catcher on a route. On the next play, he would be in the trenches, clogging the lanes, shedding blockers and stopping opposing running backs and linemen. Ultimately, every hybrid relishes the opportunity to blitz and bring down a quarterback.

It's a job made for versatile, tough defenders.

But Dela Cruz never got that opportunity. After tipping the scale at 180 pounds during that canceled season, he was 195 pounds by junior year. Coach Wendell Look and defensive coordinator Delbert Tengan moved him into the trenches for good.

"He's the guy that needs to be the stopper, " Look said. "Del kind of schemes it and we move the pieces around for what we need to get done. Ha 'aheo is the one we are relying on to be the stopper. All 11 guys have got to do their jobs. That gives us a chance to make plays."

If 195 pounds seems light for a defensive lineman, Look understands the plight and challenge. He played the position back in the day when everyone played everyone in high school football, the mammoths of Kamehameha, Punahou and Saint Louis in wrecking-ball mode against 'Iolani, which won the ILH title in 1980 and tied Waianae, 7-all, in the Oahu Prep Bowl.

That monumental achievement came two years after graduation for Look. He was 5-11, and weighed 165-170 pounds as an All-ILH selection.

Now 6-3 and 218 pounds, Dela Cruz is the front man, the first line of resistance, Jon Snow leading a pack of fierce, cunning and undersized defenders.

"We're not the biggest team, but Coach Del preaches to us to give them hell and wear them down, " Dela Cruz said.

Kawa 'akoa, who has rushed for 684 yards and 14 TDs, has good memories of Dela Cruz from the early years.

"We were in ninth grade after playing Kamehameha (intermediate ). We went to get food with some of our teammates and he cramped up as we were sitting and eating. I burst out laughing and mocking him until I started to cramp, too. Then we both sat there laughing at each other because we were both in pain, " he said.

Dela Cruz and Jacob Gaudi were brought up to the varsity from the intermediate squad late in that 2019 season. They watched as Hilo beat 'Iolani on a last-second, 55-yard field goal to win the D-I state title.

"I just remember we were standing at the 50-yard line when the ball was kicked. I didn't think it would go in, " Dela Cruz said. "We didn't really know what to do after. Seeing all the seniors that worked their butts off, it was heartbreaking for them. We didn't know the hardships they went through."

The memories of that'19 season were mostly good, great and sometimes unexpected.

"I remember that season, the Leilehua game, Coach (Look ) had a penalty against him for yelling at a ref, maybe, so he kind of took ownership and did the punishment with us (at practice ). He did up-downs (grass drills ) with us. I think it was 10 or 20, " Dela Cruz recalled. "He was getting in there."

Since that loss to Hilo, 'Iolani has won 20 games in a row. The Raiders were 11-0 en route to the state crown last year, and they are 9-0 so far this season. A state semifinal battle with OIA champion Waipahu is set for Saturday afternoon at Eddie Hamada Field.

Tengan's raspy vocals can get the undivided attention of the defensive unit.

"He yells at us a lot, so he loses his voice frequently, " Dela Cruz said. "He has a lot of voice cracks. You can never laugh in the moment, but after practice someone always brings it up. It's always Gaudi."

Gaudi met Dela Cruz at practice during freshman year.

"I had just come to 'Iolani and had never played football before. Ha 'a welcomed me with open arms and was extremely friendly. He walked me through the basic steps of playing the linebacker position, " Gaudi recalled. "He's hard-working, positive and loyal. That is what makes him such a wonderful friend and teammate."

Hawaii made its move in'21, offering Dela Cruz a scholarship. He committed to the Warriors on June 25.

"I'm super excited. I know they haven't had the best season, but just the fact that Coach Timmy (Chang ) and the staff took a chance on me, I'm ready to go work for them."

He has done his part to gain 38 pounds in the past two years. He wants to be in the 230-235 range by next summer.

"They want me to gain more weight. After my workouts, I have a protein shake, " he said. "At every meal, I have a protein shake, too."

"At 'Iolani we do a lot of conditioning, a lot of running. I think that's a key reason we win a lot of games. We out-condition a lot of teams. That's a credit to (strength and conditioning ) Coach Dom (Ahuna ), " Dela Cruz said. "I think he's the best."

When the season ends, Dela Cruz will head right back to the Ikaika Athletics facility, where Mike Lafaele and his staff train athletes year-round. Dela Cruz also spends time working out with the Trench Dawgz.

"Shout out to Ikaika Athletics. We do a lot of speed and quickness training, defensive line and linebacker drills. They have a really nice facility, " he said. "Coach Mike and Coach Kip (Akana of Trench Dawgz ) really got me prepared in the offseason."

It has been quite the change, but is not uncommon at 'Iolani.

"When he was younger, Ha 'aheo wanted to play quarterback, " Look said. "He just evolved and grew himself into being a D-lineman. We can develop them for all positions, but at our place, we move the pieces to fit roles. We had some quarterbacks already, so to maximize his size, talent and skill, we had to put him on defense."

The tenacity required to succeed in the trenches while maintaining a 3.0 grade-point average stretches every lineman, but Dela Cruz has thrived.

"We used him where he would help our team the most, and UH noticed what he brings up front. It's valuable. Sometimes, you make the most out of your opportunities and excel at wherever a team needs you, " Look said. "If you're good enough, people will recognize that."

Dela Cruz grins when he talks about the chance to play for Hawaii.

"I think my parents wanted me to go away, but after I got the UH offer, they said, 'You're still moving out of the house.' So I'm going to dorm. They want me to go out and experience life on my own, " he said.

"Our kids will go away and have a little more time to devote to football. These kids are going to put on 20 pounds, easy, " Look said. "They don't get enough time to rest. The priorities are a little bit different at 'Iolani. There's no do-overs, no mulligans, man."

Without Dela Cruz, 'Iolani has eight other defensive linemen. He is the only one listed at more than 185 pounds. When the ball snaps, there is a design and momentum that is required of all 11 Raiders. It takes precision and discipline when a defense doesn't have a handful of typical 290-pound earth movers. Play after play after play. Someone has to take the brunt of all that brutality between the tackles.

"He is one of the nicest kids you're going to meet and be around, " Look said. "The kind of person he is is a reflection of how he has been raised. He is caring, respectful and compassionate about his teammates. He's found himself and stepped into that leadership role. He's put it on his shoulders to lead the way along with Gaudi, and (quarterback ) Micah (Hoomanawanui ) and the Moriokas (hybrids Bronson and Brayden ). All our seniors like Tristan Martinez, who also came up (to varsity ) when he was a freshman. He has really blossomed.

"This senior group has really grown into their role as being the leaders, taking ownership. And they're fun kids to be around."

Right now, though, the Raiders are running out of patience. The gap since the ILH season ended on Oct. 14 is almost unbearable.

"How long this break has been, at least last year we had some games with the OIA. This break is killing us, " Dela Cruz said. "We're ready to get back on the field already."

HA 'AHEO DELA CRUZ 'Iolani football, 6-3, 218, senior—Top 3 movies /shows 1. "Avatar : The Last Airbender, " 2. "Naruto, " 3. "Criminal Minds." "I like anime and I like detective shows."—Top 3 food /snacks /drinks 1. Sushi (Kuru Kuru, Kahala Mall ), 2. Hawaiian food ('Iolani cafeteria or Helena's ), 3. Poke bowl (Off the Hook, Manoa )—Top 3 homemade foods 1. My dad's pork chops, 2. Mom's shabu-shabu, 3. Mom's ramen—Top 3 music artists 1. 21 Savage ("RIP Luv "), 2. Frank Ocean ("Pink + White "), 3. Fiji ("Call Me ")—Favorite class : Choir (Mr. John Alexander ), sophomore year.

"I'm still in choir now. We have a concert at St. Andrew's Cathedral. And one at 'Iolani."—Favorite teacher : Mr. (Mike ) Among or Mr. (William ) Monaco—Funniest teammate : Kualau Manuel. "He's an instigator."—Smartest teammate : Bronson Morioka, Brayden Morioka. "The twins are smart."—Favorite athlete : Tony Romo. "I like the Cowboys. It's amazing the calls he makes (as a TV analyst ) before they happen."—GPA : 3.0—Time machine : "I would go to the future. Two weeks ahead to see if we made it to the state championship game and see the outcome. That would be interesting."—Hidden talent : "I sing pretty good."—New life skill : "I can dunk a volleyball."—Bucket list : "I want to go to Korea. South Korea. I'm half Korean and I have family there, so I want to go see. My mom said maybe this summer. Or this winter break. I would go with my mom and grandparents."—Youth sports "My first sport was soccer. I quit. I hated soccer. The running. In soccer it's back and forth, back and forth. I started football and baseball when I was 3. I do like baseball. My first tackle football team was Manoa Paniolos when I was 6 or 7. Then I went to Hawaii Kai Dolphins. We moved out to the East side. My dad was the head coach for Manoa Paniolos. I just remember not liking having a helmet on, not liking the feeling of pads on you when you run. At Manoa, I was a wide receiver. Hawaii Kai, I was a linebacker. I liked linebacker better. I can deliver the hit, not be hit."—Shoutouts "Shout out to my family. Shout out to my teammates at 'Iolani."