For some time, the Saint Louis Crusaders have understood the meaning of stout defense.

In the trenches, though, stout wasn’t enough. Depth was a concern, and as enrollment dipped, so did the number of elite defensive linemen climbing the hill to attend the school on Kalaepohaku.

The return of Cal Lee and his staff, including brother Ron, has also meant the development of depth in the trenches. That’s where Tanielu Evaimalo comes in.

At 6 feet 1 and 230 pounds, the senior defensive end isn’t the tallest or biggest lineman on his team, let alone the ILH or state. But Evaimalo’s progress through ups and downs has meant a lot to the Crusaders, who ended a five-year drought by winning the ILH football title two weeks ago. Saint Louis enters the upcoming state tournament with an 8-1 record, seeded second.

“Preseason, we (scrimmaged) Mililani and lost, and that was very emotional for our team. But our guys stepped up and came back the next Monday and we worked and worked and worked,” Evaimalo said. “The seniors this year really stepped up, not only to better ourselves but the underclassmen and the second string. Everybody’s got heart.”

Persevering for the Crusaders has meant the world to Evaimalo, a born-and-bred Makaha Valley keiki who has learned to express himself even though, by nature, he’s kind of shy.

“If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t change anything. Actually, I’d probably try to talk more,” he said. “I’m not really a vocal person.”

The active guy wearing No. 58 has been in the center of almost everything in the box this season. With Evaimalo and his cohorts working the trenches, playmaking linebackers Isaac Slade-Matautia and Jordan Loveni Iosefa have provided staunch run-stopping performances. In this era of aerial thrills and spread formations, championships are still won by controlling the interior.

Coach Cal Lee, a former college linebacker, knew he had a herculean task ahead when he returned to Saint Louis in 2013. Evaimalo has been part of the arms buildup between the hash marks, even if he wasn’t always the most naturally gifted athlete among the front seven.

“He’s worked on his speed and conditioning, and he’s always had that leadership, taking charge of the defense,” Lee said. “He’s a senior captain, just a hard worker, not just during the season, but offseason, as well.”

Evaimalo hears the name, Cal Lee, and there’s only one thing that springs to mind at first.

“Running,” he said. “Saint Louis has this fun thing that we always do, the 220. Summer practice, even today, we do 220s and I hate it so much. But one day, I’m probably going to miss it.”

That extra speed and conditioning has helped Saint Louis’ defense transform from an athletic, sometimes sloppy unit into the same one that permitted offensive juggernaut Punahou to score just 37 points in the final two games of the season.

In his eyes, Evaimalo has deep Makaha roots; his father, Ilai, grew up there and starred at Waianae.

“He played defensive end at Waianae. He had a football dream and he and my mom had me, and he couldn’t continue his dream to go to college,” Evaimalo said. “He had a full ride to UNLV.”

Evaimalo endured the years of 4:25 a.m. bus rides on the #93 Express from Makaha Valley to downtown, transferring for the ride to Waialae Avenue. The post-practice bus rides home with a handful of other Leeward-side Crusaders. In between the long treks, his sanctuary was often the weight room, where position coach Nainoa Campbell supervises.

“They humbled me. Last year and all those years, I was very small and weak. I guess they seen something in me that I really didn’t. They kept faith in me,” Evaimalo said. “That really helped because I was smaller than everybody. I was weaker than everybody. So I would train all day. Those coaches, they saw something in me from the beginning and that really helped.”

Evaimalo leans on his Crusaders when it comes to football, academics and the future. His maturation has been real, especially after he was dismissed from the school as a sophomore. He was accepted back at Saint Louis before his junior year, a much wiser young man for the experience.

“Coach Cal asked me to come back to Saint Louis. I didn’t hesitate. My defensive line coach put in a good word for me and I’m thankful for that,” Evaimalo said of Campbell, who is also a physical education teacher.

“He’s a gamer. When he comes to the weight room, he’s in the zone like he is in a game,” Campbell said. “Whatever the program is for the day, he sets it straight and does exactly what it says. He’s focused. He’s determined. He’s hungry. He’s had a pretty rough upbringing and he’s taken advantage of his opportunity.”

The High School Top 10

Voted on by coaches and media statewide. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, etc.

Top Performers

LINEMAN OF THE WEEK
Deyshon Slade, Radford
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound defensive end had two sacks and another tackle for loss in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over Kaimuki in the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship game at Aloha Stadium on Friday.

BACK OF THE WEEK
Harmon Brown, Kahuku
Brown rushed 29 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns out of the wildcat formation in the Red Raiders’ 20-7 victory over Mililani in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship game.