Damien’s Sylas Alaimalo is a grade A running back

Seven touchdowns against a nine-time state-championship program was a good night’s work for Damien junior Sylas Alaimalo.

A 69-35 win over ‘Iolani on Saturday moved the Monarchs (6-3, 4-1) into a first-place tie with the perennial ILH Division I champions. With one game left in the regular season, they could meet one more time for the league title. For now, Alaimalo’s 225 total yards and seven TDs — six on the ground and one by air — are the stuff of legend.

‘Iolani coach Wendell Look has seen plenty of RB talent within the stables of his program and that of Damien over the years.

“Sylas is very elusive. He’s tough. You can run him 30 times a game and he’s going to be there. I like him,” Look said. “All good runners have that capability of making people miss. He knows how to position his body and use leverage, and make people miss, and that is hard to find.”

The sheer endurance and production put Alaimalo in rare company.

“I know Kama Bailey, Kealoha Pilares, Ranson DeCosta, all those great running backs around my time,” Damien coach Anthony “Bonez” Tuitele said. “Each individual is different. That’s where Sylas is different. As far as how they carry themselves, he’s bringing that legacy back.”

Alaimalo spent time at linebacker during his first two years, but has exclusively focused on running the ball as a 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior. He has trained with Pilares, the Damien scholar-athlete who loved calculus and played for Hawaii and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

“Honestly, it’s just an honor to be compared to him. He’s a Damien legend,” Alaimalo said. “He’s like an inspiration for me.”

Behind every young man or woman with a 4.0 grade-point average, there is a stickler. A mom or dad who won’t accept mediocrity. A parent who demands excellence.

“Dad was the good cop and I was always the bad cop,” said Mavis Alaimalo, Sylas’ mother. “The disciplinarian.”

“Without her, my GPA honestly would probably be a little bit lower,” said Sylas Alaimalo, who has a scholarship offer from Hawaii. “That’s why I’m thankful to her for applying this pressure on me, so I’m prepared when I go to the next level. Just prepare for life. That’s her way of showing her love for me.”

While mom plays her role to a tee, the good cop was expertly portrayed by Ernest Alaimalo. Sylas was 9 when his father died. Stage 4 lung cancer left him with two weeks to live. He survived for 15 months before his time came.

“Sy and his dad were really close. Football was a thing that bonded them together,” Mavis Alaimalo said. “Even though he was 9, we involved him and (brother) Saunders with the whole process of cancer. We told them everything. They were very conscientious. Appointments, lab results, they were all part of it.”

Ernest Alaimalo had 13 siblings. He and two siblings have died of cancer.

“He was never a smoker, but he came from a family of 14 kids and his parents both smoked. There’s a lot of second-hand smoke,” Mavis Alaimalo said.

His parents were among a generation of smokers, living in an era when there were no health warnings on cigarette boxes. Cigarette TV commercials and print advertising were legal.

“When he was diagnosed, there was almost no time to be shocked. The doctor said he had two weeks. It had spread into every organ. His brain, his bones, lymph nodes. We did treatments, did whatever they told us. Clinical trials,” Mavis Alaimalo said. “Our faith is what anchored us. We had to make choices. We’re both scientists, but God is the eternal physician. He turned two weeks into 15 months.”

Ernest Alaimalo grew up in a military family, often on the move. He made a life after starring as a linebacker at Fa‘asao Marist High School in American Samoa. He went to college and medical school and became a psychiatrist.

Mavis Maiava grew up in Kuhio Park Terrace, went to college and became a psychologist. Growing up with a psychologist and a psychiatrist as parents, Sylas and older brother Saunders always found themselves more than willing to study hard. Sylas Alaimalo’s legacy is rooted in his parents. The joy in Ernest Alaimalo’s life still flickers brightly.

“He was a very caring, loving person, and always had an understanding attitude when it came to me and my brother, so he was the person I could turn to,” Sylas Alaimalo said. “He was still strict, but always had this sense of gentleness that he always carried with himself.”

Ernest is gone physically, but his spirit lives on. Alaimalo runs the ball with conviction every chance he gets. On toss sweeps, he’ll get wide early but still wait for his pulling blockers to arrive, maximizing every crevice. His burst up the A gap is matched by few. Gang-tackling is a must against Damien, and he still moves the scrum regularly thanks to constant work in the weight room. Alaimalo’s max on the squat rack is 425 pounds, with a bench max of 245.

He grew up in Pearl City, playing football since he was 3. He played for the All Blacks Crusaders with a litany of talented playmakers like current Saint Louis standout Titan Lacaden.

“All the coaches there helped me grow and develop at a young age. I feel like I became more developed and had a higher IQ. They helped me prepare for the next level.”

Coach Tuitele first saw Alaimalo during middle school P.E. class.

“Once I saw him play, I thought, where did this kid come from? The way he was moving. I asked the rest of the kids. They said he’s an ABC (All Blacks Crusaders) kid. I thought, oh, that’s kind of strange that he’s here,” Tuitele said.

Saunders Alaimalo graduated from Damien and is now a student at UNLV. The brothers each had options to attend several other private schools.

“We did apply to all those schools. Both my boys got accepted,” Mavis Alaimalo said.

Damien, she noted, offered significant financial aid.

“With me being a single parent, they have given us so much,” she said.

Sylas has kept a 4.0 GPA or better since third grade.

“If you want to succeed, this is what it’s going to take. We’re not going to spare the rod,” Mavis Alaimalo said. “Both boys have thrived. I don’t think Sylas has ever had a C until this year. He’s always been in the honors program. He loves football but also knows school is the key to it. He knows if your grades drop, mommy has no problem benching you.”

Alaimalo got his C back up to a B.

“He’s got a tough schedule. He’s at practice until 7 o’clock. Sometimes he’s up until 1 (in the morning) studying,” she said.

In the vocabulary of tough love, what Mavis Alaimalo just said is that she really respects — and loves — her son.

In classic tough-loving mom fashion, the son doesn’t shout his mother out given the chance. It’s not due to a lack of love, but more because they spend so much time joined at the hip. Up at 5 a.m. every Sunday, Mavis, Saunders and Sylas would be at Our Lady of Good Counsel well before the 6:30 a.m. Mass.

With Saunders away, two of Mavis’ cousins join in to play piano.

“I can kind of sing a little bit. I was raised in the choir. I’ve been singing since I was born,” Sylas Alaimalo said.

That background and talent gave him the confidence to join choir ministry at school. Coach Tuitele urged his players to join at least one club. Once Alaimalo was in choir ministry, the flood began.

“From there, he started to recruit,” Tuitele recalled. “I started laughing. He said, ‘Hey, Coach, you said to join a club, so I got some boys in choir ministry.’

For most, it did require traveling out of their comfort zone.

“At the beginning, it was kind of awkward, but now I’m getting used to it,” junior wide receiver Kaysen Dulay-Gorai said. “I’m starting to really enjoy it. Singing with my teammates and bonding is really fun.”

Fourteen teammates have since joined up. Quarterback AJ Tuifua enjoys the process on and off the gridiron.

“In the beginning, I was small-kind scared because I didn’t want to mess up and look out of place. It also feels good to sing with other people in school,” the sophomore said. “Choir is fun to me because you can share the joy with your school in an amazing way. Everyone in the room has a role, and if the group comes together, then they’re going to sound amazing.”

Junior offensive lineman Chaseton Amaral likes seeing his teammates in a civilian setting.

“What makes choir fun for me is just being around my teammates and doing something fun with them besides just playing ball,” he said.

In the end, the choir boys do their best.

“I usually don’t sing, but together as a group, we sound awesome,” sophomore defensive lineman Shason Tomisa said. “Although we mess up here and there, it just makes us more better and gets our laughs out.”

Dayton Savea, who set a single-game school record for receiving yardage in the first game against ‘Iolani, wasn’t surprised by his teammates’ courage.

“When more football guys joined choir and sang songs they didn’t know, it sounded off and made everyone laugh,” he said. “I feel like no one gets nervous. In football and choir, you need every single person to do their job. If they do their job right, everything goes good.”

Alaimalo’s low-key approach is highly effective.

“It’s good to see him being a leader off the field. It’s a good team thing and hopefully plays a role in the school knowing we’re more than football players,” Tuitele said.

Tuitele has shared his story with his team, being 16 and losing his father, Tony. He and his brother, intermediate assistant coach Nephi Tuitele, were in similar circumstances as the Alaimalo ohana. The Tuitele brothers graduated from Damien, and along with sister Sanoe, the three siblings all went to college.

“Everyone understands Sylas’ family background and his mom, how strict she is. Everyone understands who Sylas is. That’s why he doesn’t have to say too much,” Tuitele said. “Off the field, he doesn’t want to be treated as ‘the man.’ When it’s not football time, he wants to be treated as just a kid. It’s good to see him that way.”

“When I was his age, I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me, so I didn’t speak up about my position. He was the same way.”

When Tuitele asked, ‘Why do you play this game?,’ Alaimalo shared his story with his team.

“My brother and I have told our story, but everyone is creating his own story, not just a football or school story, but a life story. There’s somebody out there or on your team who may be going through the same exact thing. Now you can confide in each other. Build those relationships with each other, to help get through these trials and tribulations, to help with grieving times they’ll have in life,” Tuitele said. “To me, you’re not my football player. You’re Sylas Alaimalo, a young man.”

Sylas Alaimalo’s favorites

Damien football, track and field • Junior • 5 feet 11 • 180 pounds

>> Top 3 movies/shows

1. “One Piece” 2. “Naruto” 3. “Bleach”

>> Top 3 food/snacks/drinks

1. Munchie Meal, Jack in the Box 2. Big Mac, McDonald’s 3. Cheese quesadilla, Taco Bell

>> Top 3 homemade foods

1. Grandma’s Hamburger Helper (the cheesy one) 2. Grandma’s breakfast omelettes 3. Grandma’s pancake balls (panikeke). “My grandma (Nalo Lilomaiava) lives with us. She just loves to cook.”

>> Top 3 music artists (and your favorite song by each)

1. Kendrick Lamar – “All Right” 2. Morgan Wallen – “Silverado for Sale” 3. Meek Mill – “Dreams and Nightmares”

>> Favorite class: Science class, seventh grade (Mr. Ross Murakami). “It was just a mixture of learning and fun, especially since I had all my friends in there.”

>> Favorite teacher: Coach Bonez (Anthony Tuitele), physical education

>> Favorite athlete: Le’Veon Bell. “I really try to replicate my craft and imitate his style of running. I really like the patience he has.”

>> Favorite team: Pittsburgh Steelers

>> Funniest teammate: Kaysen Dulay-Gorai. “He just makes the environment a lot more bright and happy.”

>> Smartest teammate: Harlen Ujano-Bayudan. “He’s our right tackle. His academics is off the chart. His math class is two levels above his own grade.”

>> GPA: 4.0

>> Time machine: “I would definitely go back and spend time with my dad. All the lessons he taught me, just to be able to experience that again. He had lung cancer. At first, I just said since I was young, it didn’t really process like now. As I got older I can sense the loss and that presence that’s missing from my life.”

>> Hidden talent: “I can kind of sing a little bit. I do sing the 6:30 a.m. Mass at my parish. I’m up around 5 a.m. I was raised into the choir. I’ve been singing since I was born. My mom (Mavis) was in the choir. It’s just me, her and my aunties. Auntie Malia (Bernard) and Auntie Ake (Lualua). They both play piano.”

>> New life skill: Driving. “I have a driver’s permit.”

>> Bucket list: “I want to go to a Steelers game. And travel the world with my family.”

>> If you could go back in time, what would you tell you younger self? “Keep going, keep doing what you’re doing. Have confidence and pursue your dreams.”

>> Favorite scripture: Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” “God is definitely a foundation in my life. I truly believe with God all things are possible.”