‘Iolani senior Taliauli has gotten comfortable in his new role, home

The first thing Taniela Taliauli won’t say has nothing to do with basketball or football.

The young man can sing. It never occurs to him that it is a talent. Maybe a hidden talent of sorts. His is a voice that can connect a soul to the Holy Spirit. He just doesn’t quite grasp it yet.

“He’s a three-year choir singer. He has solos. His teacher’s reviews on his report card, ‘This kid needs to pursue something with music.’ That’s from his dad’s side,’” said Kanoe Huihui, his mother. “His older brothers (Paea and Polani) play music and sing, too.”

For those who haven’t had the chance to hear Nela’s pipes, there’s plenty to see in his two sports. He played a key role in his newly converted role as a hybrid defender as ‘Iolani rallied for a wild 63-56 win over Damien recently. Taliauli had a fourth-quarter interception to help seal the deal. The Raiders are 4-1 overall and 3-0 in ILH Division I/II play.

“Damien is a well-coached team. It’s always a very good game with two well-coached teams,” Taliauli said. “We were down 21-0. It took faith. We didn’t really start believing until we got together, said a prayer and just believed. As long as we put our minds to it, we can dig ourselves out of any hole we’re in.”

Damien coach Anthony “Bonez” Tuitele has some stellar leaders, including Sylas Alaimalo, who have a similar spirit.

“Nela doesn’t look like someone who only played (football) three years. The way he attacks the game and what kind of kid he is off the field, he kind of reminds me of Sylas. Either of them easily could have transferred out. They bring different type of skill sets, but their leadership roles, their tenacity and what you expect from a kid to bring to your program, just excellent,” Tuitele said. “Nela switching to defense, he looks good. He brings a different energy to the defense knowing they lost a lot of kids (to graduation) on that side. Putting your best player on defense, him and (Zion) Junk, those two are carrying the unit.”

Now a 6-foot, 195-pound two-sport standout, Taliauli came to Oahu during middle school at the same time with childhood friend and teammate JJ Mandaquit. It was a big move from Pahoa on the Big Island to Honolulu.

“I was coached by JJ’s dad (Jason Mandaquit). Then when they moved up here, they were kind enough to ask if I wanted to live with them. It was a hard decision. I didn’t want to leave at first, but when I came up here it was worth it.”

He attended Kaimuki Middle School before transferring to ‘Iolani.

“Not only did I get to build new relationships, I got to experience a life people wish they had the opportunity for. My mom was happy for me,” he said.

It was sophomore year when Taliauli tried football for the first time. He quickly became a go-to target in the red zone. While returning wide receivers Kai Preusser, Tristan Martinez and Kaeo Miyahira drew attention, Taliauli caught seven touchdown passes in 10 games. One-third of his 21 hauls were in the end zone as ‘Iolani went a perfect 11-0 to win the Division I state championship.

As a junior, he caught 43 passes for 764 yards and 12 TDs. Coaches and media voted him to the Star-Advertiser All-State second team.

The past 10 months have been a different kind of journey for the dynamic senior. He tweaked a knee during the ‘Iolani Classic and sat out the rest of basketball season. The Raiders missed their versatile, powerful combo guard as he sat with a sprained MCL. He recovered in time to run sprints — the 100-, 200- and 4×400-meter events — for ‘Iolani’s track and field squad in the spring.

“It wasn’t hurt that bad and I knew if I kept praying to God, He would heal me. I would go to the ‘Iolani trainers every other day,” he said.

This fall, Taliauli is back to full strength on the football field with a new mission: defense.

“It was a decision that was made because we needed him on defense. We didn’t have that Kyler Mento or (Lanakila) Pei or (Jacob) Gaudi or Sterling (Sakashita). We needed to fill that spot,” ‘Iolani coach Wendell Look said. “He was the unanimous choice. He’s so instinctive.”

Defensive coordinator Delbert Tengan’s system of multi-faceted hybrid defenders plays to the strengths of ‘Iolani’s personnel. Taliauli’s role is defined, but the unpredictability of the system requires team discipline.

“In Del’s system, everybody’s got to do their jobs, all 11 guys,” Look said. “You get to your spot, then you play. That’s the toughest thing for Nela to learn, for everyone. Everyone is a fit and all 11 guys have to fit for our defense. That’s the beauty of it.”

It is a mantra that is at the core of ‘Iolani’s success. “One Team” is a generational core value, but there’s a bonus motto that is locked in Taliauli’s memory bank.

“Coach Del always says, ‘Do your job!’ I love Coach Del. He doesn’t talk unless he has to. You’re getting yelled at or he’s praising you for making the right play. He’s soft-spoken, but if you’re not doing something, he’ll let you know,” he said. “I definitely miss playing offense, but I love defense. I took it as an opportunity to help my team. I got to learn something new.”

The RaIders often sit down for film study, and the footage goes back in time.

“With Sterling, Gaudi, Lanakila, you can’t compare yourself to them. They’re on a different level,” Taliauli said. “We watch their film all the time. The Morioka twins (Bronson and Brayden). Asher Matsui. There’s nothing that you can’t learn from watching it. It’s about angles, knowing when you’ve got to shoot the gap or not. Anticipation. You can’t be too jumpy.”

Taliauli spent more time studying Sakashita than any other Raider.

“It’s interesting he mentioned Sterling,” Look said. “When he was back this summer, we mentioned moving Nela to defense. Sterling said how he learned was by watching all the film of Kyler Mento playing. I told Nela that, so he’s been watching Sterling. They’re prime examples of playing with intellect.”

Taliauli’s personality has a universal effect.

“He’s one of the more vocal ones we’ve had lately. He backs it up by his play. He’s grown into that leadership role. He brings a lot of energy, and the other guys kind of feed off that,” Look noted. “He’s been very positive with the young guys. He’s taken a lot of the burden on himself. The young guys are looking at him to show how it’s done. I’m very pleased with how he’s grown and matured into being a positive leader.”

Though he doesn’t have the four, five or even six years learning the craft of ‘Iolani’s specialized defense, Taliauli’s athleticism, discipline and fire should translate well to the next level.

“He’s a Division I (college) player. I don’t know why more schools, especially UH, haven’t taken a good look at him,” Look said. “He can be an impact kind of guy. I think after they start looking at his defensive film, he can be an impact player.”

Taliauli, for all his natural talent and work ethic in sports, realizes he has work to do. He’s carrying a 3.0 grade-point average so far this fall.

“He’s doing what he needs to do to get his academics in line, working extra hard,” Look said. “The teachers are behind him 100 percent and working with him. He’s realized he has to put as much effort into academics (as he does) into his athletics. At ‘Iolani, we don’t waver, so he’s doing it. He’s taking care.”

Care is what connected Taliauli and Mandaquit to ‘Iolani. Taliauli and Mandaquit’s family stayed with Adam and Chelsie Wong, whose son, Aidan, was a teammate of Mandaquit’s in club basketball. Adam, a former All-State hoopster at ‘Iolani, hit it off well with Jason Mandaquit, the former All-State point guard at Hilo.

Before Taliauli’s sophomore year, the Mandaquits uprooted and moved to Utah, where JJ and sister Jaety Mandaquit are playing for Utah Prep Academy (formerly RSL). JJ Mandaquit played for the U17 national team in the summer.

“I knew if was for their best. I wasn’t surprised,” Taliauli said. “The growth that JJ and his sister had in the two years I lived with them was crazy. We moved from the Big Island to here, made a big adjustment. They balled out and it was time to move on to bigger things. I was a little sad they were leaving, but it was for the better.”

The Wong ohana assured Nela and his mother that their doors would always remain wide open. Taliauli also spends time with Kam Monaco, a teacher, and is close with his son, Makai.

“Weekends, I stay there, too,” Taliauli said. “I cook the bacon and eggs and Spam sometimes.”

The extended family are like blood relatives now.

“Adam is like the in-charge uncle. Kam is not lenient with the kids, but he’s a lot softer, so I think that’s why Nela gravitates to him,” Kanoe Huihui said. “Makai is his best friend. Makai and myself share the same birthday.”

There was a moment during the offseason when Taliauli was rumored to be considering a move to Kahuku. He remains friends with some of the football players for the nationally ranked program. He chose to finish his mission with the school that first believed in him.

“It was a thought, but I love where I’m at,” he said.

Taliauli went to summer football camps, including one at San Jose State, and made the conversion from offense to defense. Eyes are on him as a key defensive player right where he is.

“I want to go to San Jose State. They have a great coaching staff. I like the school and there’s nice facilities,” he said. “I’m also talking to UH right now.”

Building a strong resume is key to Taliauli’s future. The eye test is an unequivocal thumbs up.

“You can tell he’s going to be a great defensive player at the next level. He’s a quick learner,” Tuitele added. “If he can grasp what ‘Iolani does on defense, he can grasp anything on the next level.”

The relationship between mother and son is similar to those between parents and children who move away for college, or live in a dorm during high school.

“Taniela, which translates to Daniel — his father (John) and I got that name because of his grandfather (Taniela), who is a minister. Nela lives up to that name. Daniel was left in the lion’s den and the lions didn’t touch him,” Huihui said. “In our parent-to-child relationship, he’s very baby, very needy, but with everyone else, he’ll dive into the fire to save people. He’s not afraid. He doesn’t fear anything. That kind of surprises me, but his name says who he is.”

When the time came to let go, Huihui couldn’t turn down the opportunity for her son.

“This little kid from a little town on the Big Island being offered what they offered him, without these relationships, I don’t think he would want to leave,” Huihui said. “He moved when he was 13, so he’s kind of been on his own for almost five years. Summer time is filled with athletic stuff, so he hardly comes home. I come over to Oahu a lot to watch his games. The thing about Nela is if he’s interested in something, he will give 1,000%. He’ll morph into whatever shell or skin. He’s OK with being whatever he’s asked to be. I think he and Coach Look, Nela has such passion that they have a great connection and bond.”

Back home in Pahoa, there are four younger siblings.

The two youngest often remind Huihui of Nela.

“His little sister, Honey (Briella), who is 6, is the female version of Nela. She goes from one thing to another. She bounces off the walls. She has all the energy and life, and you wonder where it came from,” Huihui said. “His little brother Ocean is 4. He’s a lot more calm. He kind of looks like Nela did when he was little. He can’t say Nela, so he says Lela. So I call him Lela.”

Taliauli downplays the times he has been homesick, especially when it comes to his youngest siblings.

“I miss my family. My two younger brothers and two younger sisters. I don’t know if they miss me. I love them a lot,” he said. “They miss me to a minimum.”

“Thank goodness for FaceTime,” Huihui added.

“Sometimes, I bring them to Oahu so they can see him. I miss Nela a lot. He is very different with me. The soft side, the naggy side, the needy side, so I miss that. As he’s getting closer to his 18th birthday, he’s more affectionate. He will hug me more, whereas at the beginning of high school it was just, ‘Hi, mom.’”

The clock is ticking as senior year unwinds.

“He’s so close with his counselor (Kory Kado-Fukuda). Nela’s really close with Doc (former ‘Iolani basketball coach Mark Mugiishi, now chair of the school’s Board of Governors). There’s just so many who would advocate for him, the encouragement and strong relationships,” Huihui said. “Feeling at home.”

One of Taliauli’s favorite foods is Chelsie Wong’s beef stew. Have Taliauli and Aidan Wong learned to make the dish?

“No,” Adam Wong said. “But they’re really good at eating it.”

The Hall of Honor inductee and unofficial hanai uncle knows the year will go by quickly.

“We feel lucky to have Nela as a part of our family. We’re thankful to his mom, Kanoe, for raising such a great kid. He has a magnetic personality, is always upbeat and positive, and cares deeply about the people around him,” Wong said. “I’ll miss diving with him, playing music with him, just sitting around and talking story with him. He really just makes everyone around him feel special, and we will miss that.”

Nela Taliauli favorites

‘Iolani football/basketball • Senior • 6-0, 195

>> Did you know: His cousin Keanu Huihui of Kamehameha-Hawaii is a Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball All-State Fab 15 selection.

>> Top 3 movies/shows 1. “Walking Dead” — “I’m so sad they’re not making any more.” 2. “Outer Banks” 3.. “Ride Along”

>> Top 3 food/snacks/drinks 1. Chicken katsu, Kim Chee II (Kaimuki) 2 Steak (medium rare) 3. Loco moco, Rainbow Drive-In (Kapahulu)

>> Top 3 homemade foods 1. Smoked meat, Big Island. “My uncle Charles (Huihui) hunts (pigs). I go hunting when I’m on the Big Island. I just stab them with the knife. We got dogs. It’s on the Puna side.” 2. Beef stew. “My auntie (Chelsie Wong) makes it every two weeks. It’s in the rotation.” 3. Korean chicken. “My uncle (Kam Monaco) makes it whenever we want it. Every week. It’s better than Zippy’s.”

>> Top 3 music artists (and your favorite song by each) 1. Morgan Wallen – “Last Night” 2. Fiji – “Lonely Days” 3. Tupac – “Thugz Mansion” Honorable mention: Spawnbreezie – “Why”

>> Favorite class: P.E., Mr. (Reid) Sagawa

>> Favorite teacher: Mr. (Eric) Yamamoto. “He’s like my mentor since freshman year.”

>> Favorite athlete: LeBron James. “If I ever met him, I’d say thank you.”

>> Funniest teammate: Zion Junk. “He’s always giggling. He’s the life of the party.”

>> Smartest teammate: Sterling Sakashita. “That goes back two years. He’s at a whole ’nother level when it comes to IQ. He just knows the game of football so well.”

>> GPA: “I have a 3.0 this quarter.”

>> Time machine: “I would travel to the 2000s. I would take notes of how my mom raised all of us. Today (Sunday) is her birthday. She’s 37. It had to have been tough, that’s why I want to see. She had myself and my two brothers three years in a row. She had us at 16, 17 and 18. When I go Big Island I see my dad. They’re not in a relationship, but I still see them.”

>> Hidden talent: Singing. “I’m decent at singing. Country or local songs.”

>> New life skill: Time management

>> Bucket list: “I want to go to Tonga. That’s where my grandpa (Sione Taliauli) grew up and I want to see how it is over there. He lives on Oahu. He’s in his mid-60s. He’s really involved in the church, but he tries to come out to my games.”

>> Youth sports: Basketball, fifth grade; soccer, seventh grade. “I started playing football sophomore year. My uncle, Adam Wong, wanted me to at least try football. It was a great decision.”

>> If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self? “Where do you see yourself in five years. I was on the Big Island, from the rough of time, going to school in Pahoa. I didn’t know where I would be. I knew I would be playing basketball somewhere.”

>> Shoutouts: “Shout out to my mom and my caretakers here, Adam and Chelsie Wong, and Kam Monaco.”