DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Nine of the 12 Saint Louis basketball players played on the football team. Five players were all-state selections in football: Timo Paepule, B.J. Batts, Wilson Afoa, Jonah Lakatani and Jason Rivers.

Crusaders’ cross trainers
having a ball

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By Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.com

Finely tuned athletes playing with finesse and power easily describes the Saint Louis School football team, but it also sums up the Crusaders' basketball squad.

Especially this year. That's partly because 10 of the players from Saint Louis' 2002 state championship football team are suiting up for the hoops team, which, at 6-2, is trying to shake things up in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.

The Crusaders took defending league champion Iolani to overtime earlier this season, but their title hopes suffered a blow in an upset to Damien last week.

Only three players -- Doug Adachi, Ryan Brilhante and Michael Perry --- didn't play football in the fall.

Even Delbert Tengan is part of the two-sport mix as the head coach of both programs.

"There's a great misconception out there," Tengan said. "People think that our kids are football players trying to play basketball. But those people are selling our kids short. We've got multi-sport athletes and I think that's great. There's not enough multi-sport athletes in the world these days. A lot of kids are specializing and playing one sport all year 'round and I think they're missing out on a lot.

"I think of our guys as basketball players who can also play football."

Jason Rivers, an elusive receiver in the fall, becomes a smooth-gliding swingman with a soft touch and keen leaping ability in the winter. Wilson Afoa, a he-man sackmaster at defensive end turns into a solid board-crashing rock at the heart of the Crusaders' defense.

Speedy, juking running back B.J. Batts becomes a tenacious ball-hawker and 3-point sharpshooter off the bench, while Jonah Lakatani and Kaeo Monteilh make the change from defensive back to starting guard.

In addition, front-court players Desmond Hanohano (wide receiver), Timo Paepule (linebacker/defensive back), Tavita Thompson (defensive end) and Brandon Va'a (linebacker) and guard Matt Sonoda (wide receiver) also make the gridiron-to-hardcourt transitions.

"Whether it's football or basketball, I'm a bad loser," said Rivers, who orally accepted a scholarship to play football at Hawaii last week. "I'm going to try my damnedest to prevent losing.

"I think quickness is my biggest strength in both sports. That's because around here I'm considered tall (6-foot-2) and people don't think I'm quick. In football, they'll try to tackle me and every now and then they can't touch me. And in basketball, sometimes I'll come out of nowhere to smack the ball out of the air and my opponent will be wondering where I came from."

Afoa just can't get defense out of his head.

"In football, I love just getting to the quarterback," the 6-foot-3, 260-pound Afoa said. "In basketball, I like taking charges (when opponents drive) and making sure we're doing all right as a team on defense."

Afoa missed out on some valuable football years as a youth because he was heavier than the Pop Warner weight limit. But the Star-Bulletin's defensive player of the year caught up fast and orally committed to play football for Washington earlier this week. Afoa didn't play organized basketball until his sophomore year.

Paepule has played organized basketball since he was 8, but he likes football better.

"You can get mad and you get to hit people in football," Paepule said. "Football is basically life itself. The training is difficult and you learn from the hard work. You learn that teamwork can get you far. But basketball is fun, too. I like to run around and stay in shape."

The Crusaders (6-2) play a rematch against Iolani (8-0) on Feb. 6 at McCabe Gym, and Rivers, Afoa and Tengan agree that the team must tighten up defensively to have a chance. But whatever the outcome, expect Saint Louis to play with finesse and power.

"I coach them in two sports, so they have to put up with me for nine months of the year and they deserve a lot of credit just for that," Tengan said.

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