Kuresa Toledo probably knew football wasn’t going to be a glamour sport for him when he was deemed too big to play Pop Warner as a youngster.
Sure enough, once Toledo began playing as a seventh-grader, grunt worked ensued.
As Hilo High’s nose tackle, Toledo was the player who had to take on two blockers, if not three, and worry about two gaps, before he could think about chasing ball-carriers.
Toledo took on the thankless tasks and earned the glitter and glitz in the process, because nothing is more glamorous than being the heart of a state championship defense and the soul of a Vikings team that accomplished what none on the Big Island had done before it. He’s an award-winner, too.
The stats may lie, but the film doesn’t: The senior is the BIIF Division I Defensive Player of the Year, as selected by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and West Hawaii Today.
“I take pride in our defense overall as a group,” Toledo said. “Everybody works hard. Dedication and commitment. We put in the time, the blood, sweat and tears, so overall I have a lot of pride in our defense.”
It’s almost apropos that Toledo’s season stats weren’t available. He had a handful of sacks, a fumble recovery here and a couple of forced fumbles there, but Toledo’s job as the man in the middle of the Vikings’ three-man front wasn’t necessarily to make tackles.
His assignment was to do the dirty work, so his teammates could make plays.
More than a few times this past season, coach Kaeo Drummondo watched game film and marveled at the way Toledo would eat up blockers, then chase a runner on a screen pass and make a tackle 5 or 6 yards away from the line of scrimmage.
“He freed up our linebackers,” Drummondo said, “and I think the good thing about Kuresa was his high motor, great leverage and quickness for a player his size.”
Senior cornerback Micah Bello came on strong during his first season of high school football and became a key piece in the secondary. But in Drummondo’s eyes, Toledo was the most irreplaceable player on a defense that allowed fewer than 15 points and 175 yards a game as Hilo (11-1) claimed the BIIF’s first state championship.
“You see him transition to rushing the passer to running the ball down and making the tackle, for a nose guard to do that is special,” Drummondo said.
They say the low man wins the battle on the line of scrimmage, and that made Toledo, a starter since his sophomore season, a handful at 5 foot, 9 inches, 280 pounds.
“He never complained,” Drummondo said. “Never asked to be removed to play a position that was one on one.”
“I think if you asked the entire team, to a player they’d say he was the rock of the defense,” he said.
On the way to accounting for 35 touchdowns this season and earning most of the spotlight, Kahale Huddleston took notice of Toledo.
“Great player,” Huddleston said. “Tough and strong, but he has a good heart and he’s humble.”
Toledo wasn’t just a physical rock but a spiritual one as well.
With his teammates kneeling, Toledo was the one who liked to stand and lead the pregame prayer.
“It gives me strength and guarded protection, because Lord Jesus Christ is watching over us,” Toledo said.
He probably learned to be a team player from his home life.
The third of Lukas and Toafa Toledo’s six children, Kuresa makes a big impact on the field and then plays big brother at home for an ohana that is forging a Vikings legacy.
Evalani, 21, was a standout volleyball player and won a BIIF shot put title; Taulelei, 19, plays football at Linfield College; and Leona, 15, won the BIIF discus title as a freshman last season. Siseletotuin, 13, and Pamata, 12, are the youngest two.
“Pretty crowded house, but you have to set a good example for the younger ones,” Kuresa said.
He said he’s still deciding his next step with an eye on going to college, and Drummondo is eager to help him find opportunities to play at the next level. For now, Toledo wants to finish his senior year of high school strong, much like Hilo did in beating Damien 35-19 for the HHSAA Division I title in November.
“I’m thankful for all of our coaches, supporters and the community itself,” Toledo said.
”Don’t give up, never quit,” he said. “If you have a dream, go chase it, anything is possible.”
Toledo would know. He turned grunt work into glamour.
