At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Toailoa is a running back and outside linebacker on the gridiron and a frontcourter/backcourter in the gym, depending on where he is needed.
About the latter, he has no hesitation in answering a query regarding his top hoops assets -- "My best skill is defense. I've been working on defending ever since I started playing. But I'm also developing my driving to the basket, shooting and scoring."
With Salesian, he is asked to play a heavy of sorts. "I actually play the post or power forward, wherever they need me. I'm a team player, doing whatever is best for us to win."
Salesian Coach Bill Mellis offered, "Galuega is a very versatile player for us, as he can play the perimeter or the post. He is quick enough to play defense at his natural guard/forward position, but he is strong enough to guard a post player, which is something we asked him to do for us last year.Off the court, Galuega is a very popular person. He gets along with everyone and his teachers all like him a lot. His parents have done a great job of developing an all-around respectful young man."
Mellis finished with, "He is in good hands this summer with the West Valley Basketball Club. We have had players in the past who have had good success with that program and we know that Coach Bramlett and Coach Grigsby do an excellent job of developing their players."
Toailoa's participation with WVBC has him positioned at the point and shooting guard positions. Toailoa modestly offers, "I'm beginning to be successful [as a backcourter]." He was a latecomer of sorts to hoops -- "I picked it up late, starting in the sixth grade. He understand that he would be a point at the next level due to his height.
Here is WVBC Founder and Coach Bob Bramlett: "'You can coach kids to be tougher, but you can not necessarily make them “tough' or as Bill Parcells said, 'if they didn’t bite when they were puppies, then they won’t bite as dogs' G bites for sure. He is naturally tough, thrives on contact and forces his opponent to man up. His upside is huge, depending on his attention to the details of the game. Being a two-sport star is not an impediment at all to his development because he works at it March 1st to March 1st."
However, Toailoa is also still working out with the Salesian football team with the current goals of "getting stronger and leading." As he put it, "football is a part of my life. My Dad played in college and my brother in high school." His cousin is former Salesian lineman Freddie Tagaloa, who was at California but has now transferred to Arizona and Toailoa cites all three as influences. A running back and outside linebacker, he averaged two sacks a game defensively and racked up six sacks in the championship semi-final contest.
There was also a third sport for a while.
"I played baseball up until last year and I think I was pretty good at it," he recalled. His activity on the diamond began way back when as a kindergartner.
Toailoa is on target academically but it took some adjustment. "I struggled at the beginning of my freshman year when I moved from a public school to Salesian. But I get a lot more one-on-one with teachers now and they seem to really care for you."
Although just a junior-to-be, Toailoa has seemingly zeroed in on a college major. "It will be graphic design because drawing is a big hobby of mine."
With recruiting, "I want to go out of state. That gives more time to focus on academics and sports and it would help me grow up faster."
Regarding the prospects for his Salesian athletic participation next season, "we'll definitely a strong team in basketball even though we have Jonathan Galloway and one other player leaving." Sharpshooting Bernard Ward will be a senior and Nakota Sherard-Creer a junior for the Pride. In football, "we won the NCS and pretty much have the whole team back so we should be pretty good."
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