Stansbury • Their last name is Havili, and yes, they are related to former USC and Cottonwood High player Stanley Havili. But Atu and Allan are trying to leave their own mark on the football field. The only problem is sometimes their best work goes unnoticed.

The Havili brothers anchor Stansbury's stout defensive line, acting as run-stoppers and quarterback hunters. Equipped with a rare combination of speed and power, the duo commands a double team in almost every game. This has allowed Stansbury's heralded linebacking crew to wreak havoc on anything that runs, passes or blocks.

"I think it's a big advantage to play alongside my brother," said 6-foot-3, 290-pound tackle Allan Havili. "Especially up the middle, we're big, strong and quick. It's an honor to play next to my brother, it's the first time ever, and I think we're a big asset to the defensive line."

With Stansbury headed for the 3A quarterfinals to play Desert Hills on Friday, it's clear the Stallions' two biggest defenders are also their most important.

"If one of those kids were to go down, we would definitely feel the effect," Stansbury coach Clint Christiansen said. "You can't replace them; they're too good of football players. We have guys that could fill in, but to say you can replace an Atu or Allan? It would definitely hurt our team."

Stansbury advanced to the second round of the 3A playoffs with a 48-21 win over Juab. The Stallions' defense flexed its muscles with a 29-0 second-half shutout of the Wasps. But things will only get tougher for the Region 11 champions.

"Defensively, we've got a lot more challenges ahead of us," said senior defensive tackle Atu Havili. "Our goal right now is to make it to the championship, but we're still playing each team one at a time."

For the most part, this disciplined Stansbury team has stuck to its one-game-at-a-time philosophy, and it's worked. The team is 9-1 and has won seven straight since a Week 3 loss at Delta.

However, this is the time of season when everybody is looking ahead. For Stansbury, the playoff bracket is favorable.

If the Stallions can beat the Thunder on Friday, they'll be headed to Rice-Eccles Stadium and one step closer to their ultimate goal.

"We want to make it places," Allan Havili said. "We want big things for Stansbury High School. We want to make it to that next level. Hurricane and Juan Diego, they're the top dogs in 3A; it'll be a great opportunity if we get to play them and hopefully we can stick with them."

Of course, the Havili name is also synonymous with one of the most heavily recruited high-school players in state history. Stanley Havili earned all-state honors at Cottonwood High and went on to play fullback at USC from 2006 to 2010. Havili left Southern California as the receptions leader at his position and was drafted in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Eagles.

While Atu and Allan have received plenty of recognition as football players based on their last name alone, Allan said he and his brother are ready to step out of their cousin's shadow.

"You know, Stanley is my cousin but we're not really close," he said. "But everybody hears my last name and [they] always ask if I'm related to him. We try to work as hard as we can, so in the future, when other people hear the last name Havili, it's: 'Oh, do you know Atu and Allan?' "

According to their coach, the Havili brothers are well on their way to doing that. Christiansen said both players are potential Division I prospects and should have a great opportunity to play college football down the road. —

Here come the Havilis

R Atu and Allan Havili are the men in the middle for the Stansbury defensive line. They've combined for 67 tackles this season and command a double team in most games.

The Havilis give Stansbury one of the best rush defenses in 3A. Last week the Stallions limited Juab to a paltry 34 yards rushing on 15 carries.

Here's the beef. Atu is a 6-foot-2, 255-pound senior defensive tackle, while younger brother Allan checks in at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds.