Reupena Fitisemanu is a welcomed addition to a Kahuku team looking to reclaim an identity of toughness after an up-and-down 6-5 season last year. Evan Asato | SL

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Evan Asato | SL

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This summer has undoubtedly been a period of transition for the Kahuku football team. Everywhere one looks, there seems to be a new face these days. The tough task for coach Lee Leslie — himself recently coming over from Idaho — is to galvanize the old and the new under the Red Raider banner.

By Leslie's count, there's no less than 10 transfers from near and far, including several from the mainland, but many grew up within the Kahuku community before leaving for various schools.

"We've got about seven seniors back and it's been kind of a neat summer to see the kids come home," Leslie said. "I think maybe we're a breath of fresh air right now and I think the kids are excited — I know they are, because I can see it in their eyes."

Among those "returning home" are Reupena Fitisemanu, who played for state-champion Punahou in 2013.

"I grew up here playing little league football all the way up to about sixth grade, then seventh grade I got into Punahou and that's when I made the move down there," said Fitisemanu, a bruising fullback/linebacker. "We've all been meshing great. Even though we all come from different places, everyone has the respect that we have for Kahuku football and we hold our pride high for this school and this team."

Fitisemanu is a welcomed addition to a team looking to reclaim an identity of toughness after an up-and-down 6-5 season last year.

"We played with (Fitisemanu) before in big boys — It was me, him and Tuli (Wily-Matagi)," senior defensive end/fullback Salanoa-Alo Wily said. "We were always together. We're really happy to have him back. We always knew him as the hard-hitting middle linebacker, so when he came here I was excited. I knew he was going to be able to raise the level of play and be a leader on defense."

Others who returned to Kahuku are Alohi Gilman and Malcolm Macatiag — both of whom came from Orem High in Utah — as well as Drew Williams, Sonny Meredith and Jacob Afalava, who played at another Utah-power, Bingham, last year.

"Lots of new faces, but people we know, kids that we grew up with, so it's been really good for us," said Wily-Matagi, a senior quarterback.

The migration hasn't been exclusive to players. Leslie hired former Kaiser defensive coordinator Sola Soliai to the same position.

"I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be," said Soliai, a 2002 Kahuku alum who also coached at Kaimuki under for Red Raider assistant Darren Johnson. "This community, this school, this team is family-oriented, so it's easy to fit in and everybody is just friendly and everybody just wants to work hard and get better, so it's easy to fit in."

Perhaps, as Wily-Matagi put it, the team has simply followed the lead of their new coach.

"We just embraced it," Wily-Matagi said of the changes. "Coach Lee was willing to leave everything behind at home, come out here and coach us and make us a better team."

2014 Kahuku football schedule
Aug. 8 — vs. Campbell
Aug. 15 — vs. Kapolei
Aug. 22 — vs. Waipahu
Aug. 29 — vs. McKinley (at Roosevelt)
Sept. 12 — at Castle
Sept. 19 — at Kaiser
Sept. 26 — vs. Leilehua (homecoming)
Oct. 4 — vs. Waianae (at Aloha Stadium)