The Red Lake high school football team is used to taking on the likes of Menahga and Lake Park-Audubon, opponents who are familiar faces in the Valley Plains West District.
But over the summer, the Warriors lined up against the Seattle Seahawks.
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鈥淲e got to run a couple of plays against their defense,鈥� senior quarterback Ty Beaulieu said. 鈥淲e just passed.鈥�
A few plays against an NFL team were just a few of the many memories made by the Warriors back in mid-August when they traveled out west to attend a Seahawks practice and visit the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
鈥淭hey had a really good time there,鈥� head coach Nolan Desjarlait said. 鈥淚t was really a good team building, team bonding experience. 鈥hey got a lot closer together.鈥�
Besides a few snaps against a pro team during practice, Red Lake鈥檚 players also received some words of wisdom from the Seahawks, discussing perseverance and the power of brotherhood.
鈥淚t was cool getting to see the professionals,鈥� Desjarlait said. 鈥淭hey kind of touched on how they grew up, what they endured in college, to where they're at now, where they were in the NFL. 鈥� Little steps along the way. But not every football player growing up has a perfect life. Everyone has a struggle.鈥�
A lot has changed for Red Lake football in the past few years, ever since an article by Chip Scoggins at the Star Tribune put the program in the limelight.
The Warriors have a new scoreboard, a new weight room, a new surround sound on the field and they鈥檙e partners with the Adam Thielen Foundation.
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An all-expense paid trip to the Nike Headquarters and a Seattle Seahawks practice seemed too good to believe for some of the players, though.
鈥淎ll summer, I (was) telling the kids, 鈥楬ey, you guys are gonna to Portland,鈥� Desjarlait said. 鈥淣obody believed me. I was like, 鈥楬ere, give this (flyer) to your parent, give this your parents. Nope, nobody believed.鈥�
鈥淚 was confused 鈥� we鈥檙e going to Portland?鈥� tight end Dimitruis Harris said. 鈥淲e never go on a big trip like that out of state as a team.鈥�
The trip came to fruition thanks in large part to a documentary following the 2023 iteration of the team. Nike took note of the short film and reached out to Desjarlait to offer a journey out to Oregon.
For some of the Red Lake players, it was a weekend of firsts.
鈥淚t was a very fun experience for myself as an athletic director and a coach, bringing the kids out for their first time flying, first time being away from home, first time away from their parents for more than two nights,鈥� Desjarlait said. 鈥淚t pretty much kept me on my toes, try to (keep) everything on schedule. And then while I'm keeping everything on schedule, making sure my kids are alright, too, so nobody's eating alone and they're all eating together.鈥�
In addition to the Seahawks practice, the Warriors attended the Nike Kickoff Classic, which featured a high school Ohio, a side from the United Kingdom and a pair of girl鈥檚 flag football teams.
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Red Lake鈥檚 players also received some free Nike gear, including a pair of custom shoes.
Though the Warriors grew closer on that trip, brotherhood isn鈥檛 a new feature of Red Lake football.
鈥淥ur bond is big right now,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a lot of people calling us trash or whatever, but we just stick together and try to prove people wrong. 鈥� It gets us fired up a lot.鈥�
Red Lake may not break its losing streak this year, but they鈥檝e entered this season with the same 鈥淲arrior鈥� outlook that鈥檚 made the program such a national darling.
鈥淭hey keep coming no matter what the scoreboard reflects,鈥� Desjarlait said. 鈥淭hey want to be the Warriors, you never quit on your own people. You never give up. You know, that's the same way they are. You grow this bond, a brotherhood, watch each other's backs.鈥�
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