The clock ticked down on the final game for
Red Lake (Minn.) against
Red Lake County Central/Red Lake Falls (Oklee) on Tuesday and it ended just as the previous 149 games had ended – with a loss for the Warriors. Yet you won’t find members of the football team hanging their heads.
Losing is something that the Red Lake football team is not unfamiliar with. The team has not won a game since Oct. 16, 1999 when it defeated
Ulen-Hitterdal (Ulen) 52-46 in the penultimate game of the season. Based on research of the MaxPreps database and past issues of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, that’s over 26 years and 150 straight games that the Warriors have come up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
But behind the inspirational guidance of longtime coach Nolan Desjarlait, the Warriors have never considered themselves losers.
"No matter what the score is, they come here to have fun," Desjarlait told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in 2022. "I'm just here to help them. It's life. We're always here for them regardless."
The 2025 Red Lake Warriors went 0-9 and were shut out in six straight games at one point but head coach Nolan Desjarlait is undeterred. Success isn't defined by wins and losses at the Minnesota school. (PHOTO: Image Photography)
Desjarlait has been around the Red Lake community his entire life. His father and grandfather both played important roles in the community, a pattern Nolan has followed in his role as athletic director, community activities director and coach of nearly every sport that Red Lake fields.
As a high school athlete in the 1990s, Desjarlait excelled in football, basketball and baseball at Red Lake. He earned all-league honors in all three sports, leading the Warriors to a league championship in baseball in 1992.
After playing college baseball for a few years, Desjarlait returned to the Red Lake community. He was invited to coach junior high school sports and by 2007 he took over the job as athletic director. The following year he became the head football coach.
"We had a hard time fielding a football team back then. We had been playing nine-man football, but then we joined the 1A division. We had to forfeit a lot of games and we fielded only a JV team a couple of years," Desjarlait said. "Then the coaches I hired in 2008 decided not to coach. The school asked me to coach the team. I knew the X’s and O’s so I decided why not."
Desjarlait has been devoted to the Red Lake football team – and the community – ever since.
Shown here presenting an award at last season's banquet, Red Lake head coach Nolan Desjarlait took over in 2008 and is still searching for his first win. The Warriors got close to the elusive victory in this season's opener. (PHOTO: Jody Johnson)
Red Lake Nation is located in the northwest part of Minnesota. The reservation is about 99.5 percent Native American, according to Desjarlait, and it includes Upper and Lower Red Lake, which are two of the largest lakes in the state. It is located just 32 miles from the town of Bemijdi, where Minnesota’s most famous football player Bronko Nagurski went to high school.
The people of Red Lake refer to themselves as "Anishinaabe" or "Ojibwe" and they speak the language known as "Ojibwemowin."
According to superintendent Tim Lutz, the school makes every effort to keep the Ojibwe language alive in the community and the school.
"We are very proud of the successes we have seen in the growth of the Ojibwe Language and Culture program as we revitalize the program," Lutz said. "Our goal is to help every student learn the Ojibwe language and to understand their culture better."
Every culture has a basic set of principles to guide behavior and live a good life. For the Ojibwe, it is the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers that provide this moral code. These Anishinaabe principles include Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility and Truth. They are seven principles that help Desjarlait show his players that there is more to life than just winning a football game.
Nibwaakaawin — Wisdom
The gift of knowing what is true and right, leading to good judgment and decisions.The beaver represents wisdom for its ability to build a home and environment for its family.
Despite loss after loss, Red Lake has not failed to field a team since Desjarlait took over the program in 2008. Desjarlait’s ability to build a home for his players and lead them year after year speaks volumes about his abilities as a coach and the trust the community puts in him.
"Coaches and fans all see and recognize that our football team, even if they have not had any "W's" over the course of many years, and the individuals who comprise the team are all winners and have great potential to live happy and successful lives," Lutz said. "When the players see and experience this recognition and the hope that comes from their community that surrounds them, they come to know that they are winners.This is what helps our football team 'gel' and come together as a community on the field for every game each season."
Zaagidiwin — LoveThe gift of caring for and protecting oneself and others, fostering peace and interconnectedness. The eagle represents love due to its ability to see things from a great distance which gives it the clarity to understand all other teachings.
Receiving an eagle feather in the Ojibwe culture is a very sacred gift and one of the highest honors one can receive. It represents honor and respect and wisdom, as well as love. The Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association presented its own version of an eagle feather to Desjarlait in 2023 when it bestowed on him the Tom J. Mahoney Award as the association’s Man of the Year.
Mahoney was a longtime coach at Fairmont and retired with 256 wins, which was the most in Minnesota history at the time. While Desjarlait’s record doesn’t match that of Mahoney, he was no less deserving of the award.
"Taking no break from coaching, Nolan cannot walk away from coaching the Red Lake Nation youth,” said the MFCA’s press release in 2023. "Being the athletic director, head coach, assistant coach, mentor, husband and father of four daughters, sure keeps him busy. Nolan is quite the problem solver and has more patience than most."
Desjarlait was a bit surprised by the award, but appreciative nonetheless.
"I was glad and honored to receive the award, but it didn’t really sink in until after I received it," he said. "At the banquet, they asked me to do a little Q & A session after the presentation. I thought it would only be about five minutes, but then I walked in and there were 1,500 people in the room. It's not really my style, but I ended up talking for about 20 minutes. Then I decided it was time to get off."
Minaadendamowen — Respect
The gift of being mindful of the balance of all living things, showing kindness and honoring all of creation. The buffalo represents respect for its ability to give up its entire body to sustain human life.
Roaming the sidelines for nearly 20 years while still looking for that elusive win, Desjarlait comes back year after year for one main reason – the kids.
"They're the ones who drive me back every year," he said. "I look for the kids who want to come out and participate and maybe they can grab a friend and we can build a program."
Lutz says there’s a reason coach Nolan has been the Warriors coach for so long.
"Nolan is incredibly dedicated to the students on our teams and to all students. His personal mission is to make sure every student believes in himself or herself and that they have hope for their lives in the future," Lutz said. "Before, during, and after every game, Coach Nolan always reminds his players that whether or not they win the game or contest they can know that in life, they are winners."
Aakode’ewin — CourageThe ability to face life with bravery and conviction, defending one’s beliefs and community. The bear represents courage because it is a fierce protector of its young.
When it comes to the streak, losing a football game is of small concern compared to the tragedy the Red Lake Nation has faced.
In 2005, a former student of Red Lake High School shot and killed his grandfather and the grandfather’s girlfriend before traveling to the school and killing five students, a teacher and a security guard before turning the gun on himself.
The school, and the town, were able to heal because of the family dynamic surrounding the community.
"Red Lake is special as a place to live and go to school because the community is so supportive," Lutz said. "ALL members of the community consider each other as relatives in a large web of family members. As such, every student is a member of the Red Lake Family. We have a very tight and caring community."
Desjarlait has faced his own tragedy. In 2015, his son Nolan Jr. passed away as the result of an ATV accident. Nolan Sr. says he thinks about his son often.
"I think about him every day," Desjarlait said. "I know that when I pass away, I will be with him again. Until then, I’m just blessed to wake up, blessed to go to bed and blessed to be part of these kids' lives."
Having courage doesn’t always involve tragedy, however, and in one of those occasions, Desjarlait assumed the role of father figure.
"We were invited to the Nike football camp in Portland," he said. "So for most of the kids, it was their first time flying on a plane and the first time leaving their moms and dads. So us coaches put on our parent hats and got on the plane. It was fun having them see the world and that there’s something outside of the reservation."
Gwayakwaadiziwin — Honesty
The gift of living a correct life with virtue, recognizing and accepting oneself as part of creation. The raven represents honesty by accepting oneself and using one’s own ability instead of seeking the power of others.
It would be very easy Red Lake to shy away from the spotlight and avoid any acknowledgement of their plight. In a society where winning is prized, the school has accepted its identity without shame. And for that honesty, it has been greatly rewarded.
In 2022, Chip Scoggins of the Star-Tribune spent a month following the Red Lake team and wrote a story about the football team’s struggles to get a win. The ensuing publicity has led to a new scoreboard, scholarships for the students and a new weight room.
"Both the scoreboard and weight room are wonderful gifts that have come about thanks to the broader community and its support for Red Lake School District and its programs and students," Lutz said. "Shortly after the story was published, several people around the state reached out to me to ask how they could make donations to the school district and to the football program. One family donated $15,000, which, along with a few smaller donations, became the seed money for the purchase of a new scoreboard."
Lutz said that others within the community reached out to Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen and his foundation.
"A member of our community reached out to the Adam Thielen Foundation to ask for a scholarship to allow our football players to attend a summer football camp sponsored by Thielen," Lutz said. "The Thielen Foundation responded by awarding a grant for our football players to attend the camp that summer."
But that’s not where the story ends.
"After that, the Thielen Foundation reached out to ask me if we would welcome a grant to provide a brand new weight room. And the rest is history. Not only do we have a beautiful new weight room, but the Thielen Foundation continues to provide a free camp experience every summer along with up to five college scholarships for our athletes."
Additionally, directors Charles Frank and Fritz Bitsoie filmed a documentary “Through the Storm,” that followed the Red Lake team during the 2023 season.
"I told the directors that they could film, but it couldn’t be just about the losing streak," Desjarlait said. "I wanted them to show the story through the eyes of the kids."
The film has won awards for "Best Documentary Short" at two different film festivals and it was nominated for a 2025 Sports Emmy for "Outstanding Short Documentary."
Dbaadendiziwin — Humility
The gift of recognizing oneself as part of the sacredness of creation, not being selfish but selfless. The wolf represents humility due to finding its strength as a member of a pack and being part of a selfless community.
When building a team, a coach needs to convince the individual players to be part of a team. Desjarlait says that every year his team develops goals for the season, looking for the smaller victories in search of the bigger ones.
"We always start with team goals," Desjarlait said. "But we also include individual goals like most tackles or pancake blocks and we give out other little perks like T-shirts. Just building with the little stuff to develop a team."
"We had the ball on the 1-yard line and a touchdown was going to put the game away," Desjarlait said. "But the safety came in and stripped the ball and we turned it over."
Red Lake lost 34-26 in its closest game in two decades.
"The kids were hyped, we could smell victory," Desjarlait said. "It was so close, but we’ll bounce back."
Debwewin — Truth
The gift that encompasses all the others, allowing for sincerity and integrity in all actions and words. The turtle represents truth because of its slow pace, which represents the long journey of life and how the path to truth should not be rushed.
The truth about Red Lake is that the sports program has had success. The basketball team has posted a winning record 16 of the past 21 years with the Warriors going 100-25 from 2014-17. The 2017 team won the Class 1A consolation championship and the 2016 team reached the state semifinals.
However, Desjarlait has had a hard time convincing the basketball players to come out for football, despite being the coach of both teams.
"One day we will get those guys out for the team," Desjarlait said with a chuckle. "Then we will have that one thing we are missing – speed."
Eventually the Warriors will get the elusive win. The final teaching of the Seven Grandfathers is represented by the turtle, indicating that the long journey of life continues at a slow pace and that the path to truth should not be rushed. At the end of that path, the culmination of the journey, leads to victory. It says it right there in the final five letters of the Ojibwe word for truth, "we win."
Until then, Desjarlait will be leading the Warriors and teaching them the ways to a good life. And while they may be winless on the field, in life they are "bekanaagejig." They are "champions."
