Few in number, Red Lake football players press on

By Gregg Aamot Associated Press Writer

RED LAKE, Minn. (AP) - Robin Kelly Jr. gets tired just thinking about it.

When the Red Lake senior isn't carrying the football for the Warriors this fall, he'll be tackling fullbacks and rushing the quarterback. And he'll cover punts and kicks. Maybe return them, too.

"It's better than sitting on the bench,'' he said with a grin.

Kelly was one of just 13 Red Lake players who ran through their plays and defensive alignments Thursday, a day before the Warriors opened their season against 9-man power Hillcrest Lutheran of Fergus Falls.

Hillcrest Lutheran defeated Red Lake 44-0, but Hillcrest coach Charlie Brue was impressed with the Warriors' attitude.

"I thought they were very courageous just to keep playing as hard as they did,'' Brue said. "I just wish them well and hope that they see some success.''

The fatal shooting at the high school on the Red Lake Indian Reservation five months ago left its mark on a football program that has long competed with basketball for prestige - and athletes - in this northern Minnesota town. Last season, the Warriors finished 1-6.

Sophomore Jeff May, who was being counted on to bolster the defensive line, has been watching practice from the sidelines as he recovers from being shot in the face. Two other players, both defensive backs, decided against returning to Red Lake High School after the shooting. Besides that, a top running back who is recovering from a knee injury will miss more than half of the season.

Even so, head coach Mike Roy is excited to see what his team can do. When a student stopped by Thursday on the first day of orientation for the school year and said he was thinking about playing, Roy had him join the team for drills - still dressed in jean shorts and T-shirt.

With the start of school on Tuesday providing a routine for students on the remote American Indian reservation in northwestern Minnesota, Roy hopes a few more will show up for football. He said he picked up a couple of extra players Friday and hoped to add a couple more when school starts.

In all, 23 players have practiced at some point, he said, though only 14 or 15 stuck with it. On a normal year, he said, he would have more than 20 players wearing the team's red and black uniforms for the first game.

On March 21, a heavily armed 16-year-old walked through the school of about 300 students. He killed a security guard, a teacher and five students before exchanging gunfire with police. Eventually, he shot himself in the head.

"I had to do a little bit of recruiting, but I didn't want to force anybody to come back to the school,'' Roy said. "But what I get from being around these guys is that they want to get back to sports and put (the shooting) behind them.''

The team ran through its wing-T and I-formation sets on a cold and windy afternoon Thursday as the white caps on Lower Red Lake roiled just beyond the field. Two young men stood near the school's wooden bleachers and watched, up against a chain-link fence that's sure to be lined with fans for Tuesday's home-opener against Win-E-Mac.

Junior quarterback Tom Barrett Jr. threw several deep passes to receivers streaking across the field. He won't get much rest, either; when the Warriors are on defense, he'll play safety.

"We never back down from a challenge,'' he said when considering his team's chances against Hillcrest Lutheran. "We will simply go out there and do our best.''

Red Lake, however, was up against a powerhouse in the 9-man class. Hillcrest junior quarterback Jeff Risbrudt said his team was looking to win, but acknowledged it wasn't an ordinary game given what has happened at Red Lake.

"We prayed for them before the game and after the game,'' Risbrudt said. "I certainly feel for their situation.''

Roy said he was encouraged by his team's effort in the game.

"We kept playing hard and hitting until the final whistle. That's all I can ask,'' Roy said. "We went up against a really tough team and did some good things.''

The Warriors drove down to the Hillcrest 20-yard line with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. But a fumbled snap ended their best chance of scoring.

"We are going to get things figured out,'' Roy said. "I'm not saying we're going to go all the way, but we're going to win some games.''

Determined to improve, several Red Lake players went to nearby Bemidji this summer for some special instruction.

Jeff Tesch, the head football coach at Bemidji State University, put on a daylong clinic just for the team. He wanted to help their program and give football a boost in the basketball-crazy town.

"They are hard-working kids who showed a passion for learning the game,'' Tesch said Thursday after leading his team through practice. "Hopefully, it will help them improve and get them excited about football. I hope to see them at some of our games.''

The camp may have been a timely diversion from the hardships at the school, Tesch said. But mostly, football allows them to "have a chance to be kids and have fun,'' he said.

Barrett said fun was what it was all about.

"There were a lot of things we did over the summer to help us recover,'' he said of the shooting's aftermath. "It's good to be together playing football, but it's not about recovery. We'll be dealing with that for a long time and continuing to heal.''

Roy, who played for Red Lake himself in the late 1980s and early 90s, shook his head and smiled as he watched his team gather into a tiny huddle. "I guess we just can't afford to get anybody hurt, right?'' he said.

Looking at Barrett, he implored, "Four quarters both ways! Are you up for that?''

"Oh yeah,'' Barrett answered, nodding. "I can do that.''

Associated Press reporter Dave Kolpack contributed to this story from Fergus Falls.