After reaching the state tournament for the first time last season, it wasn’t difficult for the Red Lake County Rebels boys basketball team to set its goal for this season.

“They definitely want to get back to the state tournament,” Red Lake County coach Steve Philion said. “Once you’ve been there, you want to get back.”

The Rebels — a co-op between Red Lake County Central and Red Lake Falls high schools — are off to a good start in their quest for a return trip to the state tournament.

The Rebels, who were ranked No. 2 in the latest Class 1A top 10 poll, won three games the week of Jan. 5 to improve to 10-0.

“We lost some really good players from last season’s team,” said Philion, who is in his 52nd season of coaching and 49th season as a head coach. “Owen Chervestad was one heck of a leader. Luke Peterson shot 74 percent from the field for the season. And Ethan Majeres. We rotated nine guys last season. Five of those are back this season.”

The Rebels’ starting lineup this season features four seniors and a sophomore.

Senior guard Connor Duden, who is in his sixth season on the varsity and fifth as a starter, has paced the Rebels in scoring (20.3 points per game) and is averaging 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Duden, who has committed to Bemidji State, recently surpassed 2,000 points for his career to become the first player in Philion’s coaching career to reach that mark.

Point guard Will Gieseke is averaging 16 points per game while Ben Gullingsrud, a sophomore and grandson of the coach, is averaging 8.2 points per game. Gullingsrud gained valuable experience at last year’s state tournament, which included making a three-pointer to break a tie and adding two free throws in the final minute of the Rebels’ 68-61 victory over Goodhue in the quarterfinals.

Ethan Johnson and Gunnar Halverson also start for the Rebels.

The Rebels lost in the semifinals to eventual state champion Dawson-Boyd, before defeating Nevis in the third-place game.

Among the Rebels’ victories this season is a 65-44 victory over Thief River Falls on Jan. 6 and a 96-42 victory over Clearbrook-Gonvick on Dec. 16, 2025, that was Philion’s 700th for his career. Philion, who has also coached at Gonvick-Trail and Clearbrook-Gonvick, is just the eighth boys’ coach in state history to reach 700 career victories. He led Clearbrook-Gonvick to the state tournament in 1992 and 1993.

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