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HERMANTOWN — Hermantown opens the high school football season tonight facing the same question that has followed the Hawks through the offseason: Is this the team capable of finally getting past Grand Rapids in Section 7AAAA?
The first answer comes against major underdog Duluth Denfeld.
Hermantown visits the Hunters at 6 p.m. at Walt Hunting Stadium in the top matchup on Friday’s northeastern Minnesota schedule.
The Hawks return one of the area’s most productive players in senior running back Martin Sleen, who rushed for 1,908 yards and 29 touchdowns last season while averaging 11.8 yards per carry. Sleen, an North Dakota State commit, gives Hermantown a proven offensive centerpiece as it begins another run at the Northeast Red and Section 7AAAA titles.
Quarterback Sawyer Senst also returns after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. Linebacker Fletcher Wrazidlo is back after making 125 tackles last season.
Hermantown finished 8-2 a year ago. Both losses came against Grand Rapids, including a 41-0 loss in the Section 7AAAA championship game.
Denfeld finished 3-7 last season. The Hunters defeated Cloquet 25-7 in their regular-season finale and beat Cloquet again, 18-12, in the opening round of the section playoffs before losing to Grand Rapids.
Hermantown clobbered Denfeld 52-7 in last season’s opener.
“Denfeld has always been a challenge for us and we have had some great games in the past,” Hermantown coach Mike Zagelmeyer said of today's opener.
The Hawks will be expected to control the line of scrimmage and establish Sleen early. Denfeld’s challenge will be preventing Hermantown from turning the game into another one-sided opener and forcing Senst and the Hawks to sustain drives.
Elsewhere in Section 7AAAA, Two Harbors opens at North Branch at 7 p.m.
The Agates are coming off a season that included victories over Proctor and Hibbing but ended with late losses to Pequot Lakes, Esko and Hibbing. North Branch finished 4-2 in Northeast Red play last season and advanced to the section semifinals before losing 35-28 to Hermantown.
The game gives Two Harbors an immediate indication of where it stands in a section that again figures to run through Grand Rapids and Hermantown.
Deer River visits Chisholm at 7 p.m. in another notable regional opener.
Deer River defeated Chisholm 48-6 last season and later beat Cherry 30-8 in the playoffs before losing 30-12 to Barnum. Deer River also held Mountain Iron-Buhl to six points in a late-season loss.
Chisholm will have to improve defensively against a Deer River program that has consistently leaned on physical running and defense.
South Ridge hosts Verndale at 5:30 p.m. in Culver in nine-man play. South Ridge finished last season with victories over Carlton, Bigfork and Kelliher/Northome before Littlefork-Big Falls eliminated the Panthers 35-0 in the playoffs.
Silver Bay hosts Ogilvie at 6 p.m.
Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin travels to Hinckley-Finlayson for a 7 p.m. kickoff, while Bigfork hosts the Mille Lacs co-op at 7.
Bigfork closed last season with losses to South Ridge and North Woods after defeating Silver Bay 37-7.
