Hermantown needed only a few series Friday night to remind everyone who still rules the Northeast Red. The Hawks opened their season by overpowering Duluth Denfeld 52-7 at Corey Veech Field at Centricity Stadium, turning the conference opener into a showcase of speed, size and old-fashioned dominance.
Junior halfback Martin Sleen provided the spark. He carried nine times, piling up 164 yards and three touchdowns, repeatedly breaking free into open space while Denfeld defenders struggled to keep pace.
“Obviously, Denfeld tried the best they could to bottle up Martin at the beginning of the game, which will be the game plan for most teams,” Hermantown coach Mike Zagelmeyer said. “We knew we needed other players to rise when Martin is the defense’s focus and I thought Owen did that for us. He had a tremendous night and proved that he complements Martin well.”
That “Owen” was fullback Owen Simonson, a bruising junior who muscled his way to two first-half touchdowns and spent much of the night clearing running lanes. By the time quarterback Sawyer Senst scored on a 1-yard sneak and added a touchdown pass, Hermantown was in full control.
“Martin could still do what he does best,” Zagelmeyer said. “He is such a fun player to watch and the explosive speed of the young man is next level. I sometimes get caught being a fan of watching him play football. I liked how Sawyer was cool, calm, and collected. He didn’t try to do too much and when we needed a big play he found Landon Burg.”
Denfeld’s lone touchdown offered little consolation. The Hunters trailed 38-7 by halftime and were worn down by the Hawks’ physical style on both sides of the ball.
“I thought some of the questions we had coming into the game were answered last night,” Zagelmeyer said. “Now, we were not perfect by any means … some of the frustrating things is that I thought we were not tackling well on defense. We were pretty high and reaching instead of driving through the hips with shoulders. But some of that can be attributed to first-game issues and we didn’t tackle a ton in fall camp. I envision us getting better in that department.”
The Hawks (1-0, 1-0 Northeast Red) leaned heavily on their ground game, rarely needing to pass. With Sleen and Simonson leading the way, Hermantown validated its standing as the preseason conference favorite.
“Overall it was a beautiful night for football … a big crowd, a new flag pole dedicated to a tremendous man and coach and a Hermantown win … really couldn’t ask for much more than that,” Zagelmeyer said. “As Coach Bowen always says, ‘the sun was a little brighter in Hermantown this morning.’”
Hermantown now turns its focus to rival Proctor, which visits Centricity Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday.
