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Martin Sleen rushed for 172 yards and four touchdowns on just 13 carries as Hermantown opened its football season with a 48-13 victory over Duluth Denfeld on Friday night at Walt Hunting Stadium.
The Hawks controlled the game with an overwhelming rushing attack, piling up 320 yards on 39 carries and averaging 8.2 yards per attempt. Hermantown scored six rushing touchdowns while requiring virtually nothing from its passing game.
Sleen, the senior North Dakota State commit who rushed for 1,908 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, averaged 13.2 yards per carry in his 2026 debut. His four-touchdown performance immediately resumed the production that made him one of Minnesota's most productive running backs a year ago.
Hermantown was hardly a one-back offense. Owen Simonson rushed eight times for 56 yards, Kalven Skur added 34 yards on four carries and Sawyer Johnson had 30 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts. Bryson Eischen added 21 yards on three carries and also scored.
The Hawks attempted only three passes. Brock Hoglund completed one for 7 yards, with Blake Amundson making the reception. Hermantown's ability to control the game almost exclusively on the ground left little need to attack Denfeld through the air.
The 48-point opener continued Hermantown's recent offensive success against Denfeld. The Hawks defeated the Hunters 52-7 in last season's opener and again established control Friday with their offensive line and running game.
Hermantown improved to 1-0 while Denfeld fell to 0-1.
The Hawks next travel to Proctor to face Proctor/Maris Academy at 7 p.m. Friday.
