Hermantown’s Martin Sleen slices Denfeld in season finale
DULUTH — Standing in the shadow of his own goal line, Hermantown's Martin Sleen took the handoff and saw the Duluth Denfeld linebacker move to the outside Wednesday at Marv Heikkinen Field at Walt Hunting Stadium.
Sleen took the handoff and exploded through the hole for a 96-yard score that put the Hawks up 11. They went on to win 31-19.
"I just knew if my blockers blocked down, I'd be able to pop to the outside," Sleen said. "I didn't expect to get that many yards, I was just hoping to get a first down and get us out of the end zone area."
As he streaked down the field early in the fourth, he started to realize that this was the game-breaking score Hermantown needed.
"I was excited," Sleen said. "It was a hard game, but I realized this could be the end — we could win."
It wasn't just one long play for Sleen. The sophomore ran for 261 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns. After another big night, Sleen has run for 1,094 yards this season and 17 scores and has turned into a huge weapon for coach Mike Zagelmeyer and the Hawks.
Sleen is that "explosive" back that his team has often faced, but has been missing in the Hawks' backfield, according to Zagelmeyer.
"It's really nice to have that game-breaker on our team for once," he said. "He's elusive and he's a quick cutter — give him an inch and he'll take a mile, or 96 yards in this case. He's a special player for Hermantown, for sure."
It wasn't just Sleen, however.
Trailing 10-6 at halftime, Denfeld took the momentum with a quick touchdown strike in the third quarter. Looking at a fourth-and-5 play from the Hermantown 44-yard line, quarterback Lee Brooks found senior Taye Manns for a touchdown and a 13-10 lead. After another touchdown by Sleen put the Hawks back in front with his second touchdown of the night, Denfeld drove down to the Hawk 4-yard line and faced a fourth-and-one.
Brooks handed the ball off to Manns, but defensive linemen Andre Morton and Mason Humphreys stepped in to stop Manns short of the line to gain and set up Sleen's run on the next play.
"It's not so much stopping them in our end, but it's that momentum switch," Zagelmeyer said. "It was a 14-point turnaround, possible, and it's tough on kids in high school to have that kind of swing in momentum."
For the Hunters, it was yet another question of missed opportunities according to coach Erik Lofald. In losses at North Branch and last week at Rock Ridge, Denfeld was stymied just before the half and so it was again against Hermantown.
The Hunters were threatening to score again when quarterback Alex Schott — playing defensive back for an injured Landon Burg — stepped in front of a Brooks pass in the end zone. Instead of taking a lead into halftime with a chance to add to start the second half, the Hunters trailed.
"It's almost been the story of our season a little bit," Lofald said. "We don't make the play and then the next play is a monster play and that was the story of the North Branch game. We stalled out and North Branch hits a major play — same thing here. You don't make that play and the next you give another touchdown. We were pretty deflated, but at the same time we fought."
Running back Keelijah Thomas scored from 54 yards out, but Schott led a game-clinching touchdown drive. After another Brooks interception, Hermantown ran out the clock.
Zagelmeyer said he felt the Hawks were "pretty sloppy" in the first half, but the team responded in the second half.
"We stepped up in the second half and Schott made a couple of great runs for us," he said. "Coming out of halftime, we knew we had to come out and make a statement. I wondered where it was going to go — especially after they scored that touchdown to get ahead. But then we responded right away and that was great to see."
With the win, Hermantown (7-1) clinched the second seed and a bye in the Section 7AAAA playoffs that begin next week. The Hawks will next play in the section semifinal Oct. 25 at Corey Veech Memorial Field at Centricity Stadium.
Denfeld (5-3) will host a section quarterfinal on Tuesday at Hunting Stadium.
