Hermantown has produced outstanding running backs for generations. The city's football field bears the name of Corey Veech, a reminder that greatness here is measured not only by yards and touchdowns but by the lasting impact players leave on the program and the community.
Now another chapter is ready to be written.
Martin Sleen enters his senior season as one of Minnesota's most explosive running backs and, perhaps, one of the finest ever to wear a Hermantown uniform.
With his college future already secured after committing to North Dakota State, Sleen begins his final high school season carrying something different than a year ago. The recruiting process is complete. The uncertainty is gone. The focus now shifts entirely to football.
"I think the pressure is off Martin now that he has committed to NDSU," Hermantown coach Mike Zagelmeyer said. "Now he can simply enjoy playing football and focus on helping our team win."
That perspective perfectly reflects the player Sleen has become.
His 2025 statistics were extraordinary. Their context makes them even more impressive.
Sleen finished fifth in Minnesota with 1,908 rushing yards while scoring 29 touchdowns, the state's third-highest total. Yet he accomplished those numbers on only 162 rushing attempts, ranking just 56th statewide in carries. No statistic better illustrates his explosiveness than that remarkable contrast.
While Minnesota's other leading rushers relied on sheer volume, Sleen produced nearly 2,000 yards with dramatically fewer opportunities.
The four players who finished ahead of him in rushing yards averaged roughly 240 rushing attempts. State rushing champion Carter Therkilsen carried the football 288 times. Caleb Francois rushed 301 times. David Erlandson finished with 190 carries, while Nick Thein logged 183.
Sleen needed only 162.
Every time Hermantown handed him the football, something significant could happen.
His average of 11.8 yards per carry ranked among Minnesota's elite, while his 212 rushing yards per game helped lead the Hawks to an 8-2 record and another appearance in the Section 7-4A championship game. He surpassed 300 rushing yards once, topped 250 yards twice more and exceeded 200 yards in five games.
His most remarkable performance came in a 41-21 victory over Cloquet, where he rushed 20 times for an astonishing 376 yards and six touchdowns. One week earlier, he carried 22 times for 308 yards against Duluth East. He later rushed for 270 yards in a Section 7-4A playoff victory over North Branch after totaling 248 yards against the Vikings during the regular season.
Consistency became Sleen's trademark.
He scored at least three rushing touchdowns in seven of nine games and finished with multiple touchdowns in eight contests. Against Proctor, five touchdowns came on only six carries. Against North Branch during the regular season, he averaged 19.1 yards every time he touched the football. At Cloquet, he averaged 18.8.
Even when opponents knew exactly what was coming, stopping him proved extraordinarily difficult.
The statistics naturally create conversations about records and honors. Zagelmeyer believes those conversations matter far less to Sleen than they do to everyone watching him.
"Martin has always been a team-first guy, so I know he's not focused on records or individual recognition," Zagelmeyer said. "That said, he has the potential to go down as the greatest running back in Hermantown history. Which I think is saying a lot when you consider the great backs who came before him — including Corey Veech, who our football field is named after. There is a tremendous amount of history and tradition here, so I think we are able to watch another chapter of that legacy unfold in real time with Martin."
That is remarkable praise inside one of northeastern Minnesota's proudest football traditions.
The numbers explain why Sleen commands so much attention on Friday nights. They do not fully explain what he has come to mean throughout the Hermantown community.
"Selfishly, I just enjoy watching him play," said Zagelmeyer. "He's brought so much excitement to our community and to Hermantown Football. It's pretty special to hear young kids at games say, 'There's Martin!' when he walks on or off the field or 'Watch Sleen go!' when he's at practice. That's the kind of impact he's had."
Those moments never appear in a box score. Yet they often become the memories that define a high school career. This fall presents Sleen with a different challenge.
Every defensive coordinator in northeastern Minnesota understands where Hermantown's offense begins. Opponents will crowd the line of scrimmage, stack defenders in the box and dare the Hawks to beat them through the air. Hermantown's ability to capitalize on those opportunities may ultimately determine how deep the Hawks advance into November.
Still, Zagelmeyer believes the qualities that separate Sleen are found long before kickoff.
"What many people don't see is who Martin is away from the spotlight," said Zagelmeyer. "He's humble, respectful, hardworking, and an outstanding student-athlete. He has earned every bit of the recognition that's come his way. He's exactly the kind of person you want as your best player and as one of the leaders of your team."
Those qualities explain why teammates trust him as much as they admire him.
As preseason practice begins in mid-August, Sleen will carry expectations, statewide recognition and an opportunity to permanently secure his place among the greatest players in Hermantown history.
Zagelmeyer believes that conversation has already begun.
"Years from now, when people talk about the great players to wear a Hermantown uniform, I believe Martin's name will be part of that conversation," Zagelmeyer said. "In fact, many may look back and say they had the privilege of watching the best high school running back Hermantown has ever produced. But I think Martin cares more about the wins than any of that."
That final sentence may say more about Martin Sleen than every rushing statistic combined. His yards will eventually be surpassed. Records are made to be broken. Character, leadership and the ability to inspire the next generation of young football players endure far longer.
This autumn, northeastern Minnesota won't simply be watching one of the state's best running backs. It may be witnessing the final high school season of the greatest running back Hermantown has ever produced.