HERMANTOWN — Early in the third quarter, Hermantown’s Martin Sleen took a handoff against North Branch and found the hole his lineman had made and accelerated through it Saturday at Centricity Stadium.

He broke loose for 55 yards and the touchdown and put the Hawks up two scores for the first time in the game. He finished with 270 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns, but it was perhaps the third-quarter score that separated Hermantown in the 35-28 win.

Sleen’s third-quarter score put the Hawks up 21-8, but they'd held the ball for barely six minutes to that point in the half because of North Branch’s methodical, glacially-paced offense.

“We know what their offense is,” Sleen said. “They’re going to try to waste as much time on offense as they can. We’re not going to complain, that

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