Bruton’s football team had no answer for Riverheads’ spearheaded rushing attack of Lance Diehl, Cole Smiley and Michael Herndon as the Panthers saw their season end with a 48-13 loss in the second round of the 2A East playoffs Friday night.
Bruton kept it close in the first quarter as quarterback Bilal Wallace scored on a 1-yard keeper to make it a 14-7 game early in the second half before the Gladiators, who piled up more than 400 yards on the ground, took a 21-7 lead at the half on University of Pittsburgh-bound Herndon’s 2-yard touchdown plunge.
The ground assault continued into the second half as Riverheads outscored Bruton 27-6 during the final two quarters.
The Panthers’ lone scoring play in the second half came on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to Zach Uvodich midway through the fourth quarter.
