Vadala, Murphy help Pats pull away

PLANTATION — Blake Murphy threw two touchdowns and ran for another, while linebacker David Vadala made one of the biggest plays of the night as American Heritage pulled away from Western 42-18.

With American Heritage clinging to a two-score lead at halftime and Western about to score on its first possession of the second half, Vadala picked off a pass and returned it 85 yards for a score.

“We were blitzing right up the middle, I saw the tackles coming off and it just happened to fall in my place,” said Vadala, who also blocked a punt in the first half. “Luckily we had some good blockers in front of me. I might not be the fastest, but I was able to score.”

The Patriots then turned it on from there, scoring two more times in the second half before Western scored on the final play of the game.

“Vadala was huge all night,” said Heritage head coach Mike Smith. “That’s a kid who was here for two years, left and came back. We love him. This class is special. We just have to clean some stuff up, but we are in a good spot.”

Brandon Inniss finished with five receptions for 111 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown catch, while Malachi Toney added four catches for 90 yards and a 10-yard touchdown reception. Running back Mark Fletcher added 97 yards rushing and a touchdown.

The Wildcats (4-2) did their best in the first half to stay with the Patriots, but turnovers and stalled drives doomed them. They lost a fumble, threw an interception, had a blocked punt and also turned the ball over on downs at the Heritage 7.

Matt Wilson was the star for the Wildcats, rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown, while also scoring on a highlight-reel 30-yard catch on the game’s final play.

“It was a little chippy and that’s not the way we play in the first half,” said American Heritage coach Mike Smith. “We talked about it at halftime and had to get back to taking care of our business and we came out the second half and handled our business.”