HOLT — Hartland met the football buzzsaw that is Holt on Friday in the first round of Division 1 state football playoffs, losing 41-16, bringing disappointment to what had been a surprisingly successful season for the Eagles.

"We made some mistakes and they capitalized on them," Hartland head coach Marcus Dukes said. "They're a very good football team. When you play teams that are very good and very well coached, you can't afford to make mistakes and you have to capitalize when you have the opportunities. We did that a few times tonight. But, they also did a good job with that tonight, as well."

The Rams, who made a deep playoff run last year and played a tougher schedule this year to earn home-field advantage, jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter and were never seriously threatened. The Eagles just couldn't find an answer to quarterback Jake Gallimore, who rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one. Hartland's drives were marred by penalties and untimely drops on third downs.

"A couple of us showed up scared; that set us back," said Hartland senior quarterback Danny Richmond, who had just played his last game of his high school career. "But, once we finally started to settle down we couldn't get it going at the end."

Hartland (6-4) first got on the board midway through the second quarter by kicking a field goal, making it 14-3. But Holt (7-3) later answered on a 27-yard pass play by Gallimore, making the score 21-3.

And following a Richmond interception in Eagles' territory, Nick Curtis punched it in from one yard out to make it a 28-3 Holt lead at the half. Curtis had two rushing touchdowns and 154 yards on the game, according to www.highschoolsports.net.

In the third quarter, Hartland scored its first touchdown of the game, courtesy of a 25-yard pass from Richmond to Ryan Conway. But a field goal from Holt made the score 31-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Eagles raised faint hopes of a comeback with a 10-yard rush by Chad Hunt that sliced the lead to 31-16 and by recovering the ensuing onside kick. But the very next play, a bad snap led to a Richmond sack and 19-yard loss and a lackluster rest of the game in which the Rams added on 10 more points in the final minutes.

Richmond and Hunt, two players Hartland was relying on to have big games, couldn't get in rhythm. Richmond ended 10-for-27 for 142 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. Richmond also carried the balls five times but had negative yardage due to sacks. Hunt carried the ball 21 times for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Richmond, who was nursing a sore ankle, was visibly flustered by the Rams' defense for much of the game.

"I can't blame this game on my ankle," he said. "Obviously it's a setback. But, great players come back from setbacks. They don't let it (injuries) slow them down."