Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

WELLSTON — As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.”

For the second straight week the Rock Hill Redmen were locked in a tight game when their opponent went on a scoring burst over a short period of time in the second quarter.

The Redmen were leading 13-7 just into the second quarter when Wellston exploded for 28 points in the quarter and went on to take a 63-29 win on Friday.

Rock Hill (0-5) had 263 yards of offense — all on the ground. Freshman Chance Blankenship had his first 100-yard game as he ran 15 times for 169 yards. Shane Harper added 85 yards on 20 carries.

Wellston (2-3) racked up 444 total yards with 299 on the ground and 145 through the air as Jake Waldon went 8 of 13 with three touchdown passes.

Rock Hill took a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard run by Jacob Malone with 8:36 on the clock. He also kicked the conversion.

Wellston tied the game just before the end of the quarter on a 1-yard run by Cain Wolford.

But Rock Hill answered quickly on the first play of the second quarter when quarterback Jonah Cox ran 3 yards and it was 13-7.

Wellston used a 60-yard run by Noah Massie on a counter play and Dylan Faught’s kick put the Golden Rockets up for good at 14-13.

A Rock Hill fumble at the 24-yard line led to a 2-yard run by Massie five plays later and it was 21-13 at the 7:34 mark. Massie finished with 103 yards on 10 carries.

The Redmen turned the ball over three times on an interception and two fumbles that fueled the Rockets’ offensive explosion.

Wellston went up 28-13 on a 12-yard run by Waldron with 1:48 left in the half and then Massie caught a 23-yard pass from Waldron with 56 seconds to go and it was 35-13 at the half.

The Rockets scored three times in the third quarter including a 7-yard run by Dakota Brown on a blocked punt.

Down 56-13, Rock Hill continued to battle as Cox scored on a 4-yard run with 1:40 left in the third quarter.

Wellston got a 7-yard scoring run by Braydon Womeldort but the Redmen countered with a 21-yard score by Blankenship at the 4:14 mark.

The Redmen suffered several injuries including Malone — the team’s leading rusher — in the first quarter, receiver Chris Stevens and lineman Collin Stevens.

The game was part of the fifth annual Chris Spielman Gridiron Classic series where players and fans are decked out in pink in order to raise money for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for breast cancer research.

Rock Hill opens Ohio Valley Confefrence play next Friday at Coal Grove.

Rock Hill 7 6 8 8 = 29

Wellston 7 28 21 7 = 63

First Quarter

RH — Jacob Malone 6 run (Jacob Malone kick), 8:26

W — Cain Wolford 1 run (Dylan Faught kick), 1:46

Second Quarter

RH — Jonah Cox 3 run (kick failed), 11:56

W — Noah Massie 60 run (Dylan Faught kick), 10:55

W — Noah Massie 2 run (Dylan Faught kick), 7:34

W — Jake Waldron 12 run (Dylan Faught kick), 1:48

W — Noah Massie 23 pass from Jake Waldron (Dylan Faught kick), :56

Third Quarter

W — Andrew Richards 4 pass from Jake Waldron (Dylan Faught kick), 9:02

W — Dakota Brown 37 pass from Jake Waldron (Dylan Faught kick), 5:31

W — Dakota Brown 7 blocked punt return (Dylan Faught kick), 3:07

RH — Jonah Cox 4 run (Chance Blankenship run), 1:40

Fourth Quarter

W — Braydon Womeldorf 7 run (Dylan Faught kick), 8:07

RH — Chance Blankenship 21 run (Chance Blankenship run), 4:14

TEAM STATISTICS

RH We

First Downs 13 23

Scrimmage Plays 51 57

Rushes-yards 48-263 43-299

Passing Yards 0 145

Total Yards 263 444

Cmp-Att-Int 0-3-1 8-14-1

Fumbles-lost 5-2 0-0

Penalties-yards 4-42 11-75

Punts-average 4-24.5 1-43.0

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING—Rock Hill: Chance Blankenship 15-169, Shane Harper 20-85, Jacob Malone 2-8, Chris Stevens 1-8, Jonah Cox 8-minus 7, Gabe Marzicola 1-2, Corey Depriest 1minus 2; Wellston: Noah Massie 10-103, Chris Coy 10-76, Cain Wolford 8-51, Jake Waldron 4-45, Braydon Womeldorf 4-13, Kenny Trimble 2-9, Josh Speakman 1-6, Forrest Hale 1-4, Tyler Roach 1-2, Cody Price 1-2, Dylan Faught 1-minus 12.

PASSING—Rock Hill: Jonah Cox 0-3-1-0; Wellston: Jake Waldron 8-13-1-145 3TD, Braydon Womeldorf 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING—Rock Hill: none; Wellston: Dakota Brown 4-94, Noah Massie 2-39, Tyler Roach 1-8, Andrew Richards 1-4.