WELLSTON - It all started with the kicking game.

A block punt went for a safety and the Rock Hill Redmen never recovered as they lost 23-6 Friday to the Wellston Golden Rockets.

Wellston blocked a punt with 7:14 left in the first quarter that went out of the end zone for a safety.

The Rockets then took the free kick and drove for the game's first touchdown as Josh Ewing ran 1 yard four minutes later. Lance Phillips kicked the point after for a 9-0 lead.

The score remained the same until Zane Holzapfel hit Ewing with a 46-yard scoring strike with just 3:45 left in the half. The conversion pass was good and the Rockets took a 17-0 lead into the locker room.

Andrew Johnson had a 3-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter as Wellston built a 23-0 lead.

Rock Hill, 1-4, avoided the shutout as T.J. Blagg ran 3 yards for a touchdown with 8:44 to play.

Blagg finished with 87 yards on 17 carries for the Redmen who had 116 of their 120 total yards on the ground.

Andrew Johnson finished with 54 yards on six carries.

Rock Hill0006-6

Wellston9860-23

First Quarter

Wel - Safety (blocked punt out of end zone) 7:14

Wel - Josh Ewing 1 run (Lance Phillips kick) 3:06

Second Quarter

Wel - Josh Ewing 46 pass from Zane Holzapfel (pass good) 3:45

Third Quarter

Wel - Andrew Johnson 3 run (kick fail) 6:48

Fourth Quarter

RH - T.J. Blagg 3 run (run failed) 8:44

-----

RHWel

First downs816

Rushes-yards34-11644-172

Passing yards4147

Total yards120319

Cmp-Att-Int2-7-06-14-0

Fumbles-lost4-14-2

Punts-average5-32.24-36.3

Penalties-yards4-2313-78

-----

Individual Leaders

RUSHING – Rock Hill: T.J. Blagg 17-87, K.C. Christian 6-21, Derek Robinson 9-19; Wellston: Andrew Johnson 6-54, Steve Gillman 8-52, Josh Ewing 11-43, Zane Holzapfel 12-27, Noah Waldron 3-4, Scott Baldwin 2-5, Jake Walburn 1-3, Brett Stewart 1-2.

PASSING – Rock Hill: Derek Robinson 2-7-0 4; Wellston: Zane Holzapfel 6-14-0 147.

RECEIVING – Rock Hill: K.C. Christian 1-4,Jarrod Casey 1-0; Wellston: Josh Osborne 2-67, Josh Ewing 2-55, Steve Gillman 1-15, Andrew Johnson 1-10.