Minford junior J.D. Matiz (12) avoids a Rock Hill tackle during Friday night’s non-league season-opening football game at Minford High School.

Ed Litteral | Daily Times

MINFORD – Mason Book’s 76-yard punt return for a touchdown with 8:05 to play in the fourth quarter sealed the deal for the Minford Falcons — as they soared past Rock Hill for a 17-7 non-conference football win on Friday night at Minford.

“I was screaming at Mason to ‘field the ball, field the ball’ and it bounced right in front of him, and he picked it up and then he got a couple of nice blocks to hit the seam and he just outran everybody,” Minford head coach Jesse Ruby said. “It was big play that came at the right time.”

The Falcons (1-0) took the lead with 9:26 left in the fourth quarter — when sophomore quarterback Peyton Caudill scrambled to his right, and flicked a 14-yard pass to sophomore Brysen McQuate in the end zone to give Minford the 10-7 lead.

The touchdown pass capped off a nine-play, 53-yard drive that featured a 31-yard romp by senior running back Jeffrey Pica.

“It was good to see Pica get back into his game and look like his old self in the second half,” Ruby said. “He ran with power and some authority and speed and got back on track. He had a solid performance tonight.”

Pica finished the game with 112 yards on 20 carries, while Caudill completed 13 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Minford sophomore quarterback Peyton Caudill threw for a touchdown during the Falcons’ 17-7 non-league football win over Rock Hill on Friday night.

Ed Litteral | Daily Times

McQuate hauled in four catches for 25 yards and a TD, while Collin Rice had one reception for 10 yards and Troy Rhodes had two catches for eight yards — while J.D. Matiz added one reception for seven yards.

“We played a much better second half,” Ruby added. “In the first half we just had too many self-inflicted mistakes that stopped our drives. We came together after the half and executed better on offense and on defense. When you do that, then good things happen, and we saw that in the second half.”

Minford senior Collin Rice (5) tries to break the tackle of Rock Hill’s Wyatt Jenkins during Friday night’s non-league season-opening football game at Minford High School.

Ed Litteral | Daily Times

Minford took the 3-0 lead with 9:16 to play in the second quarter — when Myles Montgomery booted a 29-yard field goal to cap off a 13-play 48-yard drive.

Rock Hill (0-1) took the lead when Levi Jiles plunged in from two yards out with 1:49 to go before the break, and Connor Blagg added the extra-point.

Jiles, a senior running back, finished the game with 40 yards rushing on 11 carries and had 10 yards receiving.

Anthony Stamper added 39 yards on the ground on 10 carries, and Gage Clutters chipped in with 31 yards on nine attempts.

Minford’s Mason Bradley, a sophomore running back, posted 34 yards on the ground on nine carries — while Caudill added 24 yards rushing on four tries.

“We have to work on not beating ourselves and not putting ourselves in a position to come from behind,” Ruby said. “Self-inflicted penalties and mistakes like the ones we made in the first half are things we need to work on and eliminate.”

The Falcons face another Ohio Valley Conference club on Friday night —when they travel to Chesapeake.

* * *

Rock Hill 0 7 0 0 —7

Minford 0 3 0 14 —17

M — Myles Montgomery, 29-yard field goal, 9:16 2Q (3-0 M)

RH — Levi Jiles, 2-yard run, 1:49 2Q, Connor Blagg kick (7-3 RH)

M — Brysen McQuate, 14-yard pass from Peyton Caudill, 9:26 4Q, Myles Montgomery kick (10-7 M)

M — Mason Book, 76-yard punt return, 8:05 4Q, Myles Montgomery kick (17-7 M)

Team Statistics

RH M

First Downs 7 8

Scrimmage plays 46 48

Rushing yards 34-98 35-171

Passing yards 52 50

Total yards 150 221

Comp-Att-Int 5-12-0 8-13-1

Fumbles-lost 2-0 0-0

Punts-Ave. 5-22.8 3-31.9

Individual Leaders

RUSHING: Rock Hill: Levi Jiles 11-40 TD, Anthony Stamper 7-39, Gage Clutters 9-31; Minford: Jeffrey Pica 20-112, Mason Bradley 9-34

PASSING: Rock Hill: Dallin Cox 5-12-0-52; Minford: Peyton Caudill 8-13-1-50 TD

RECEIVING: Rock Hill: Anthony Stamper 3-33, Levi Jiles 1-10, Gage Clutters 1-9; Minford: Brysen McQuate 4-25 TD, Collin Rice 1-10, Troy Rhodes 2-8, J.D. Matiz 1-7