ELIZABETH CITY – The scenery changed, but the Bears didn’t.

Hertford County High School stormed into Northeastern with a spotless non-conference record and made the most of their first league game, rolling over the Eagles 46-7 to start the conference season.

Hertford County’s defense allowed just seven yards rushing in the contest and surrendered a mere 149 yards of total offense. The Bears also forced four turnovers.

The Bears scored first in the contest, when Antonio Vaughan picked off a pass and returned it 56 yards to paydirt with 3:39 to play in the first quarter. The conversion pass failed, but the Bears led 6-0.

In the second quarter, the rout was on as Hertford County scored three times to roll into the intermission with a 26-0 lead.

On the first possession of the second quarter, HCHS went 69 yards on seven plays. Vaughan capped the drive with a 44-yard scamper to paydirt. The conversion run failed, but the Bears were ahead 12-0 with 8:25 to play.

Moments later D’Isaac Jordan recovered a Northeastern fumble and gave the Bears possession of the pigskin on the Eagles’ 26-yardline. Six plays later, Ron Gatling punched it in from thee yards out. Brandon Warren added the PAT and Hertford County led 19-0 with 5:22 to play in the second quarter.

The Bears scored again as time expired in the first half when Markee White went in from three yards out. Warren’s kick made it 26-0 HCHS at the intermission.

Hertford County continued to roll in the third quarter as Michael Stephenson scored from 30 yards out on the first play from scrimmage. Warren’s kick made it 33-0 HCHS with 11:46 to play.

Just two minutes later, Petey Boone scored on an 11-yard scamper which, coupled with Warren’s kick, gave the Bears a 40-0 lead.

With the backups in the contest, the Bears scored again with 10:24 to play in the fourth quarter. Boone connected with Monterio Hunter on a 66-yard pass play. The conversion pass failed and Hertford County led 46-0.

Northeastern finally got on the board with 8:15 to play in the contest when Derrell Rick picked up a Hertford County fumble and returned it 31 yards. Luke Fargus added the PAT, but HCHS led 46-7 and went on to win by that mark.

The victory keeps first-year skipper Scott Privott undefeated as the Bears’ skipper. Hertford County is 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the Northeastern Coastal Conference. They stand tied atop the league with Bertie and Pasquotank County High School.

The Bears will look to continue their unbeaten streak next Friday when they return home for just the second time this season. HCHS will host Edenton.

(WDLZ-FM 98.3 Voice of the Bears Gattis Hodges contributed to this story.)