ELIZABETH CITY – The Bears snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Holding a tenuous 32-31 advantage in the fourth quarter, Hertford County drove to the Northeastern 11-yardline, but fumbled and allowed the Eagles to drive 89 yards on six plays for the game-winning score. Northeastern went on to a 39-32 Northeastern Coastal Conference victory.

HCHS trailed 31-13 at the intermission following a bizarre series of events.

The Bears had possession of the ball with less than two minutes left on the first half clock trailing 21-13 when Murphy’s Law took over.

First Hertford County fumbled away the ball and allowed Northeastern quarterback Shelton Morgan to connect with Devven Sutton on a nine-yard touchdown pass with only 18 seconds to play in the half. Then the Eagles kicked off and the squib kick was recovered by the home team.

Northeastern capitalized on the turnover with kicker Hunter Chappell splitting the uprights as time expired in the first half to push the Eagles to a 31-13 lead.

The Bears stormed back in the second half.

Junior quarterback Danny Dembry accounted for the first score, going eight yards to paydirt on the opening drive of the second half. The extra point failed leaving the Eagles ahead 31-19.

HCHS was far from finished in the third quarter, however, as the Bears’ offensive unit posted another score while the defense allowed only 56 yards in the entire period.

Following a Northeastern punt, Hertford County setup shop at their own 36-yardline. The Bears marched 64 yards on eight plays to pull within one score. The key play on the drive was a 20-yard pass from Dembry to LaMarcus Bond. The quarterback then scored again on a 14-yard run to cut the lead to 31-25.

Hertford County finally got the lead back early in the fourth quarter when, after stopping the Eagles on fourth down, Bond broke a 62-yard run to paydirt. Michael Burton added the PAT to give HCHS a 32-31 lead.

After forcing a Northeastern punt, the Bears drove to the nine-yardline of the Eagles and seemed poised to put the game away. A fumble, however, allowed the home team back in the contest.

Northeastern capitalized as Daronte McNeil had two key plays, a 60-yard run and a 10-yard scoring jaunt, on the drive. The McNeil touchdown coupled with his own two-point conversion established the final score.

Hertford County drove to the Northeastern 25-yardline, but were whistled for a holding penalty that stalled the drive and the Bears turned the ball over on downs.

HCHS scored first in the contest when Dembry went one yard a play after connecting with Jacquin Sessoms on a 62-yard pass play. Burton’s PAT made it 7-0

Northeastern tied the score on a two-yard run by McNeil at the 3:09 mark of the first quarter.

Hertford County went back in the lead with a one-yard run by Bond, but Northeastern answered with a 38-yard pass play from Morgan to McNeil to take a 14-13 lead. The Eagles went ahead on a three-yard score by McNeil at the 1:32 mark of the second quarter.

Dembry led the Bears, who dropped their fourth straight after starting 2-0, with 127 yard rushing and 109 yard passing. Bond added 135 yards on the ground.

The Bears will look to snap their skid next week when they host Edenton.