AHOSKIE – The scoring was pretty even here Friday night.

Well, it was if you compare Hertford County High School’s offense to its defense and special teams. The Bears’ offensive unit scored three touchdowns, but was matched by the combined efforts of its defense and special teams in pouring in 40 points last night (Friday).

Unfortunately for visiting Pasquotank County High School, that was the only scoring going on in Bears Stadium as the home team had its way on Homecoming Night 2012 with a 40-0 victory in front of a packed house.

What turned out to be a scoring showcase for the Bears didn’t start out that way. Over the first six-plus minutes of the game, the teams exchanged three punts and managed just one first down.

On the third punt, this one by Pasquotank, the Bears got a 26-yard return from Chris Jordan and started on the Panthers 34-yard line.

Kevin Privott made short work of that distance, covering the entire 34 yards on the first play from scrimmage for the game’s first score. Ackerman Grace added the point after and the Bears led 7-0 with 5:22 to play in the first quarter.

After forcing a Pasquotank punt, the Bears had their only true scoring drive of the night, going 46 yards on six plays. The biggest play of the drive came when quarterback Ryan Weaver connected with Privott on a 42-yard gainer down to the 11-yard line of the Panthers.

Dorrien Askew picked up four more yards on the next play before Weaver called his own number and walked in from seven yards out. The kick failed, but the Bears led 13-0 with 1:18 to play in the first period.

With the offense already scoring twice, the defense decided to get in on the act.

On the first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, Darious White picked up a Pasquotank fumble and rumbled 23 yards to the endzone. Ryan Hatcher added the conversion kick and the Bears led 20-0 with 1:01 to play in the quarter.

The teams exchanged punts before Pasquotank was able to put together a drive that got to the Bears’ 43-yard line before they were turned away.

Hertford County then drove to the Panther 21-yard line before they were forced to turn the ball over on downs.

The defense stepped up again, matching the offenses’ output with their own second touchdown of the night. Jordan stepped in front of a pass on the far sideline and returned the interception 30 yards for a score. Hatcher was again true with the kick and the Bears led 27-0 with 4:53 to play in the first half.

The Hertford County offense wasn’t to be outdone, however, as they covered 64 yards on just two plays for their third score of the night. The touchdown came on a 56-yard pass from Weaver to Askew. The kick failed, but the Bears led 33-0 at the intermission.

With both the offense and defense scoring multiple times, the special teams made their presence known on the first play of the second half.

Jquwan Ruffin took the second half’s first kickoff and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown. Hatcher added the conversion and the Bears had a 40-0 lead.

At that point, the clock ran nonstop for the remainer of the game, leaving the contest a quick one.

The Bears’ defense was exceptional during the contest, holding Pasquotank to just 31 total yards. The Panthers had 12 yards rushing and 19 through the air.

Hertford County was led by a ground attack that covered 148 yards of the 260 in total offense. The yardage was spread out equally with the Bears using seven people to carry the football. Ken Sharpe led the attack with 36 yards while Privott added 34, all coming on a single carry.

Weaver was 4-of-9 passing for 112 yards and a score.

The win lifts the Bears to 5-3 for the season and evens their Northeastern Coastal Conference record at 2-2, tied for second in the league with rival Bertie.

Head Coach Scott Privott and the Bears will be off next week before returning to conference play Oct. 19 when they welcome First Flight High School.