AHOSKIE – Junior quarterback Lance Hunter threw for career highs in passing yardage (390) and touchdowns (five) as Hertford County opened Northeastern Coastal Conference action with a 54-24 win here Saturday vs. Currituck High.

The game was delayed 24 hours due to flooding last week on the heels of three days of rain.

With the win, Hertford County evened its overall record at 3-3 (1-0) in league play. Currituck fell to 2-4 overall (0-1).

Leading 14-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Bears began to pull away by scoring twice in the second period to take a 27-8 halftime lead.

Alex Maxbauer’s one-yard scoring run at the 9:43 mark of the period and Noah Parker’s PAT kick extended Hertford County’s lead to 21-8.

The Bears tacked on another second quarter score when Hunter tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Dunyasha Porter. The PAT kick failed.

HCHS kept pouring it on to open the second half, adding two more scores, both through the air, in the third quarter.

The first came on a 44-yard TD strike from Hunter to Jaquarii Roberson, capping a 71-yard drive that took only four plays.

Following a Currituck punt on their next drive, Rayshawn Beamon returned that kick to the Knights’ 43 yardline. On first down from that point, Hunter’s strong right arm accounted for another score when he heaved a 43-yard scoring pass to Porter.

Parker added both PAT kicks, extending the Bears lead to 40-8 heading into the final period of action.

Both teams scored twice over the last 12 minutes, with all four TD’s coming on the ground.

Hertford County’s pair of fourth quarter touchdowns came on Zion Riddick’s one-yard run (capping a 76-yard, 9-play drive) and a 54-yard scamper to the endzone by Jalen Davis.

Currituck’s Ryan Edwards (1-yard run) and Jordan Shaffer (5-yard run) scored for the Knights in the fourth quarter.

Hunter got the Bears off to a good start in the first quarter where he tossed touchdown passes covering 20 yards to Roberson and 22 yards to Beamon. Parker split the uprights on both PAT’s.

Currituck trailed 14-8 at the end of the opening period, scoring on a 69-yard pass from Edwards to Isaiah McCarraher. Edwards passed to Shaffer for the two-point conversion.

For the game, the Bears accounted for 598 yards of total offense, led by Hunter’s big night. Roberson (11 catches for 146 yards) and Porter (5-132) both eclipsed the 100-yard receiving threshold.

Riddick (12 carries for 59 yards) led the HCHS ground game.

Currituck finished with 329 total yards, led by Edwards with 229 passing yards.

Hertford County visits Edenton this Friday (Sept. 30).