Eastern Tech needed just 4 minutes, 40 seconds Friday night to break Baltimore County-rival Chesapeake's string of nine straight scoreless quarters.
By the end of the game, the defending Class 2A state champion also had gained a key dose of early season confidence against the lone team to beat them last season.
Sayvon Norman and Josh Canella each rushed for a pair of touchdowns and the Mavericks held the Bayhawks without a first down until 47 seconds left in the third quarter in a 38-0 win at CCBC-Essex.
Eastern Tech outgained Chesapeake — whose starting quarterback, Delvonta Cole — was out with a leg injury, in total yards, 391-5.
"I would've been excited just to win this game, let alone win the way we did," Mavericks coach Marc Mesaros said. "I thought we stepped up pretty well. They have a habit of winning real close games, and we know we had to open it up to win."
The defensive-minded Bayhawks (3-1), who had allowed just 16 points in their first three games, struggled all night to contain Eastern Tech's powerful ground game, as the Mavericks (3-1) got big games from Norman (10 carries, 84 yards), Daryn Davis (12-69) and Canella (17-48), the latter mostly on tough interior runs.
"We worked hard at practice everyday and our lineman blocked phenomenally," Norman said. "We just ran wild."
The Mavericks, who entered the night averaging more than 32 points per game, scored on their opening possession after starting with a short field. Davis ran consecutive sweeps for 10 and 13 yards to set up Norman, who then broke through the left side for an 8-yard touchdown.
They then extended the lead, thanks to a pair of key miscues by the Bayhawks.
First, after Chesapeake forced a punt from Eastern Tech's 40, the ball hit the turf, bounced backward and hit off the leg of a Bayhawks player. The Mavericks recovered at Chesapeake's 40.
Then, later in the drive, Chesapeake defensive back Brandon Kid recovered a fumble deep in his team's end and returned it 49 yards, putting the Bayhawks in prime scoring position. On the very next play, however, running back Pascal Tshiams lost a fumble of his own.
This time, Eastern Tech took full advantage, with Brad Hager's 37-yard pass to Chris Pomoroy setting up Canella's 6-yard scoring run, extending the lead to 13-0.
Norman's 25-yard touchdown run after a third-quarter interception made it 19-0, and the rout was on.
Norman said last September's 15-13 loss to Chesapeake — which Eastern Tech avenged in the regional finals — was on the minds of his teammates.
"I was definitely motivated to get the win," Norman said.