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GREENSBORO - Northeast Guilford handed Dudley one of its three losses in last year's championship season.

This year's version of the Panthers made sure that didn't happen again, as they trounced the Rams, 52-7, to remain undefeated.

Northeast won the toss and elected to defer. It was the last thing they won all night.

Dudley marched 60 yards in seven plays and never looked back. And if the opening drive was not deflating enough, the Rams fumbled the ensuing kickoff and one play later, the Panthers had a 12-0 lead thanks to a 34-yard pass from Ricky Lewis to Rakeem Overby.

"Ricky has become a leader this year compared to being an overall athlete last year," Dudley coach Steven Davis said. "Now he's leading by example, making plays. The team is really listening to him and that's what we're going to need to carry us through the playoffs."

The Panthers went on to score on three of their next four possessions. The only time they were held scoreless was when Lewis threw a pass that was picked off in the end zone by Rayshawn Trader.

But as good as the Dudley offense was, the defense was even better.

In the first half, Northeast had minus-eight yards of total offense. The Panthers enjoyed a huge size advantage and the defensive line spent most of the night in the Rams' backfield.

"We told them we've got to beat them off the ball," explained Davis in how his defensive line dominated play. "Watching the film they got off the ball well but we felt if we could get off the ball that we were stronger than they were. I thought we could get the push and that's what we did tonight."

It was more of the same in the second half, as Dudley scored the first two times it had the ball. Lewis scored on a 13-yard run and Major Bryant, who had five two-point conversion runs off left tackle, picked off a pass and returned it 50 yards for a score.

The Panthers seemed primed for their fifth shutout of the year, but the Rams got a late touchdown when Trader got behind the defense and hauled in a pass for a 51-yard catch-and-run score.

"We knew they were very good," Northeast coach Tommy Pursley said. "I just told our kids, and I believe this, they're not only the best Dudley team I've seen, they may be the best team period I've seen in a number of years. These guys are big, physical and well coached. What else could you want out of a football team?"

D - Fred Overby 5 run (pass failed)

D - Rakeem Overby 34 pass from Ricky Lewis (run failed)

D - J.R. Peterson 3 run (Major Bryant conversion run)

D - Peterson 14 run (Bryant run)

D - Lewis 5 run (Bryant run)

D - Lewis 13 run (Bryant run)

D - Rakeem Overby 50 punt return (Bryant run)

N - Rayshawn Trader 51 pass from Darius White (Matt Johnson kick)

Records: Dudley: 9-0, 4-0; Northeast: 3-6, 2-2.