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GREENSBORO -- For the second consecutive year, Northwest Guilford opened the season with a dominating win over Eastern Guilford, this time by a 39-0 score.

Things did not start off well for the Vikings (1-0), ranked No. 8 in the News & Record Top 10, when they fumbled on their first play from scrimmage. But after a solid drive on their second possession, Northwest broke through on its third time with the ball, the first of four straight drives that culminated with a touchdown.

"The first quarter was sloppy," Vikings coach Joe Woodruff said. "But once we settled down I thought we did OK."

Northwest first asserted its dominance on the ground. Reid Baxter capped a five-play, 49-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown run with less than a minute to play in the first quarter.

On the Vikings' next drive, big runs by Dalton Dillon and Kyle Kristy set up a TD pass from Matthew Pawlowski to Baxter and a 12-0 lead.

After the Wildcats missed their second field-goal try of the game from 36 yards out, the Vikings got right back into the end zone on an Austin Pauley 10-yard run.

Penalties seemed like they would keep Northwest off the board on its next possession. After a beautiful touchdown pass to Nolan Carper was wiped out by an ineligible man downfield penalty, Pawlowski rallied with a 37-yard connection with Baxter that gave the Vikings a 26-0 halftime lead.

"We have lots of speed and we throw the ball pretty well," Woodruff said. The coach added he would gladly give up "two or three scoring plays" to have the TD pass to Carper stand up.

Meanwhile, Eastern (0-1) could not get anything started against a very quick Northwest defense. The Wildcats were held to 52 yards of offense in the first half and barely beat that mark after intermission.

Woodruff has a young team, but one that is experienced on offense. The Vikings' roster is bolstered by call-ups from the JV team that went undefeated last year. Still, the coach was left wanting more.

"All through practice and including tonight's game, I haven't seen anything," Woodruff said. "I don't think we played great."

H - Reid Baxter 24 run (kick blocked)

H -- Baxter 17 pass from Matthew Pawlowski (run failed)

H -- Austin Pauley 10 run (Baxter pass from Pawlowski)

H -- Baxter 37 pass from Pawlowski (pass failed)

H -- Dalton Dillon 2 run (Garrett Stuart kick)

H -- Kamen Powell 2 run (kick blocked)