FUQUAY-VARINA - For the first time in three weeks, Fuquay-Varina coach Ryan Habich was able to relax during the fourth quarter. After sweating it out during back to back overtime games in weeks two and three, his team led 35-0 at the break and didn’t need the second half, much less overtime, to put away Lee County Friday night in a 42-7 romp at Bengals Stadium.

“It’s a good thing to come out and respond the way we did,” said the Bengals’ Ricky Fergerson, who finished with three touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air. “We were happy that we could let him relax a little bit during the fourth quarter. But it’s never too much relaxing with coach Habich. He’s always pretty hyped up.”

The Bengals came out with a statement on the game’s first snap from scrimmage, a 48-yard burst up the middle by fullback Carlton Bridges. Four plays later, Fuquay wide receiver Kyle Smith took an end-around sweep to the house from 16 yards out to finish his team’s first drive.

A week after a pair of failed two-point conversion attempts cost Fuquay dearly in a two-point, double overtime loss to Middle Creek, extra point attempts were no problem for the Bengals’ Andrew Starnes, who was a perfect six-for-six on PAT’s.

Habich said Starnes, who doubles as a soccer player for the Bengals, was unavailable against Middle Creek while on a college recruiting visit. After a three-and-out by Lee County, Fuquay regained possession and needed just three plays, all runs by running back Fergerson, to make it 14-0 on his 20-yard touchdown run with 7:07 remaining in the second quarter.

Penalties kept Fuquay from adding to the score on its next possession, but the Bengals made it three touchdowns in their first four possessions early in the second when quarterback Evan McNeill found Fergerson all by himself behind the Lee County secondary for a 65-yard hookup and 21-0 lead.

The Bengals’ Garrett Suggs picked off Lee County quarterback Chase Arrington to end the Yellow Jackets’ next possession, and Fuquay stretched the lead to 28-0 on McNeill’s second touchdown toss of the night, this one a 31-yarder to Smith on fourth and five.

“Our quarterback is very accurate,” Habich said. “We’re a little bit more balanced on offense this year than we have been in the past. It’s big because we can throw the ball a little more on offense and also do some other things.”

The Bengals capitalized on another interception, this one by Kahlil Perine near their own goal line, for their last score of the first half. McNeill kept the ball on a keeper from the Lee Country three-yard-line to finish an 87-yard march and make it 35-0 with 2:25 remaining in the first half.

Fuquay’s defense was as impressive as its offense in the first half, giving up just one first down before halftime.

If any hope of a comeback remained for Lee County early in the fourth quarter, Fergerson put it to rest with his third score of the night, this one a two-yard run with 9:50 to play.

The Jackets enjoyed far more offensive success in the second half, including a pair of late touchdowns. Lee responded to the Bengals’ last score with a nine-play drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown strike from Arrington to wide receiver T.J. Lett.

The Jackets added another score in the closing minutes when running back Josh Brinkley found the end zone, then recovered his own fumble for the touchdown to make it 42-14 with 1:35 to play.