PITTSBORO — Seaforth’s reign as Pittsboro’s top football program was on the line until junior receiver Noah Fuller took matters into his own hands.

Fuller caught three touchdowns, including two for at least 60 yards, and the game-sealing interception to lead the Hawks to a 22-15 victory over Northwood Friday.

“I saw one (defender) in front of me,” Fuller said. “And that’s not enough in my eyes.”

The Hawks defeated the Chargers in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the series’ history.

Seaforth, the team that opened the year with 41 first half points against Chapel Hill and dropped 70 on Princeton in Week 3, struggled offensively to start the game.

Penalties and pressure from the Chargers’ box kept the Hawks grounded. Northwood linebacker Seth Bowers led the effort with a sack and a crucial quarterback hurry that caused a turnover on downs with less than a minute to play in the first half.

Northwood’s offense also found its rhythm in the second period. Sullivan finished a long drive, which began in the first quarter, with a 3-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

On the following possession, Seaforth, backed up near its own goal line, committed holding in the end zone, which resulted in a safety.

Minutes later, Sullivan hit senior Raje Torres on a quick pass, and he ran 18 yards to the house.

“We just kept killing ourselves,” Parker said. “If we just played and did what coach said all week, then we’re going to be alright. And that’s what we ended up doing.”

Facing a 15-0 deficit, Seaforth didn’t fold. Fuller hauled in a 65-yard bomb from senior quarterback Duncan Parker to wake up the team’s offense before halftime.

Coming out of the break, Seaforth put together a time-consuming drive that reached deep into Northwood territory. However, the series ended with a lost fumble on a run from Parker that was recovered at the Northwood 10-yard line. The Hawks’ defense, which raised its level of play in the second half, responded by forcing a punt, and on Seaforth’s next offensive possession, Parker connected with Fuller for a 60-yard score to bring the Hawks within one point.

“Once these guys got going, I told them all day, like, ‘Can’t nobody play with those guys,’” Matthews said. “‘Can’t nobody beat us but us.’”

Midway through the fourth quarter, Seaforth junior Donovan Sims stripped a Northwood ball carrier and ran the ball down to within the Chargers’ 5-yard line. Parker found Fuller once again on a 4-yard touchdown pass for Seaforth’s first lead of the night.

“It all starts in practice,” Sims said. “We practice strips in practice all the time. And I mean, it’s just muscle memory at that point just to see him, pile up 11 guys to the ball and strip it out. Make a play.”

Later in the fourth quarter, the Hawks looked as if they iced the game with a successful fake punt deep in Northwood territory. But with one minute left to play, Northwood senior Asher Brooks snagged an interception near the goal line and returned it near midfield. Seaforth’s defense bent but bounced back to form with an interception by Fuller to secure the win.

“Defense has been a struggle for us this season,” Matthews said. “Not something I’m familiar with at all. So to be honest, to see them get that stop, to see how that stop came about and them to be successful there, I think that’s going to give us a little push that they need — some confidence boost that they need — to go ahead and do what we need to do. But you can bet, there’s going to be some changes on (defense), whether that’s personnel or scheme. But we have to get better. We will be better.”

The Hawks, continuing their best start in program history, moved to 3-1 on the year, and Northwood fell to 1-3.

Seaforth will host North Moore Friday, and Northwood will host North Surry on the same night. Both games will kick off at 7 p.m.