LEBANON — In a game between high school football programs seemingly going in opposite directions, Hanover High drubbed archrival Lebanon, 59-0, on Friday night at Henry Emerton Memorial Field.

The Bears (5-0) set a dominant tone early when junior running back Jeffrey Vidou returned the first kickoff of the game deep into Raider territory. Three plays later, Vidou dashed 11 yards through a gaggle of Lebanon defenders and into the end zone for the first points of the game.

It was a dominant game for Vidou, who finished with more than 100 combined offensive yards, netted two touchdowns and broke too many tackles to count. And he wasn’t just dominant on offense; on defense, he picked off Lebanon senior quarterback Morgan Melendy on the hosts’ next possession.

Vidou’s pick setup a 35- yard TD pass by Hanover junior quarterback Roger Lucas to receiver Teddy Sumner, who burned past two Raider defensive backs on a go route down the sideline.

“He’s a real special player,” Hanover coach Sam Cavallaro said of Vidou. “And on both sides of the ball.”

Following a quick three-and-out on the Raiders’ next possession, Hanover churned out yards on the ground on a drive that culminated in a TD toss from Lucas to receiver Beckett Sobel. In a flash it was 20-0 Bears with just eight minutes gone in the first quarter.

That lead would balloon to 33-0 by halftime, courtesy of two electric touchdown grabs by Sumner and Vidou.

On a third down at the Raiders’ 30-yard line, Lucas launched a pass to a streaking Sumner, who reached out and seemingly tapped the ball back toward his body for a stunning one-handed grab before galloping untouched into the end zone. On Hanover’s next possession, Vidou caught a swing pass, shook the first defender closest to him and zoomed down the sideline for a 41-yard TD, his second of the day. (He also had an 11-yard rushing TD earlier in the game disallowed on a block-in-the-back penalty.)

Lucas finished the game completing nine passes for 158 yards and three TDs

The game was a Hanover onslaught through and through.

Lebanon’s offense didn’t cross midfield until late in the second quarter and had only two first downs on the night, one of which was the result of a Hanover penalty.

Lebanon went the entire game without completing a pass and was sacked twice. Repeated Raider runs up the middle produced little in terms of yards but a lot of explosive collisions, as the Hanover front seven swallowed up everything Lebanon’s offense mustered.

Cavallaro said it doesn’t get much better as a football coach than when the defense shuts down the opposing offense. Even after Hanover pulled most of its starters with seven minutes left in the third quarter up 40-0, the defense continued its dominant form, forcing two fumbles and returning them for defensive TDs on back-to-back drives to close the scoring.

Bears freshman running back Jaysen Oriel also joined in on the scoring with a 30-yard TD run up the middle late in the third quarter.

Following the game, Cavallaro commended Lebanon coach Herb Hatch for keeping his players fighting through the midst of a tough season.

“They’re still alive; they stepped up,” Cavallaro said. “I really want to give it to the Lebanon players for the way they battled (out there).”

The Raiders, who graduated 13 seniors last year, seven of whom played on both sides of the ball, have been outgunned and outmanned so far this season, outscored 270-6 through five games. The Raiders dressed just 24 players in last week’s defeat to Souhegan and only 23 against the Bears.

Both teams are back in action on Friday, with Lebanon (0-5) visiting Pelham (5-0) and Hanover visiting Souhegan (5-0) in a battle for the top of the NHIAA Division II West standings.