Chelsea was in control for a quarter, then watched as Moody’s offense come on strong on its way to a 35-14 win that eliminated the Hornets from the Class 4A playoffs Friday night at Chelsea Field.

&uot;We had some breaks early on, we just didn’t capatilize on them,&uot; Chelsea coach Watt Parker said. &uot;They had a good game plan.&uot;

Chelsea (8-4) blocked a Moody punt on its opening possession to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Daniel Dempsey.

What was meant to be a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff looked more like an onside attempt and was recovered by Chelsea.

The Hornets were unable to net any points off the play, however, and struggled to regain momentum after an explosive second quarter for the Blue Devils.

Moody senior running back Lou Meadows slashed through the Chelsea defense, scoring on runs of 5 and 9 yards in the second period. Meadows finished with 283 yards rushing and three scores.

A touchdown scored on a blocked punt just before the half sent Moody (9-3) to the break beaming with confidence and holding on to a two-touchdown lead.

Moody struck first in the third quarter on a 68-yard run by Meadows and added to its lead with a 24-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone.

Faced with Moody’s growing lead and an injury to senior fullback Daniel Dempsey, Chelsea was forced to abandon the running attack.

Chelsea’s 1,000-yard rusher, Juan Grier, was held in check most of the night and saw his biggest gain in the passing game on a 47-yard reception.

Hornets quarterback Casey Morris was 5-of-11 for 179 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 71 yards on 15 attempts.

Matt Ling was Chelsea’s leading receiver with two receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown. Walker Kent also hauled in two passes for 62 yards.

Dempsey led on defense with nine tackles and a sack.

&uot;It was a great year for our seniors,&uot; Parker said. &uot;We can’t be prouder of them.&uot;

Neither Chelsea nor Moody had ever advanced to the third round of the playoffs before Friday’s game.

Moody will face 12-0 Deshler this Friday in the quarterfinals.

&uot;Moody has a great team and we wish them luck against Deshler,&uot; Parker said