Despite being penalized more than the length of a football field, the Moody Blue Devils held on Friday night to defeat Chelsea 19-14.

Though Chelsea drove more than 20 yards to their own 39-yard line in five plays with less than a minute left in the game, the Hornets’ quarterback John Michael Lawley failed to complete a fourth-down pass to wide receiver Jake Campbell, giving the ball over to Moody on downs.

From there, Moody quarterback Josh Owen kneed the ball, sealing the win for the Blue Devils.

“This is the second week in a row that our kids practiced well and fought hard,” said Chelsea Head Coach Wade Waldrop. “But it’s also the second week that we made too many mistakes to win the game.”

The game knocked Chelsea to 0-3 for the year, and improved Moody’s record to 2-1.

Chelsea took an early lead a few minutes into the game when Jake Ganus broke free from defenders and ran 26 yards into the end zone. Kicker Alex Levinson added the extra point.

The Blue Devils answered late in the second quarter when Moody drove more than 50 yards to the Chelsea 18-yard line. Owen then kept the ball and powered his way into the end zone with 3:53 left in the first half.

After Owen’s touchdown, Moody kicker Blake Spiker missed the extra point when he bounced the ball off the left upright, giving Chelsea a 7-6 advantage at halftime.

On Moody’s opening drive of the second half, the Blue Devils drove the ball nearly the entire length of the field, cutting more than six minutes off the clock. Moody’s Brandon Hicks then carried the ball 10 yards for a touchdown, giving the Blue Devils a 12-7 advantage.

After the touchdown, Moody’s two-point conversion failed.

Early in the fourth quarter, Lawley connected with receiver Cory Payne, who ran the ball 10 yards for a touchdown. Spiker added the extra point.

The Hornets brought the score within five when Lawley completed a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Blaine King. Levinson added the extra point, but it would be the final point scored in the game.