ODENVILLE — Mortimer Jordan passed its toughest test of the football season to date, but it was a close contest.

The seventh-ranked Blue Devils withstood a late rally by host St. Clair County, and won a 40-35 decision that may prove crucial in the Class 5A Region 6 championship race.

Both teams scored five touchdowns each, but the difference proved to be the conversions. Jordan, which has struggled with its kicking game at times, elected to go for two points after all five touchdowns, and were successful each time.

Moody, on the other hand, was 2-for-4 on 2-point conversions, and made their only kick for a single point.

The Devils got the upper hand early, scoring three of the game’s first four touchdowns. Quarterback Duncan Hodges scored on a 7-yard run just two minutes and 45 seconds after the opening kickoff, and Spencer Brown got the first of his four 2-point conversions.

After the Saints answered with a Grayson Beatty fumble recovery for a touchdown and a subsequent conversion by Taylor Mickens to tie the game, the Devils came right back with a 51-yard touchdown pass from Hodges to Walker McCleney.

Brown put Jordan up 24-8 with a 3-yard scoring run with 7:53 before halftime, but St. Clair shaved the margin to eight points with a Mickens 6-yard run with 51 seconds before intermission.

Hodges threw his second touchdown toss of the night, an 11-yard connection with Trey Peters, with about four minutes to go in the third quarter. A 2-yard plunge by Anthony Byrd got the Saints back within shouting distance, but the conversion attempt failed with 34 seconds left in the period.

Brown struck again just 11 seconds into the final quarter, this time on a 43-yard touchdown dash, and Kalin Stringer ran in what proved to be a crucial two points.

St. Clair didn’t give up, scoring two touchdowns down the stretch with a 12-yard Byrd run, then a Nyjil Cotton 23-yard score with 2:40 left in regulation.

The Saints tried for an onside kick after Cotton’s touchdown, but the Devils came up with the ball and ran out the clock.

The win puts Jordan at 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the region, tied with Alexandria after the Valley Cubs shut out Springville 27-0. Those two teams will meet at Jimmie Trotter Stadium on Oct. 2, but first the Devils will travel to Homewood to take on John Carroll Catholic. (Alexandria has the week off.)