HS FOOTBALL: Barnauskas runs wild in Mid Valley’s win over Old Forge
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THROOP — Mid Valley started fast and used the strong legs of Kayden Barnauskas to grind out a 14-0 win over Old Forge in a Lackawanna Football Conference football game Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
Dubbed “The Wild Man,” dating back to his days on the Olyphant Lions youth football team, Barnauskas, a senior, rumbled for 261 yards on 35 carries. He even earned himself a special snack.
“Kayden really came out and stepped up,” Mid Valley head coach Stan Yanoski said. “He put in a lot of work and beefed up, and he just runs people over now. He gained like 50 pounds, and he eats like crazy. We were joking that we have to buy him cookies now because he got his yardage. It was just a great job by him all night.”
Mid Valley (2-1) struck first when sophomore quarterback Paxton Grebb scored on a 1-yard run with 7:03 left in the first quarter. A 33-yard connection from senior quarterback Cole Skotleski to senior Aiden Willson helped set up the touchdown.
Grebb also made a difference on the defensive side of the ball, intercepting a pass from Old Forge sophomore quarterback Dante Gonzalez on the ensuing possession.
Barnauskas scored on a 2-yard run to give the Spartans a two-touchdown lead with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter after Grebb hit senior tight end Tyler Krawczyk for 18 yards.
Old Forge (0-3) had its best scoring opportunity of the first half when Gonzalez found junior wide receiver Elio Castaldi for 72 yards, bringing the ball to the Mid Valley 15-yard line. Willson made his first of two touchdown-saving tackles on the play. Then, the Blue Devils’ offense sputtered and junior kicker Cristopher Nino misfired on a 28-yard field goal attempt.
Old Forge head coach Michael Schuback feels his team needs to improve in several areas to get in the win column.
“You have to tackle — they did, we didn’t,” he said. “You’ve got to get first downs — they got first downs, we didn’t. Our inexperience, offensively, is showing. We’re getting a lot of effort out of a lot of guys, but we’re leaving our defense out there for too long and making it difficult for ourselves. We got out of this healthy and now we move on to the next one.”
The Blue Devils had another quality scoring opportunity slip away in the fourth quarter after freshman Parker Harte scrambled for 37 yards and junior running back Rylan Gutowski broke loose for a 40-yard gain before Willson made another key tackle at the Spartans’ 5-yard line. Mid Valley sophomore defensive back Nick Hricenak broke up a pass on fourth down to preserve the shutout.
“You can’t give up, the big plays are gonna happen and mistakes happen, but you have to hold strong and make a play,” Willson said. “The play’s not over until the whistle blows. Hustling doesn’t take any skill. Everybody motivating each other and doing their job.”
Barnauskas churned out 176 yards in the second half, carrying the ball on 19 of Mid Valley’s 23 plays. He credited the play of the offensive line for his ability to generate first downs and bleed the clock.
“It’s all the big men up front,” Barnauskas said. “The line did a fantastic job. I love this team with my heart.”
Yanoski praised the grit his team showed throughout the contest as several key players were unable to play.
“We have injuries galore,” he said. “It’s the next man (up) mentality and the kids are starting to get experience. We have 24 sophomores on the roster and a lot of them are playing right now.”
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