Barnauskas Powers Mid Valley Past Old Forge in Defensive Battle
By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | September 12, 2026 | Photo courtesy Ashlyn Bradshaw
THROOP — Mid Valley established control early and leaned on a dominant rushing performance from senior Kayden Barnauskas to defeat Old Forge, 14-0, Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
Barnauskas carried the ball 35 times for 261 yards and a touchdown, allowing the Spartans to control possession, consistently move the chains and protect their early lead. He was especially effective after halftime, gaining 176 yards while handling 19 of Mid Valley’s 23 offensive plays.
Mid Valley opened the scoring with 7:03 remaining in the first quarter when sophomore quarterback Paxton Grebb finished a promising drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. A 33-yard completion from Cole Skotleski to Aiden Willson helped move the Spartans into scoring position.
Grebb quickly made his presence felt on defense as well, intercepting Old Forge quarterback Dante Gonzalez on the Blue Devils’ ensuing possession.
The Spartans capitalized again when Barnauskas powered across the goal line from two yards out with 3:26 left in the opening quarter. Grebb’s 18-yard completion to senior tight end Tyler Krawczyk helped set up the score and gave Mid Valley a 14-0 advantage.
That proved to be all the offense the Spartans needed.
Old Forge produced several explosive plays but could not finish its drives. Gonzalez connected with Elio Castaldi for a 72-yard gain during the first half, moving the Blue Devils to the Mid Valley 15-yard line. Willson prevented the touchdown with a hustle play from the secondary, and the drive eventually ended with a missed 28-yard field-goal attempt.
The Blue Devils threatened again during the fourth quarter. Freshman Parker Harte scrambled for 37 yards before running back Rylan Gutowski broke free for another 40-yard gain. Willson once again chased down the play, making a touchdown-saving tackle at the Mid Valley 5.
Mid Valley defensive back Nick Hricenak then broke up a fourth-down pass to preserve the shutout.
Old Forge’s defense kept the Blue Devils within striking distance throughout the night, but the offense struggled to sustain drives against a disciplined Mid Valley unit. The Spartans’ rushing attack gradually wore down the defense and allowed Mid Valley to drain valuable time from the clock.
The victory improved Mid Valley to 2-1, while Old Forge fell to 0-3.
For the Spartans, the night belonged to Barnauskas, whose physical running style and relentless workload helped Mid Valley secure its second victory of the season. The senior also credited the offensive line for creating running lanes and helping the Spartans dictate the pace of the game.
Old Forge, meanwhile, will look to build on the explosive plays it generated and find a way to turn those opportunities into points as the Blue Devils continue searching for their first victory.
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