WEST PITTSTON - Wyoming Area came into its Week 2 matchup with a more well-balanced offensive attack than it showed in Week 1.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, they are still giving up the big plays on defense.

Mid Valley rode to a 29-14 victory over Wyoming Area on the strength of two long touchdown runs by Josh Gorton and two long passes from quarterback Tyler Shay to Dan Wood to win its first game of the young season and bump its record to 1-1.

Wyoming Area falls to 0-2 with the loss.

"I thought we came out with a better effort than last week but it was still not enough," Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said after the game. "We're young and we're dealing with inexperience. We had a few missed assignments and we didn't finish on a few plays, but our guys are working hard and we will continue to do that."

The Warriors started the game quickly, scoring on their first offensive drive. Junior running back Jeff Skursky did most of the work, carrying the ball six times for 50 yards, including his 1-yard touchdown plunge. The extra-point attempt was no good and the Warriors led 6-0.

Mid Valley answered with a 69-yard drive of their own. Gorton went the final 30 yards down the sideline, bouncing off would be tacklers to tie the game. Tyler Collins made his first of three extra points and the Spartans were up 7-6.

Bobby Acacia responded for the Warriors on the ensuing kickoff with a 56-yard return to the Mid Valley 28. The Spartan defense got tough, however, and held Wyoming Area on downs.

The Spartans used that momentum to put together an 82-yard scoring drive. Gorton and Martin Walsh ran for key first downs and Shay hit Wood with a 34-yard bomb. Shay passed to Collins on a screen pass from the 13 and Mid Valley led 13-6.

A bad snap on Wyoming Area's next drive resulted in a safety when the ball went out of the back of the end zone but the Warriors rallied when Farrod Condry returned a pick-six 45 yards to pay dirt. Skursky used his speed to beat the Spartan defense to the pylon on the two-point try and Wyoming closed the gap to 15-14.

Mid Valley came back to score with only 45 seconds remaining before halftime when Wood took Shay's slant pass and went 43 yards to score.

Wyoming Area had their chances in the second half but a costly penalty and a missed field goal ended any threat for a score. Mid Valley put the game on ice when Gorton ran 71 yards for a touchdown, again using his strength and power to run through and over Wyoming's defenders.

"Our philosophy is, do what we do best," Mid Valley coach Dave Rebar said excitedly after his team's win. "This was a great team effort. We want our kids to be in a dogfight and they fought tonight. Wyoming Area is a very good team. The people in Mid Valley are happy tonight!"

WEST PITTSTON — Mid Valley held off a Wyoming Area threat to tie the game early in the fourth quarter.

Moments later, the Spartans broke the game open.

Josh Gorton went 71 yards for a touchdown with 8:08 remaining to provide the clinching score as the Spartans won their first game under new coach Dave Rebar, 29-14, over host Wyoming Area Friday night.

Wyoming Area put three first downs together in the same drive for the only time in the game to end the third quarter.

The Warriors (0-2) appeared to set up first-and-goal at the 1 on the second play of the fourth, only to be pushed back by a holding penalty. They ultimately gave the ball up on a missed field goal with 9:48 left.

“The penalty right there is a key penalty,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “You push one in from there, you go for two and the game’s on.

“Again, a critical mistake there put us in a position where we tried to get the three to make it a one-score game.”

Gorton widened the gap by scoring a touchdown when he appeared stopped for the second time in the game. About halfway through his 71-yard run, the Warriors seemed ready to push him out of bounds, but he managed to brush off the shove and tip toe down the sideline for the only score of the second half.

“You’re always lucky to have a kid like Josh Gorton,” Rebar said. “He’s quiet. He doesn’t say much, but he works exceptionally hard.”

Wyoming Area needed two big plays to stay in the game in the first half, which ended with Mid Valley in front, 22-14.

Jeff Skursky ran 39 yards through a huge hole off right tackle on the game’s first play to set up a quick score. A first down on a penalty three plays later was the last of the half for the Warriors, who took a 6-0 lead on Skursky’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Farrad Condry’s 45-yard interception return and Skursky’s two-point conversion run cut a nine-point deficit to one in the second quarter.