WELLS — York came from behind twice Friday night to beat Wells 28-22 in a matchup of two old rivals headed to the Western Class B playoffs.

York (8-1) clinched homefield advantage for the first round of the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and will host No. 3 Mountain Valley in the regional semifinals. Wells (6-3), the No. 4 seed, will visit unbeaten Cape Elizabeth.

York had a setback before the game started because of an injury to running back Jared Prugar.

"He pulled his hamstring even before we got on the bus to come over here," York Coach Randy Small said. "We played him just on defense (in the first half), and it loosened up. Then in the second half he was Jared again."

By then, Brad Stephens had already established himself as a running threat, with quarterback Chris Cole proving a capable complement as a passer.

Stephens finished with 158 yards on 27 carries. Cole was 6 of 9 passing for 117 yards and saved his two best completions for his final two attempts.

Wells scored two quick third-quarter touchdowns to take a 22-14 lead. Stephens cut into the deficit with a 24-yard scoring run on the final play of the third quarter, but York´s 2-point conversion failed, leaving Wells clinging to a 22-20 lead.

York´s first possession of the fourth quarter looked doomed after a holding penalty. On fourth-and-nine, though, Prugar lined up as a wide receiver, and caught a 10-yard slant pass, reaching back slightly to catch the ball then lunging forward for the key extra yard.

On the next play, Cole faked a handoff to Stephens, then looked over the top for John McCafferty. The tight end was behind the defense, hauled in Cole´s pass and streaked the final 10 yards for a 33-yard touchdown.

"The coaches called the play and J-Mac was open. I just threw it out there," Cole said. "I don´t know how many times we threw it, but this has got to be (our best passing game). It definitely helped."

The game was rugged and physical, with several injuries to key players. On the first play of the fourth quarter, York linebacker Anthony Ciampa was injured and taken off the field in an ambulance. After the game, Small said he had received a call from Ciampa, who had been sent home from the hospital.

Wells, meanwhile, played the fourth quarter without its two best offensive threats. Top runner Weston Gregg went down with a calf injury while setting up Vinny Laude´s 5-yard scoring run, which gave Wells a 16-14 lead after quarterback Paul McDonough rushed for the 2-point conversion.

Laude´s leaping catch of an 18-yard McDonough pass pushed the lead to 22-14, but Laude was sidelined shortly afterward with a hip injury.

"It just got to be a war of attrition," Wells Coach Tim Roche said. "These kids are so tough, if they´re sitting out, it´s got to really hurt."

Wells took the early lead on a 5-yard run by Gregg, after Cole fumbled a snap on York´s second play of the game.

Stephens carried several Wells players for a 23-yard gain on the final play of the first quarter. Four plays later, Cole sneaked in from the 1.

York took its first lead on a 25-yard touchdown run by Stephens.

"It was a dogfight," Stephens said. "I had no idea Wells would hit as hard as they did. They were out there fighting."