Written By: Sven Alskog
Shane Carden is no stranger to success on the football field.
The former East Carolina star took home Conference USA MVP honors back in 2013 and was named AFL Rookie of the Year in 2017 after a season with the Baltimore Brigade.
Carden now steps into a new role on the sideline as the head coach of the Wood River Wolverines, a team that went 1-7 last year and is looking to get back to the level of the 8-2 squad from 2016.
A signal caller in his own right during his playing days, the new coach should be excited to have the services of senior dual-threat quarterback Andrew Nelson, who has impressed the last couple of years and should continue to show growth during his last campaign in high school. Nelson was named Honorable Mention All-Conference for his efforts last year.
Multiple seniors from the roster last season have departed to graduation after taking home All-Conference accolades in their own right, giving another young group in Hailey an opportunity to step on to the big stage and make an impact.
KC Marcroft and Hunter Geissler both earned All-Conference honors on the offensive line, with Fabian Leos at running back, Dominick Leos at defensive back and Mario Macias at kicker all being recognized in their own right.
The new coach will have mostly a clean slate to start off with, meaning he can embark his philosophy fulling on the team after working on the staff as an assistant a year ago.
Wood River begins the new season on August 30 at Mountain Home, a game which will count in the West Pod Conference standings.