Written by: Brandon Baney
Melba was tantalizingly close to playing for a state championship a year ago, as an 8-3 campaign ultimately ended with a semifinal loss to Declo.
Nine seniors said goodbye, and then head coach Cory Dickard said the same. Serving in his second stint as the Mustangs’ coach, Dickard was promoted to Melba’s Athletic Director this spring.
Dickard didn’t have to look far, though, to find his replacement: Melba assistant coach Marc Caron.
Caron has an impressive football history in his young career. After graduating from Rocky Mountain High, he attended Idaho State University, where he played both football and rugby.
After a stint coaching at Highland High in Pocatello, he spent three years at Rimrock. He coached just about everything you can at the small 2A school, helping with the football, basketball, softball and track and field teams.
After his time at Rimrock, Carron moved on to Caldwell, where he served as the Cougars’ strength and conditioning coach. And, after joining Melba as an assistant last year, he’s moved into his first head coaching job.
He’s got a good crop of athletes to work with.
Senior Rylan Frank shared quarterback duties with Cutter Beus a year ago, but with Beus now gone via graduation, the job is all his in 2024. When Frank wasn’t at quarterback, he played running back, and played it so well that he was named 1st Team All-Conference at the position.
So with Frank firmly entrenched as a dual-threat QB, and senior Brendan Svetich (an Honorable Mention All-Conference running back in 2023) joining him, it’s no surprise that the coach Carron wants to establish the run. “We are going to play a physical, run-heavy game,” Carron declared.
When the Mustangs do decide to pass, they’ll have a bevy of options to throw to. It’s true, standout receiver Noah West-Barranco and tight end Nate Wellington are gone, and they’ll be missed. But senior Korey Magdaleno also saw time at tight end a year ago, and seniors Daniel Martin and Isaac Orias, and sophomore Tyler Aggen, are all competing for time out wide.
Coach Carron is hoping to pair a strong running game with a stout defense. They’ll have to do so without defensive leaders West-Barranco at free safety, Wellington at corner and Evan Michaelson at linebacker. “Evan led our team in tackling, leadership and work ethic,” says Caron. “Nate shut down the outside run game and screen game to his side of the field, and Noah brought strong leadership as well.”
Carron will rely on Magdaleno at defensive end, Svetich at linebacker, and Frank at strong safety to lead each position group defensively. He also tabbed junior edge rusher Dylan Fahey as an important cog in the Melba defense. “Like our offense, we want our defense to be known for its physicality,” says Carron. “But we have to be better at getting off the field on third down.”
Overall, most coaches have tabbed Melba and Nampa Christian as the co-favorites in the Western Idaho Conference this year. The Trojans have more returning players overall, but Carron believes in the process at Melba.
“We are much younger this year than last year, with a lot of new starters replacing kids that have held a spot for several years, and I’m excited to see our guys step into their new roles,” says Carron. “Consistent, relentless effort with a never-back down mentality is what we will use to drive our success.”