Ivan Merino

This story was last updated Friday, October 1st, 2004

By Jahmal Corner, Herald staff writer

PROSSER -- Ivan Merino is a different running back this season, and it isn't just the additional 20 pounds he put on during the summer -- though that helps.

It isn't because of the extra speed to boot, though that's worked out pretty well, too.

The biggest change for the Prosser junior is that he's comfortable this year. And as difficult as it is to assert that a kid who gained 1,216 regular-season yards and garnered all-state honors as a linebacker in 2003 wasn't as cozy as could be, it's true.

"I wasn't really that confident last year," Merino said. "I was out there trying not to make mistakes. I wasn't even supposed to start."

No kidding. Merino was third on the Mustangs' depth chart at running back entering his sophomore season. But after one player decided not to turn out, and another was ineligible, Merino became the guy.

Growing up in Prosser, Merino had spent days and nights fantasizing about taking the Art Fiker Stadium field in the horseshoe formation with the rest of his teammates. Somehow his dreams didn't specify just how soon that would come.

But he was ready, even if he didn't feel it.

The first sign last year that Merino would be something special right away came in Prosser's opener against North Central. He ran for 245 yards.

"I think that first game, the offensive line started to develop a little bit of trust in me," Merino said. "They saw what I could do and started to expect a little bit from me. Now this year, everyone expects a whole lot."

And they're getting it. In four games, Merino has rushed for a Mid-Valley League-leading 621 yards. His 10 touchdowns are three more than anyone else.

It isn't just broader shoulders that's been getting it done for No. 32, though that hasn't hurt.

"He's worked really hard and made a lot of improvements," said Prosser coach Tom Moore, whose team is 4-0 going into tonight's home game against Hanford. "He has really good vision and he makes plays. Every night he's played well for us."

On Sept. 10, Merino's 216 yards helped the Mustangs pull out a 54-42 win over Issaquah. He had fourth-quarter touchdown runs of 28 and 19 yards, and carried the ball 31 times. Such a workload is not uncommon for Merino, who also logged 36 carries during an overtime win in Pullman.

"I love carrying the ball a lot," Merino said. "Sometimes, when the coaches put another back in, they'll look over at me and say, 'Ivan, don't give me that look.' "

Merino has set his sights on Division I college football and dismisses skeptics who belittle his size -- newly sculpted into a 5-foot-9, 185-pound battering ram.

His play on both offense and defense is a reason Prosser has the look of a team that could challenge for a state title. This stable of Mustangs is one that has been anticipated for some time because Merino's class at Housel Middle School and the one before him went undefeated.

"I love this team," Merino said. "The best feeling is after we score a touchdown and everyone from the offensive line to the wide receivers knows that they helped out. We just feel like this is our year; the coach has been telling us that it's time for us to stop thinking small."

Merino doesn't have any problem with that.