On January 24, 2026, Amador Valley High School tight end Mckay Kenitzer (‘26) took to social media to officially announce his commitment to play college football at Southern Oregon University.
Beginnings
At a young age, early introduction to sports help build fundamental skills and a strong understanding of the game.
“My love for football started because of my dad. He had played football throughout his whole life, and was my coach in flag football for the first five years that I played. He really made me love the game,” said Kenitzer.
During his junior year, he played on both sides of the defensive line and contributed to one of the team’s most successful seasons.
“We both played on both sides of the D-line junior year, and that’s when we had that big run. I would say that the whole year playing with him on the D-line was just a bunch of great memories and a lot of fun,” said teammate Cole Goldsworthy (‘26).
High school preparation
Although football is a fall sport, teams begin training in the spring and summer. This helped the players build team chemistry, mentally and physically prepare, and develop habits that lead to success.
“High school football, especially here at Amador with the coaches that we’ve had, has prepared me for college because of how seriously we have taken everything that we do. The coaches are actively trying to get us to go to college and play sports there, if that’s what we desire,” said Kenitzer.
Recruiting process
Recruiting at the college level often extends beyond statistics and game film, often depending equally on a player’s leadership, discipline, and character.
“I think so much of the recruitment comes from at home, and McKay has a fantastic family. He has a really good mindset and upbringing, which is the type of kid that any coach would want in their organization. So I don’t credit as much to coaching, or to anything that we’ve necessarily done. I think a lot of [recruitment process] comes from him and just being able to take the coaching,” said Coach Williams.
Southern Oregon University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a member of the Frontier Conference for football. Recruitment can begin as early as the summer after sophomore year.
“The recruiting process for me started in December of 2025 when Coach Souza, the offensive coordinator at Southern Oregon, reached out to me and asked me to call them and see if I liked the school. Based on that, we got along well, and he invited me to go officially visit the school. On that visit, I got an offer, and when I got home, I just had to make the decision,” said Kenitzer.
Advice
Many factors go into deciding which school to attend. After high school, athletes can choose from a variety of programs, including junior colleges, community colleges, etc.
“Some advice would be,to see all your options out. Don’t make your decision right away. So then you can ultimately decide what’s best for you. Don’t decide before you figure it all out first,” said Kenitzer.
