By ETHAN THERRIEN
Courtesy of Ed King
The road to success in the game of football is full of grueling practices, overcoming injury setbacks, big hits and pressure. For senior Alex Amaya, this pressure comes as he works to kick his name onto the college recruiting map.
Amaya, the talented starting kicker and punter at DeMatha Catholic High School, didn’t always have football on his radar. Much of his childhood was spent on the soccer field, where he played goalkeeper. Neither of Amaya’s parents came from a sports background, creating a lack of parental influence on his own athletic journey.
“My parents didn’t play sports,” said Amaya. “My dad played soccer, but, you know, that was back in the day. He got injured.”
So, while the classic cliché of a former football star father didn’t shift Amaya’s gaze over to the gridiron, financial restrictions and a dabble of sibling influence eventually did. His brother, Kenny, was a punter at Bowie State University.
“He got a scholarship playing at Bowie State, and I just don’t want my parents paying for college. It’s a lot of money,” said Amaya.
This mindset led to the eventual switch, which Amaya says is not as easy as it may seem. Although the skills required to kick a football and a soccer ball are fundamentally similar, according to Amaya, the kicker needs to account for a few key differences to find success.
“It’s really different,” said Amaya. “The shape of the ball makes a big difference. In soccer, everyone would watch me like, ‘Whoa, he can kick far,’ but as soon as I got to football, it’s not as far as a soccer ball. The shape just changes everything.”
Amaya’s successful adaptation eventually led to his becoming the starting kicker for Bladensburg High School’s football team. However, the school’s severe offensive struggles led to zero field goals over Amaya’s three years on top of the depth chart. The lack of tangible production inspired Amaya to look for opportunities elsewhere.
“That really set me back in recruiting and getting college looks,” said Amaya. “I had zero kick attempts. It’s really hard for colleges to look at me if I have zero points.”
DeMatha ended up giving Amaya a look after he made the decision to attend their last practice of the 2023 season, as a junior, in order to show off his skillset. His decision and subsequent performance at practice caught the eye of DeMatha kicking coach Jamie O’Connor, who was quickly intrigued by the young athlete.
“When he was warming up, I said to Mike, who was our kicker last year, ‘Who’s the grown man warming up?’” said O’Connor. “He went through a couple reps with us, and Coach [Bill] McGregor, our head coach, talked to me afterwards and asked me, ‘Do we need this guy?’ I said, ‘If we get this guy, then that makes everything so much easier.’”
O’Connor added, “He was like a diamond in the rough.”
DeMatha isn’t easy, says Amaya. The school attempts to eliminate distractions for their students, including having strict cell phone policies. O’Connor himself is the self-proclaimed “number one enforcer” of these policies.
“Here they just implemented a new rule,” said Amaya. “No phones at all, not even in your pocket. OC sees it, he’s taking it.”
Despite the stricter environment, Amaya says his transfer to DeMatha is currently the number one highlight of his young kicking career. The opportunity to learn from one of the best coaching staffs in the state is not one he takes for granted as he looks to show people who he is.
“Here, we have NFL coaches, pro players, people who know the game,” said Amaya.
Amaya says that, for the upcoming season, he is focused on specific performance goals and positively changing the momentum of games.
“I don’t really care about matchups,” said Amaya. “I care about how I perform. I want at least six points each game. Doesn’t matter how. Change how the game is. Good punt, down them at the one, or something like that.”
He added, “I care if the team wins, but it’s not my main goal.”
Amaya kicked his first field goal with DeMatha, a 27-yard chip shot, in a 26-10 loss to Archbishop Spalding High School, on Aug. 31. On Sep. 8, during DeMatha’s 48-0 victory over Mt. Zion Prep, he completed both attempts — one from 30 yards, another from 43.
Amaya said he’ll need a substantial amount of mental discipline to reach his ultimate goal of kicking at the NFL level. “Once you get in your head, it’s really hard to get out,” he said.
But for now, Amaya hopes to use his newfound opportunity to boost his statistical production and impress scouts as he pursues that elusive college scholarship.
DeMatha’s next game is scheduled for Sept. 20, against Philadelphia’s Roman Catholic.
Ethan Therrien is an undergraduate journalism student at the University of Maryland.
