Former Loomis Golden Eagle Maclain Stoneking now playing at Linfield University

Former Del Oro High School receiver and kick returner, Maclain Stoneking, is now playing for Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. He has gone from being a tri-sport athlete at Del Oro to being an All-Northwest Conference honorable mention with the Wildcats. "Everyone has been very proud and supportive of me and the coaches from Del Oro I owe a lot of credit to because they made me into the player I am today," Stoneking said. Stoneking began playing football at age six and originally played quarterback before transitioning into a wide receiver. He didn't start returning kicks and punts until his high school freshman year. In his two varsity seasons at Del Oro, Stoneking totaled 536 kickoff return yards with his longest being a 95-yard return against Spanish Springs his junior year in 2019. He also added 200 receiving yards. "Maclain is a valuable weapon on the football field," Del Oro coach Michael Maben said. "Teams tried to double team him and, if they could help it, they tried to never kick to him. I am glad to see Maclain is finding success at the college level. He has all the tools to find success on and off the field and I am glad that he found a system that can utilize his skill set." In 2019, Del Oro went 6-5 and qualified for section playoffs before having a limited season in 2020. "It was always changing whether we were going to have a season or not, so it was hard to stay focused and motivated but I think everything about my game improved in the offseason," Stoneking said. "I worked very hard with my trainers to be the best player I could be going into college." Following high school, Stoneking made the decision to go to Linfield University to play football. In his first season with the Wildcats, he returned 24 punts for 221 yards, including one return for a 52-yard touchdown. "Only being a freshman, I was happy to just see the field but having success when I got on the field was even more rewarding," Stoneking said. "My favorite memory was definitely scoring the touchdown versus Pacific Lutheran, the feeling I got running through the end zone and celebrating with my team was indescribable." The Wildcats had their 65th consecutive winning season, the longest ever at any level of college football, and finished 11-1, making it all the way to the Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association semifinals. "Maclain had a very productive first year for us," Wildcats coach Joe Smith said. "He has very good hands and can catch just about anything that comes close to him and also has very strong mental fortitude, which allows him to catch in traffic by blocking out all the noise and distractions even under pressure." Stoneking wants to keep improving and developing as a player while hopefully winning a national title. He hasn't yet decided on a major but is planning on doing something in the business realm. Outside of football or school, Stoneking likes to snowboard, golf and go rock climbing. He has a piece of advice for high school athletes looking to continue their sport at the college level: "Don't have the mentality of Division I or bust. Look into Division II or III schools because there are super talented athletes in every division."