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Cunningham does it all for Tigers

The Northwestern football program has seen its fair share of electric football players over the years.

Whether it's a dual-threat quarterback, a wide receiver who plays defensive back, or a dominant running back, the Tigers have had their share of playmakers.Wide receiver Trevor Cunningham appears to be next in line.Cunningham torched Catasauqua for four touchdowns and over 300 yards of total offense as Northwestern rolled to a 48-14 victory Friday night.The triumph helped the Tigers snap a three-game losing streak and earn Cunningham Times News Player of the Week honors for Week 10."Trevor's a heck of a player," said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder. "We could see that he had a lot of potential when he was younger. He wasn't real focused on football or any one thing in particular. But it's nice to see someone that, as a freshman and sophomore, they just keep getting better and better each and every year."He's grown by leaps and bounds each and every year that he's been in the program, dedicated himself and turns out to be a captain for us this year."All of Cunningham's skills were on display against the Rough Riders, as the senior spent time at wide receiver and running back, scoring twice from each position, including an 86-yard touchdown reception that was the longest pass play from scrimmage in Northwestern history.Cunningham also became the first player in program history with over 1,000 yards receiving, and currently has an area-best 1,058 yards for the year.The numbers are even more impressive considering the glut of injuries the Tigers (5-5) have had to deal with this season, leaving Cunningham as a marked man for opposing defenses."That makes what he's done even more impressive because the defenses are so geared toward stopping him with double coverages," Snyder said. "We've moved him to the backfield at quarterback to do some direct snaps, and all he's done is rush for 100 yards in each of the last two games, culminating with that 300-plus all-purpose yard game."He's just an outstanding kid and an outstanding football player."Snyder would know, as it's his records Cunningham is taking down.According to Northwestern's statistics, Cunningham's 317 all-purpose yards against Catasauqua broke the previous mark of 313, which was held by Snyder and former Times News Player of the Year Harry Hall."I have to give a lot of credit to my offensive line for blocking and of course Devin (Bollinger), our quarterback, for getting me the ball," Cunningham said. "It's just a great feeling to know I could help my team out as much as I could."And surpassing players such as Hall and Snyder is an accomplishment not lost on Cunningham."It's a great feeling," said Cunningham, who had 426 yards receiving and four touchdowns last season. "It helps me to kind of see where I left my mark in the program and see that I established some great marks and records. It's a great feeling to know that I have a whole program behind me and supporting me."But I wasn't really looking at that. I was more focused on getting to a Week 11 game with my team rather than individual records."Cunningham will have a chance to add to his legacy Friday against Blue Mountain (8-2) in the Eastern Conference Division IV championship game."He's definitely set the standard here for a wide receiver," Snyder said of Cunningham. "He's not quite beaten all of Cam Richardson's single season records; he's got I think a few more catches and a few more touchdowns to go."But for Trevor to get over 1,000 yards in a season, he's the standard. He's set the bar really high."More than any yards or touchdowns, all Cunningham really wants is one more win."Week 11 is always that goal at the beginning of the season," said Trevor Cunningham. "No matter what happens, we know that this is the last game for the seniors. But we're not going to focus on just the seniors, we're going to focus on the whole team and play the best that we can and going out with a bang."