In last week’s win over Blue Mountain, there was no telling where senior Cade Christopher was going to be lined up.

Over the course of the game, Christopher rushed, threw, and caught the ball, all part of a plan by coach Josh Snyder to take advantage of Christopher’s athleticism by moving him around the field.

Snyder decided to do a little out-of-the-box thinking to come up with some formations where Christopher could be on the receiving end of a pass from none other than freshman Mason Bollinger, who had performed well as the team’s JV quarterback in the first two weeks.

Admittedly, the playbook for Bollinger was small, but Christopher was able to catch a pass from the freshman for 38 yards, and just the threat of Christopher at different spots on the field opened opportunities.

“It was different,” noted Christopher about last week’s game plan. “I like being involved, and like having the opportunity to make plays and help the team, so it was a lot of fun.”

Christopher finished the game against Blue Mountain with 118 yards rushing, 49 yards passing and 38 yards receiving for a total of 207 yards. Combined with a 52-yard interception return on one of his two picks and a kickoff return for a touchdown, Christopher truly was an all-around star for the Tigers.

“It was just one of those nights. I had a lot of chances on offense, and they tried to pass against us a little, and we were able to shut that down and really hurt their offense,” said Christopher. “It wasn’t just me; we had a lot of guys who played really well. A lot of the younger players are starting to get settled in a little and fit into their role with the team, and we all work hard and play together well.”

In the first two weeks of action, Christopher needed some plays off because of cramping and due to simple wear and tear of doing as much running as he was. In Week 3, he was able to play every down, and also give his team help on the defensive end of the ball - as well on offense - and it made a huge difference.

“He’s the type of kid that we can ask to do anything, and he is going to do it and do it and do it well. He sets a great example for everybody on the field, and his versatility is going to be a big part of our game planning this season,” said Snyder. “Having him able to go on every down both offensively and defensively was huge because teams have to always be aware of where he is and what he is doing.”

Not only did Christopher help an inexperienced group of receivers, his presence on defense also helped a young secondary that came into the game with just one interception through the first two weeks. Last week, Christopher picked off two passes, and Blaine Snyder grabbed another for the Tigers.

For his career, Christopher has crossed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving, and needs just 60 more yards rushing to cross that mark for his varsity career. His rushing yardage is especially impressive since he came into the season with 535 total yards, and already has crossed the 400-yard mark in just three games. Odds are that he will finish the season with over 1,000 yards for the season.

Christopher also has touchdowns rushing, passing, receiving, on an interception return, punt return and kickoff return at the varsity level. In fact, he needs just a receiving and interception return touchdown this season to hit all those categories for the season.

“Those are all nice, but it’s really just because I have had the opportunity to play in different spots for the team and be at different positions,” said Christopher. “I don’t focus as much on individual things, because we are all just looking to do our part and help the team win.”

With Christopher willing and able to move all around the field, there is no telling how many, or what types of touchdowns or other accomplishments he could string together in his final high school season.