Penn-Trafford's Cunningham gets appointment to Air Force Academy

In describing senior Jordan Cunningham, Penn-Trafford High School boys basketball coach called him "Mr. Consistency."

Congressman Tim Murphy, via a phone interview from his Washington, D.C., office, described Cunningham as "one of our nation's young people who gives us tremendous hope for the future of our country. He represents the next generation of our leaders."

Cunningham was notified Monday that he received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. In addition to receiving a letter from the academy informing him of the appointment, Murphy phoned an elated Cunningham with the news.

In his 41 seasons as a head basketball coach on the collegiate and high school levels -- or, in his words, "an eternity" -- Penn-Trafford boys basketball coach Bernie Matthews has seen more than his share of players hit -- or miss -- that game-winning field goal or free throw, great plays and not-so-great plays, great passes, and sometimes those that whizzed past his ear on the bench.

But what, Matthews said, separates the players and enables certain individuals to stand out above the rest boils down to one quality: consistency.

"A player has to make that solid effort every day, in games, of course, but especially in practice," Matthews said. "Consistency is what separates the players. A player doesn't have to be the leading scorer or top rebounder to make a real contribution to his team."

As Matthews recently concluded his second season with the Warriors, that's what he has seen in Cunningham:

"In his approach to the game and effort, he is Mr. Consistency. Jordan is not a scorer but a total team player, one of the hardest workers I have seen in 41 years as head coach," Matthews added. "He has a positive attitude and understands his role. He started most of our games and made a solid contribution, a contribution that was a real plus to this team. He plays strong defense and always puts forth a great effort. He plays hard every day, in practice and in games. He is athletic and even though he is 5-11, 170, he gets in the thick of the action and will rebound with taller opponents. He won't back down and this goes back to his commitment. He is steady and consistent, a gentleman on and off the floor. He is bright, focused, intense, and takes a workmanlike approach to his game."

Explaining the selection process, Murphy said Cunningham was among "dozens of applicants for each of our service academies. Applying for an appointment to one of our academies is a highly competitive process and is not a personal or political process. I have a panel that interviews each of the candidates and from the applicants I select 10 and the Air Force Academy makes the final selection. Jordan is a wonderful young man, the kind of person we want as a leader in our nation. He is bright, dedicated, and patriotic. His qualities are outstanding, and he is actively involved in his community and school. Whatever he does he tries to do to the best of his ability. His community and our nation should be proud that he will be one of our leaders."

When Cunningham, who was far from the Warriors' leading scorer this season, described his role on the team, he literally mouthed Matthews' words: "I am not a scorer," he said. "I try to play strong defense and leave the scoring to other players. Not being a scorer, I didn't set many personal goals when the season began. I'm out there to help the team as much as possible."

Cunningham's blue-collar approach on the basketball court is a carbon copy of his commitment in the classroom, where he carries a 4.2 grade average, which includes four honors classes and upper-level science and math classes. Cunningham is ranked 18th out of 365 members of his senior class. With a slight chuckle, Cunningham noted that college calculus is his favorite class.

Prior to pounding the floorboards of the basketball court, Cunningham spent last fall as the Warriors' No. 3 man on the golf team. With a 38.4 average for nine holes, he advanced to the third round of WPIAL playoffs. Cunningham will spend his spring on the pitcher's mound or in the outfield for the baseball team.

If math is a strong suit, science comes in a close second for Cunningham, who is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Club, and National Society of High School Scholars. Last year Cunningham attended the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute every Saturday morning at the Westinghouse facility in Wilkins, qualifying for the program based on his work and involvement in his AP chemistry class.

"We worked on different scientific projects every week," he said. "We designed bridge models and built small generators, and heard speakers who were experts in different science-related fields."

Interviewed for a service academy appointment by both Congressman Murphy and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Cunningham received his nomination from Murphy.

Accepted locally by both Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh, Cunningham's college preference was the Air Force Academy, where, he said, he will "study aeronautical or aerospace engineering. My ambition is to become a pilot and eventually develop new flight technology."

Cunningham, whose hobby is playing the guitar, is also a member of the Sons of the American Legion in Trafford, where he became the organization's first junior member. Cunningham's father, Thomas, was named Trafford High School's Scholar/Athlete in 1964 and spent three years in Korea with the U.S. Army after graduation from Waynesburg College.

When he isn't studying or involved in athletic activities, Cunningham has found time to work as a volunteer for Trafford Borough's Halloween and Christmas parades, serve on the town's recreation board, volunteer at the American Legion and help with St. Regis Church's golf tournament.