Happy Days for the Cunninghams

In the San Fernando Valley, where families inevitably come and go, the Cunninghams are a fixture at Reseda High.

Joey Cunningham, a 6-foot-3 senior defensive end, is the second generation from his family to play football for the Regents.

His uncle, Bill, was an All-City defensive lineman in 1981. Joey’s father, Mike, played for the Regents in 1975. Mike married his high school sweetheart, Marge Snow, and lives two blocks from where he grew up.

“It’s great,” Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer said. “It’s what tradition is built on. We need more of that in our society--loyalty.”

Joey, nicknamed “Opie,” hardly plays. He’s a better baseball pitcher than he is a football player. But every Friday night, the Cunningham family gathers at Reseda games. JoAnn Cunningham, Joey’s grandmother, bakes brownies and cookies to give out in the stands.

“It’s so neat to see him out there,” JoAnn said. “It’s just a fun time.”

Said Mike: “We’re at every game. [Joey’s] out there plugging away, giving it his best.”

Joey said he has heard plenty of stories from his father and uncle about their playing days.

“I’ve heard them all,” he said. “Some of their old teachers ask about them.”

Schaeffer coached Bill in high school, and if he decides to stick around a couple more years, there are more Cunninghams on the way. Joey’s brother, Jimmy, is an 11-year-old sixth-grader who’s already 5-8. Another brother, Tommy, 9, also could end up playing football.