Wakefield Football: Cummings Named New Defensive Coordinator

After leading the Wakefield High freshman football team to a perfect 9-0 record this past fall, head coach Steve Cummings was rewarded with a new position: defensive coordinator for the varsity squad. 

With long-time coordinator Al Lisitano stepping down last season, head coach and athletic director Mike Boyages saw Cummings as a perfect fit. 

“He’s done great things with the program,” said Boyages. “As athletic director I really get a ton of compliments from the parents about the job he’s done down there. He’s really done an outstanding job. His strength lies in not just his knowledge of the game... but the way he treats kids and the time and effort he puts in. I really think he’ll be a great addition to our program at the varsity level.”

Cummings took over the freshman team in 2008 after coaching linebackers and receivers at Canton High School and Sharon High School. Before coaching at the high school level, Cummings coached the offensive line at Framingham State College in 2001, his alma matter where he played football from 1996-2001. 

Since he got the call from Boyages, Cummings has hit the ground running. 

“Ever since I talked to coach Boyages and he let me know I’m going to be the defensive coordinator, I’ve had whiteboards at my house and in the classroom and I have stuff drawn up all over the place,” said Cummings. 

Cummings said he’ll be implementing a new 3-4 defensive scheme, which relies on three down linemen and four linebackers instead of the standard 4-3, which features four down lineman and three linebackers. 

Cummings is hoping this new look will work to the Warriors’ strengths and weaknesses in 2011. 

“I feel like with amount of athleticism we have and the roster that we have, it benefits us to have more athletes on the field,” said Cummings. “One of our biggest weaknesses next year is going to be size, so I feel like by substituting a new linebacker or a defensive back in instead of another defensive lineman, it gives us more options.”

“We’re going to have to use our speed and use our aggressiveness,” added Cummings. “We’re going to have to fly to the football so I just feel like having another athlete on the field really helps us achieve that.”

It’s not always easy to start a new defensive look at the high school level, but Cummings said he’s optimistic after putting in the 3-4 at the freshman level.

“It worked real well,” said Cummings. “I’ve been working on the playbook for the past couple of years. With the freshman kids I was able to put in some of the basic stuff and they were able to handle a lot of it and I was able to put in a lot more than I was even planning on because the kids were able to adapt to it so easily.”

But while coaching varsity will be a big step up from coaching at the freshman level, the transition should be an easy one since Cummings has already coached most of next year’s team. 

“Unless the kids didn’t play freshman football, I’ve had all of them,” said Cummings. “The kids who are going to be seniors this upcoming year, they were my first class when I took over as freshman coach so I’m really excited about being able to finish up with those guys.”