Lincoln Park’s Cummings finishes career for the ages
It was four years ago that Mike Bariski had a “Whoa, Nelly” moment — twice.
Bariski was an assistant coach at Lincoln Park, a charter high school in Midland, and went to watch the eighth-grade team play at Midland Middle School. He was wowed by this Nelly Cummings.
“I saw him score 56 points in two different games,” said Bariski. “I said, ‘I can’t wait to get this kid at Lincoln Park.’”
Bariski is now the head coach at Lincoln Park, and his memory is a little off, Cummings says. Cummings is sure he had 51 and 49 points in those two games.
But when it comes to Cummings and points, it’s easy to lose track.
Cummings was a prolific scorer as a youngster. He scored points by the dozens in eighth grade games. In his career at Lincoln Park, he scored points by a couple thousand.
Cummings leaves Lincoln Park as one of the greatest scores in the history of WPIAL basketball. Add that together with his winning ways and it’s not an overstatement to say Cummings had one of the most successful careers of any player in the WPIAL in decades.
Cummings, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior guard, finished his high school career Friday night in Hershey as Lincoln Park lost to Neumann-Goretti, 89-58, in the PIAA Class 3A championship game. Cummings scored 37 points and finished as the fifth-leading scorer in WPIAL history with 2,411 points. During the game, he passed the legendary Don Hennon, a 1955 Wampum graduate who went on to be an All-American at Pitt, and also Chartiers Valley's T.J. McConnell, now playing in the NBA.
The only WPIAL players to score more points than Cummings in their careers were Belle Vernon’s Vince Graham, Neshannock’s Kevin Covert, Duquesne’s Kevin Price and Valley’s Tom Pipkins. Cummings has secured a spot among the best scorers in WPIAL history, even if he doesn’t know much about the history.
“I don’t know any of those guys ahead of me, except T.J. McConnell,” Cummings said with a laugh. “I’m sure they had to be good with all of those points, but I just don’t know them.”
Cummings career at Lincoln Park started in December 2013. He started as a freshman. Lincoln Park won the opening tip and Cummings scored the first basket, a 3-pointer. It was a sign of things to come the next four seasons.
“I’ve always been a scorer,” said Cummings. “Ever since I’ve been little, all my dad and me did was work out in a gym. You’re in a gym so much, you’re going to figure out how to score.”
Cummings also figured ways to win — a lot. He was a starter as a freshman on a team that won a PIAA title. During his career, the Leopards went to three WPIAL title games and Lincoln Park’s record over Cummings’ four years was 103-16. You won’t find many boys players in WPIAL history who start four seasons and hit the century mark in wins.
Cummings will play Division I basketball next season at Bowling Green. He left an everlasting mark at Lincoln Park.
“He’s the all-time leading scorer in Beaver County history, scored more than 2,300 points, played in two state championships,” said Bariski. “He’ll probably be a three-time all-state selection. Our school is way down at the end of Pennsylvania, away from a lot of things, so maybe people don’t realize everything he has done. But it’s been a pretty special career.”