The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Cardinal’s Cummins fired up for the game
Cardinal lineman Hayden Cummins on playing in this year’s senior all-star game: “To play with D-I guys, that’s crazy. All these big schools, that’s big experience and I’m very grateful for that.”
The opportunity to watch student-athletes from area high schools compete against new competition is a prominent feature of the annual News-Herald Senior Bowl.
Beyond one final high school football game on a Friday, the Senior Bowl also affords its participants experience competing with and against new faces.
Cardinal’s Hayden Cummins represents one of the smallest schools in the coverage area among players on the 2018 Senior Bowl rosters. Throughout Senior Bowl week, which culminates at Mayfield High School on June 15, such an experience is most pronounced for the Huskies’ lineman.
During practice with the White team, he’s matched up with a formidable contingent of pass-rushers from Euclid, South, Chardon and Madison — a stark difference from the teams Cardinal played as a Division IV member.
“About the closest thing we had was Kirtland,” Cummins said. “To play with D-I guys, that’s crazy. All these big schools, that’s big experience and I’m very grateful for that.”
Cummins was a threeyear starter for coach Eric Cardinal and played a vital two-way role as a senior on the Huskies’ offensive and defensive lines. Cummins started at right guard in Cardinal’s runheavy scheme, where he helped clear running lanes for quarterback Matt Carney and running backs Trey Shirkey and Rob Mulh.
During practice for coach Paul Guhde’s White team,
Cummins has taken reps on the offensive line. Similar to the competition, the rules of the Senior Bowl have Cummins playing in a new way.
Teams are required to throw on 60 percent of their plays. Three days of practice have taken a different tack than what Cummins was used to in Middlefield — especially in pass protection. “There’s all these new types of blocking I’ve never done before,” Cummins said. “Everything’s new, it’s very different from being at a small school with the regular stuff that I’ve learned my entire life compared to everything that’s new in the industry for football. All the new like, ‘here’s zone blocking,’ I’ve never done before. It’s interesting.”
Cummins’ new techniques are being extensively tested in practice. NDCL’s Manni Malone, South’s Jared Newsome, Madison’s Seth Schrock and Chardon’s Louis Monaco are among those chasing the quarterbacks behind Cummins.
The competition elevates at 7 p.m. June 15. During the Senior Bowl, Cummins and his teammates on the White offensive line will face pass rushers from Mentor, Perry and Lake Catholic, among other schools. Then, Cummins looks forward to doing his part.
“I’m pretty much a role player here,” Cummins said. “I’m not too much of a standout here because there’s so many good players. I’m just playing my role and doing what I can, I’m just excited for the opportunity to play.”