Cummings crushes Graham to finish with first winning regular-season record since 2014

A 60-0 blowout victory over visiting Graham in a Mid-State 2-A Conference matchup meant the Cavaliers concluded the regular season with a 4-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in the league.

Cummings finished 6-5 overall and 4-1 in the league during the 2014 regular season, before losing in the first round of the state playoffs to finish at 6-6.

As the third-place team in the Mid-State 2-A standings this season, Cummings would need to receive an at-large bid to secure a state playoff spot, although that seems unlikely based on the records of other teams in the 2-A classification vying for an at-large spot.

With Bartlett Yancey finishing in second place in the one-bid league, the Buccaneers are better positioned for a chance at an at-large berth, meaning the Cavaliers’ season is probably over. If that’s the case, and the Cavaliers finish with a 4-3 record, it would mark the first winning season overall since 2011 when Cummings went 11-2 and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs.

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Regardless, Cummings players said they see this season as a step on the staircase toward reaching a higher level of success moving forward.

“Especially that we finished with a positive record,” Cummings junior receiver / defensive back Dylantae James said. “That hadn’t been done in a while here. It will really give us a boost and just make us feel like we can do anything as long as we got each other’s backs.

“(Our potential is) really scary. People always doubting us and stuff, and we just stick together and push each other. I know we going to be something special. We just got to keep working and keep believing.”

Cummings junior quarterback Tylek Oliver finished 14-for-19 passing for 408 yards and five touchdowns Thursday night. James reeled in five receptions for 173 yards and two scores, sophomore Marione Enoch had three grabs for 63 yards and two scores, and freshman Jonathan Paylor finished with three catches for 107 yards.

On Senior Night for the Cavaliers, senior running back Tyrese Crisp rushed for two touchdowns and 97 yards and, on several occasions, lowered his shoulder to barrel over Graham defenders.

The Cavaliers finished with a 2-9 record in the 2019 season. The difference between this season’s team and previous versions of the Cavaliers is togetherness and belief, Crisp said.

“The brotherhood and everybody showing up to practice, giving good effort every day, every game,” he said. “The main thing is belief in ourself. Last year, we ain’t really believe in ourselves. This year we do.”

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For first-year Cummings coach David Grimm, the seniors made this season's growth possible.

“The senior leadership has just been wonderful this year,” Grimm said. “Real proud of them. They understood coming in here what we needed to do as far as turning the program around, and they bought into that and completely did a great job with that.

“Getting the buy-in is important and the belief is important. I’m glad that they’re feeling that way. That was part of what I wanted to accomplish coming in this year. Hopefully we can keep that rolling.”

Five turnovers hampered the Red Devils (1-5 overall, 1-3 Mid-State 2-A Conference) and their ability to sustain any offensive success Thursday night.

“With our numbers being as low as they are, you have to limit mistakes,” first-year Graham coach Dominique Burks said. “Once you make a mistake, it’s over. Our guys kinda got down. Throwing interceptions, fumbles, it’s so hard to keep that morale up, and that’s how we end up losing 60-0.”

Graham senior Malachi Burnette provided the majority of the production for the Red Devils offense, finishing with 81 rushing yards on 15 carries. Quarterback Dexter Flood finished 5-for-16 passing for 67 yards and four interceptions.

“Credit goes to Coach (Ryan) Johnson, Coach (Dirul) Diaab, Coach (Kenyon) Burns on the defensive side of the ball,” Grimm said. “They’ve made some adjustments and did real good taking care of what we need to do defensively.”

Cummings junior cornerback Eli Collins notched two interceptions. James and freshman Bryce Davis each recorded one interception apiece, and senior TaJohn Wells recovered a Graham fumble.

“I feel like our belief comes from each other's mindsets,” Collins said. “We all have the same mindset. We all want to go to college. We all want to get out of Burlington. It’s just that we’re all trying to stay focused and prove a point to everybody.”

Collins and other Cavaliers players were firm in their belief that this season is the start of more positive things to come for the Cummings program.

“Everybody wasn’t as focused (in the 2019 season),” Collins said. “Just like all the coaches say, Cummings is back, we just have to believe in each and every one of us that Cummings is back. From last year, we really have improved.”

More: One for the books: Tylek Oliver, Jonathan Paylor combine to break five Cummings football records

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David Kehrli is a sports reporter at the Burlington Times-News and USA Today Network. You can reach him at david.kehrli@thetimesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidKehrliTN. Subscribe to the Burlington Times-News here.

This article originally appeared on Times-News: Cummings crushes Graham to finish with first winning regular-season record since 2014