Wakefield Hall of Fame

Leslie ‘Tate’ Cummings

Tate Cummings might be called a pioneer when one considers the re-establishment of Wakefield High School Football. In 1918, after 13 years without football, Wakefield reinstituted an organized football program which had been suspended in 1905 in favor of fall baseball. Twenty four players tried out on that first day but within a week an epidemic (influenza) broke out and Wakefield was forced to cancel their first three games but only some of their weekly practices in spite of the school closings in the area. Only 15 players returned and the first year ended up in an expected losing season of 1-6-1. But, as reported by the local newspaper, there were a few bright stars. One was the senior captain Leo Douglass and the other was junior Tate Cummings who played right halfback on offense and sometimes right tackle on defense.

Tate was elected captain for the 1919 season by the letter winners from the 1918 squad. The 1919 season started just as bad as 1918 with 3 scoreless losses but then, the team jelled and Tate, running as a fullback, led his team in the remaining games to a winning season of 8-4-1. That year Tate scored 110 points which still qualifies him to be mentioned honorably among the single season scoring leaders and even the all-time career scoring leaders of the Wakefield High in spite of the fact he did all his scoring in one year.

Not once, but twice, Tate kicked 40 yard field goals - one of which was a game winner in a 3-2 victory against Beverly – the other against the alumni. This record stood the test of time for 76 years and these field goals were done the old-fashioned way - by using the long lost art of the drop-kick. In his final football game against Woburn, Tate scored 6 touchdowns, which is still a record today. He was carried off the field by his teammates and fans down Main Street from ‘The Commons,’ (across from the Town Hall) the location of the football field in that era.

As it is with many great athletes, Tate Cummings did not only excel in one sport. Over a four year period he scored 48% of the goals for the hockey team and was captain in 1920. Tate started at third base his sophomore year in fall baseball, batted .391 at the cleanup spot with a .652 slugging average. As a catcher in his senior year he was known for is powerful arm and strong defense while he batted close to .400, stole 30 bases and helped lead his team to a Middlesex League title.

Tate went on to play semi-pro baseball in Maine where he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. He worked 50 years for the historic Maine Central Railroad as one of the storied ‘Redcaps’ and also had a business selling coffee etc. to railroad employee office workers. The gregarious Leslie ‘Tate’ Cummings was a faithful member at his High School class reunions as well as a spectator at many Wakefield football games until he passed away in the early 1980’s.

Standing, left to right Gordon Crandall. Francis Maguire. Captain Caswell Huestis, John Kalaher, Leslie Cummings. Robert M. Dean. Jr., Mgr. Cyrus M. Dolbeare.

Middle Row Harold Surrette, Raymond Pearson. Howard Marshall, Wm. Lee George O’Neil. John Reid.

Front Row, Leo Douglas, Wrn. Finner, Harry Bird. Walter Clements. Herbert Hancock.

Tate Cummings Wakefield Hall of Fame Plaque – Inducted 1996.

Tate Cummings is seated in the front row center of this 1919 football team picture.

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