New Cleveland football coach Scott Cummings raids his hand as he is introduced before the Cleveland-Bradley Central high school wrestling meet Jan. 6, 2015, at Cleveland Middle School in Cleveland, Tenn.A second Bradley County school has been placed on probation and fined by the TSSAA.
In early April Bradley Central was placed on probation and fined and head football coach Damon Floyd was suspended for two games for violating recruiting rule Article II, Section 17 of the TSSAA bylaws.
On Monday, Cleveland announced that it would also be on a two-year probation from April 30, 2015 to April 30, 2017. The football program also is being fined $1,000 and will be prevented from participating in summer 7-on-7 drills or any 2015 preseason scrimmages or jamboree this fall.
Additonally, Cleveland will be allowed only 5 days of spring practice in 2016 and no scrimmages and its 2016 fall scrimmages will be reduced from four to two.
Cleveland's penalties stemmed directly from contact by new coach Scott Cummings communication with the guardian of a Cleveland Middle School student at the student's request.
According to a release from Cleveland the meeting was set up to discuss the student's behavior. In addition to discussing academic programs, the vision and structure for Cleveland football was discussed at the conclusion of the meeting, which violates the TSSAA definition of athletic recruiting.
Bradley was placed on probation for a text message Floyd allegedly sent to a middle school student encouraging him to convince another student to attend Bradley Central next year.
For more on this story, see Tuesday's edition of the Times Free Press.
Earlier report about Bradley Central:
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.