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.Cleveland High School has been placed on probation and fined, along with other penalties, by the TSSAA for recruiting violations.
The Blue Raiders are surrendering participation in all summer league 7-on-7 drills and 2015 preseason scrimmages. They also will have to forgo participation in a preseason jamboree. The probation period is for two years -- from April 30, 2015, to April 30, 2017 -- and the football program was fined $1,000.
Cleveland's penalties stemmed directly from contact by new coach Scott Cummings with the guardian of a Cleveland Middle School student, a meeting requested by the student.
According to a release from Cleveland High principal Autumn O'Bryan, the meeting was set up to discuss the student's behavior. In addition to discussing academic programs, however, the vision and structure for Cleveland football was discussed at the conclusion of the meeting, a violation of TSSAA recruiting guidelines.
"In 13 years of being a head coach I have been working on the premise that contacting a student/player in my school zone or even my class was allowed," Cummings said in the release. "No attempts were made to have an influence on a student that was outside of Cleveland City Schools. I will make the necessary adjustments and move forward in a positive direction. Cleveland Middle is a Cleveland city school and will continue to be our feeder."
In addition to the 2015 penalties, Cleveland will be limited to five days of spring practice within a 10-day period but without scrimmages in 2016 and will be forced to miss a jamboree and cut its 2016 preseason scrimmages from four to two.
Cleveland athletic director Eric Phillips apologized "for the misinterpretation of this rule."
"We are working to develop clear and concise policies and procedures that will allow our coaches to work within the framework of Cleveland City Schools feeder pattern philosophy as well as the TSSAA bylaws," he said.
Cleveland also will develop a half-day required professional development course for administrators, athletic directors, coaches and assistant coaches to address procedures with student-athletes not at Cleveland with specific focus on acceptable interactions with Cleveland Middle School parents and students.
In addressing the issue, O'Bryan said, "Coach Cummings has been coaching for 20 years and has never had a (TSSAA) investigation or violation. Coach Cummings acted on behalf of a student that had shown a noticeable behavior change in his class. We believe Scott Cummings is a man of integrity with a well-established professional career in teaching and coaching. Cleveland High School football is on its way to greatness. This incident doesn't change that."
Less than a month ago, Cleveland neighbor Bradley Central received similar penalties for a recruiting violation.
Bradley was placed on probation and fined and head football coach Damon Floyd was suspended for two games for violating recruiting rules, specifically Article II, Section 17 of the TSSAA bylaws.
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.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.
Earlier report about Bradley Central: