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.”