Braden River coach Curt Bradley suspended for multiple games, sources say

The made-for-television Friday night drama might have gone on pause, but the fallout from the Braden River High-Venice High rivalry continues with a three-game suspension starting Friday for Pirates head coach Curt Bradley and one of his top assistants.

Bradley and offensive coordinator Eric Sanders are out for the first three games of the 2018 season, according to multiple sources, as a result of the disciplinary action taken by the Manatee County School District after Sarasota County’s investigation into the use of an illegal college recruiting Hudl account.

The suspensions cover Friday’s Kickoff Classic against Lehigh Acres Lehigh and the first two regular-season games, which are both on the road, against Jacksonville Trinity Christian and Clearwater.

“District policy is we don’t comment on employee disciplines,” Manatee County athletic director Jason Montgomery said.

Bradley and Sanders are set to return for the Week 3 home game against Manatee High.

That same week, on Thursday, Sept. 6, Braden River senior Knowledge McDaniel’s appeal to be reinstated, after last week’s Florida High School Athletic Association ruling that McDaniel is ineligible for the 2018 season for receiving impermissible benefits, will be heard.

The FHSAA deemed McDaniel’s impermissible benefit was living with a booster club member during his time at Braden River.

The FHSAA’s report, which detailed a timeline of McDaniel’s residency, showed McDaniel started living with the booster club parent midway through his sophomore year. McDaniel is a four-year Braden River player.

“In football, you’re supposed to be your brother’s keeper and we support Knowledge,” Bradley told the Bradenton Herald after a recent practice. “The fact we do care for our brother in this program, we’ll stand by that. That’s what football is all about. If you’re not a good family, then you’re not a good team.”

Messages left seeking comment from Braden River athletic director Matt Nesser and principal Sharon Scarbrough were not immediately returned Thursday.

Bradley declined to comment about the disciplinary action when asked about it following a recent Braden River practice.

The Hudl investigation revealed Braden River used the college recruit account to view game films from Venice, Sarasota, Sarasota Booker and North Port.

It’s not known whether other opponents, including Manatee County district rivals Palmetto and Lakewood Ranch, were viewed.

Braden River also lost spring football, was fined and put on probation by the FHSAA for holding improper spring practices.

“I think we’re all here for the right reasons,” Bradley told the Herald. “We haven’t been perfect, obviously. But it’s unfortunate it gets to these types of levels. Every coach who has ever coached high school football has something they can turn in on every school.”

Rivalry gone wild

In 2015, Braden River beat Venice for the first time in its program history. A playoff rematch also yielded a Braden River victory as the Pirates advanced to the Class 7A state semifinals, where they lost to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, in their best season to date.

Venice returned the favor in 2016, before sweeping both matchups with Braden River en route to becoming the 7A state champion in 2017.

During those past few seasons, both programs have faced controversy as the rivalry was taken to new levels.

The first anonymous letter lodging allegations against Braden River’s program circulated in 2015 during the Pirates’ run to the state semifinals. Investigations didn’t yield anything.

Another happened in 2016 in relation to a player transfer, and the Manatee County School District didn’t find any issue.

A recent anonymous letter, which sources allege a former player’s parent authored, landed with the FHSAA investigating the various claims.

Only the Hudl incident and two players receiving impermissible benefits were found as violations at either the county or state level.

Venice turned Braden River in for the spring football violations.

“Kids have become collateral damage in this,” Bradley said. “We’re here to help young men. At the end of the day, high school football is about young men and helping them to grow to become better men. If you put a microscope on any program in the state of Florida you’ll find a myriad of things. Nobody out here is perfect.

“But at the end of the day, you can call the FHSAA and ask them how many times Braden River has turned somebody in and it hasn’t happened one time. We’re not about turning people in. We’ve had countless anonymous letters. So it’s them against us.

“Some of the stuff obviously is what it is. Other stuff has just been so outlandish it gets to the point where it’s not about what we’re all here for, which is young men.”

Bradley declined to talk about the rivalry with Venice.

Venice head coach John Peacock also declined an interview request about the rivalry. Peacock previously was fired for a culmination of incidents, which included liking a racially insensitive tweet that prompted Bradley to pen a letter to Peacock and copy school officials detailing a line was crossed.

That letter was written the same day the FHSAA levied penalties against Braden River for its improper spring practices.

Peacock was later rehired.

“There’s not a racist bone in his body,” said Lakewood Ranch head coach Christopher Culton, who has known Peacock since they were teenagers. “You can call him a competitor. You might hate him because he’s a little arrogant at times. He’s a good person. There’s not a bent bone in his body when it comes to that. The perception is not reality.”

Culton also said Bradley is a good guy and a good coach.

“He’s done a phenomenal thing,” Culton said. “Coming from where they came from in the start to where they are now, especially with the big dog in the area, the (Manatee) Hurricanes down the road, that’s impressive.”

The rivalry between Braden River and Venice, a program that sees Peacock suspended for the first three games of the year, will be renewed on Sept. 28 in Venice.

“I’m sad that it got to that crescendo, if you will,” Culton said. “I think there was ways around that. There’s things that you could have probably done to mitigate that. But I guarantee you one thing, that’s going to be a hot ticket when that game comes around.”

Culton added: “You think this is ‘Friday Night Lights’ you’re watching on NBC. Next thing you know, it’s ‘What?’ But I think things are calmed down.”

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This story was originally published August 16, 2018 at 12:15 PM.