 | Greg Bailey
WCNC Sports Director |
“The parents did nothing wrong.” That’s the headline and the bottom line in the ineligibility question that bumped South Meck out of the playoffs.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools official told me Monday that Jey Yokeley’s parents filed all the right paperwork to get their son enrolled at South Meck, but that doesn’t guarantee he can participate in sports.
By now you probably know that Yokeley’s parents live outside of the South Meck enrollment boundaries. His mom’s battle with breast cancer and his parent’s pending move led them to file so Jey could live with grandparents and play for South Meck. CMS officials OK’d his status as a student, but the state athletic association has clear guidelines to play sports. The mistake should have been caught earlier, but wasn’t and once school officials learned of Yokeley’s status in regard to the rules, they had no choice but to forfeit all their wins.
It’s a shame and it’s an awful situation for a team that fought so hard to get into the post season, bouncing back from last year’s two win season. But it’s also just a mistake, nothing more as far as CMS is concerned.
All of this came to light when reporters started asking about Yokeley’s eligibility before the post season. I wonder how many more athletes will suit up and play who just happen to live outside school boundaries? If it happens in North Carolina as much as other states where I’ve worked, it happens more often than you might think.
What a shame that this kid has to go thru not only his mother's illness, his parents moving, now this? A kid that basically is trying to complete his high school career now has to have the burden of knowing that the entire school was let down because of a clerical error.
I agree. I grew up un Delaware (many years ago) and there was a case where a team had a great running back that had moved into that district after the school offered the dad a job as the janitor.
I have always assumed tht the Independance team was guity of this but, I have no proof - just a suspicion.
Like you, I feel for the South Meck kids who worked so hard.
Wouldn't it be interesting if the same media that outed Yokeley spendt some time investigating all the other CMS high school players--I'm sure many if not all would be forfeiting their seasons.