Greg Bailey | South Meck mess

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.