Philip Simmons football player Gunnar Yocum granted extra year of eligibility after cancer battle

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – It’s a big day for one Lowcountry student-athlete who spent the past few years battling cancer. He will have an additional year of eligibility.

Gunnar Yocum, a senior at Philip Simmons High School was granted a 5th year of eligibility by the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) during a vote held in Columbia on Wednesday.

Gunnar was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 which impacted his school year. He has been cancer-free for about a year and until Wednesday, his appeals to play football had been rejected.

The long snapper and his family once again appealed and an SCHSL appellate panel voted 6-1 to overturn the executive committee’s ruling and grant Gunnar a fifth year.

“It was just an amazing feeling when they said raise your hand if you vote yes, and then I saw six hands go up,” he recalled from Wednesday’s vote. “My dad just grabbed a hold of me and it was just awesome.”

Gunnar said he has been practicing with his teammates all summer. “I finally get to go out and compete with them,” he said.