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GREENSBORO — The family of Northern Guilford football player Gabe King dropped its lawsuit Thursday against the N.C. High School Athletic Association in exchange for an appeal hearing before the association's executive committee next week.

The settlement came hours before a judge was to hear King's request for a temporary restraining order that could have restored his eligibility.

Instead, King remains ineligible until his appeal hearing Wednesday morning at the NCHSAA's headquarters in Chapel Hill. Both sides agree the hearing is binding.

Greensboro attorney Chris Justice, who is representing King, said the appeal hearing is all King and his family wanted.

"A chance to be heard — that's all they ever sought from this," he said.

King's appeal will be heard by the NCHSAA's executive committee, a seven-person group of officers and board members. Durham attorney Jim Maxwell, representing the NCHSAA, said he extended the offer this week in hopes of a quick resolution.

"I think everyone could see a protracted litigation the way this was headed," he said. "That gets to be expensive to the King family and not inexpensive to us as well. And all the while there's a football season that wasn't stopping to wait until a decision is reached."

At issue is whether King, rated the No. 5 defensive end among high school seniors by Rivals.com, intentionally provided false information on a Guilford County Schools participation form he filled out in July 2008 at Page.

King's family lived within Page's school district before moving to Winston-Salem in the summer of 2008. Instead of moving with his family, King moved into his adult sister's apartment in the Page school district. King wrote her address on his participation form and signed his mother's name.

Page athletics officials informed the NCHSAA earlier this year that King might have been ineligible during the 2008 football season.

In March, Que Tucker, the deputy executive director for the NCHSAA, ruled King ineligible and banned him from competing in sports for a year. A player can be ruled ineligible only if he or she attempted to deceive school officials by providing fraudulent information.

Justice, who has called the participation form confusing and ambiguous, said King's acts "were certainly a technical violation, but not fraudulent. I'm hoping (the committee) can see the nature of this violation doesn't merit the triggering of a 365-day suspension."

King's parents moved back to Greensboro this year and into a house within Northern's attendance zone. King transferred to Northern in the middle of the spring semester.

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com