It's been touched on by Cleveland, the jocks are enabled by their schools and seem to be able to do what they please. This also seems to be the case in college and also in pro sports. I remember once I wasn't allowed to play in a school cup game because of a detention, it was a flimflam detention too, not a serious one at all. The PE teacher tried to get me out of it, but to no avail. I'm guessing if you are in a sports team in high school, the rules are a little bit different for you. Must create some serious resentment amongst the non athletes.
I was always in the school football team and you got a certain amount of respect and street cred for being in the team, but you weren't anywhere near as famous to the extent were everyone in the town knows who you are as is the case in high school sports in the U.S.