Getting back on the field

Maryland private high school sports can return this fall and can play under an open schedule

Schools competing in Maryland’s two largest private high school athletic organizations will have the option to play an open schedule this fall, The Capital has learned.

The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic

Association and Interscholastic Athletic Association ofMaryland, which oversee dozens of private schools in the state, will allow member schools to play unaffiliated. There won’t be an official start date to the season since individual schools will have the ability to create their own schedules.

A formal announcement by the leagues is expectedMonday.

The private schools could be the first high schools in the Baltimore-Washington metro area to return tointerscholastic athleticsamid the coronavirus pandemic. The MIAA and IAAM fall seasons were originally postponed indefinitelyAug. 13andthe leagues postponed the vote once again for a restart after meeting Thursday.

Members of the MIAA and IAAM met

Friday to approve the plan. Many private school teams have been conditioning or practicing over the last month.

Garrett, Washington and Allegany are the only counties inMaryland to decide on an October return; nearly every other system, including Anne Arundel and Harford counties, has opted for the later start in February. Howard County on Thursday announced itwould not return in October.

Carroll County, which discussed the topic at length in a meeting Wednesday night, has decided to push back making a decision until nextweek.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the leagues considered several options for a return to play: resumesports in October or inNovember, allowopen play or postpone sports until the spring.