ROCKVILLE, Md. — It looks like high school students will be able to play football in Montgomery County after all this year.
The Montgomery County Council voted to approve an amendment to a health regulation that will allow “high risk” sports, in organized leagues, to be played in the county. Those leagues will be required to present a plan for approval to the Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles.
The decision comes after a week of uncertainty for players who participate in sports designated as “high risk” like football.
Last Friday, Montgomery County rolled out a new plan to ease some COVID-19 health restrictions. However, the plan said that athletes in high-risk sports could only engage in non-contact skills-building and drills. It also said those athletes would be prohibited from participating in scrimmages and games.
On Friday, during a council hearing, a co-sponsor of the amendment, Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer said he was happy to see students testify in support of the change.
“I want to salute the students who came, they rallied, they came to the county council and they raised their voice and you got our attention to something I think I had really just been an oversight,” he said.
The new amendment received the unanimous approval of the council.
Among other things, it requires contact tracing and attendance tracking sheets to be used at sporting competitions. Athletes will also be required to wear face-covering, per the guidance of the American Pediatrics Association.
“For athletes, this is going to count, so please use your leadership, be an example, follow all the best practices and protocols, be an example for your peers so that the schools can continue to be open,” Riemer said. “Let’s all win this one together.”
However, Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice, a co-sponsor to the amendment, said he was impressed by the student-athletes commitment to safety during their testimony at Friday’s hearing.
“And the thing that struck me the most was the acknowledgment of the need to balance safety as well as their need to be able to be on the playing field and I think that is what embodies what this amendment is all about,” Rice said.
A spokesperson for Montgomery County Public Schools said the district does not expect to have to resubmit a plan for play to the county health department.
MCPS said it has been working on ways to safely hold sporting competitions since June 2020 with the help of its COVID-19 Task Force.
The school district says sports like cheerleading and pompons may proceed with full activities. Football teams can also participate in full contact and activities as well.
Currently, MCPS expects to have a three-game football season. It says games scheduled March 25-27 will be played in a controlled scrimmage format where game officials will assist in the promotion of “safe progression, instruction, and technique.
MCPS said the locations for football games scheduled for April 9 and April 16 have been changed for each school to host a home game after spring break.
Walter Johnson High School football player Will Gardner was one of several students who testified at Friday’s council hearing.
He said he and his teammates will remain committed to doing whatever it takes to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Since the start of the pandemic, I personally have not been in anyone’s house or driven in cars with other people because I know how serious this virus is,” Gardner said. “And, me and my teammates will continue to strictly follow all safety guidelines when allowed to play games because it means so much more than a game to us.”
Fans will not be allowed to attend football games at this time, according to MCPS. However, the school district said parents can still watch games through the NFHS Network.