Area basketball teams gearing up for playoffs
Walking along Downtown Plaza in Fairmont in 60-degree weather on Wednesday almost made me forget it’s the last full week in February.
Almost, that is, until I discovered Quid. The Weather Channel’s name for the snowstorm, whose arrival to the upper Midwest tonight and Friday reinforces Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction that winter has not exited quite yet.
And what would the Minnesota high school sectional basketball playoffs be without trudging through snow or the headaches the white fluffy stuff causes athletic directors who have to reschedule those games?
Yes, six of our area eight Minnesota hoops teams know their first-round opponents and which rivals represent the most resistance on the road to state.
Fortunately, all four girls basketball lineups tip off the playoffs at home, two boys teams will take to the highway and two await their respective seedings.
Martin County West mentor Rodger Taylor’s No. 4-seeded Mavericks (14-9) play host to No. 5-seeded Jackson County Central at 7 p.m. Saturday in Trimont in a Section 3AA, South Sub-Section girls quarterfinal. The MCW-JCC winner most likely faces No. 1-seeded Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (23-3) in a 6 p.m. sub-section semifinal at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at a court to be determined.
Coincidentally, Section 2AA and 2A tip off their South Sub-Section girls quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Fairmont head coach Don Waletich’s No. 4-seeded Cardinals (11-14) play host to No. 5-seeded Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (10-14) at 7 p.m. at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont in a 2AA South Sub-Section quarterfinal. The Fairmont-WEM winner most likely faces top-seeded New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (21-5) in a 6 p.m. sub-section semifinal Friday, March 3, at Mankato East High School.
In the other half of the bracket, Blue Earth Area head coach Al Cue’s No. 2-seeded Bucs (13-12) play host to No. 7-seeded Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (6-17) in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Blue Earth. The BEA-LCWM winner plays either No. 3-seeded Maple River (15-9) or No. 6-seeded Medford (6-17) in a 7:45 p.m. sub-section semifinal March 3 at Mankato East.
In Section 2A, South Sub-Section girls action, Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther mentor Rick Uttech’s No. 2-seeded Jaguars (22-4) open quarterfinal action against No. 7-seeded Mountain Lake Area (11-13) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in the newly-built Granada gymnasium.
The Jaguars-Wolverines winner advances to play either No. 3-seeded St. Clair (15-9) or No. 6-seeded Alden-Conger in a 7:45 p.m. sub-section semifinal Friday, March 3, in Lake Crystal.
Oddly, Fairmont head coach Jared Thompson’s Cardinals (15-8) and Blue Earth Area mentor Colby Swanson’s Bucs (4-18) will have to wait for the results of the Section 2AA seeding meeting on Monday to determine their upcoming opponents. South Sub-Section quarterfinal play begins at 7 p.m. Monday, March 6, at the high seeds’ home courts.
Martin County West head coach Cliff Anderson’s No. 8-seeded Mavericks tip off the Section 3AA, South Sub-Section quarterfinals against top-seeded Jackson County Central at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 3, in Jackson. Second-round action starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at a site to be determined.
In Section 2A, Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain head coach Brian Borkenhagen’s No. 5-seeded Jaguars (15-11) travel to No. 4-seeded Mankato Loyola (12-12) for a 7 p.m. South Sub-Section quarterfinal on Monday, March 6. The Jaguars-Crusaders winner will most likely face No. 1-seeded Springfield (22-2) in a 6 p.m. sub-section semifinal Thursday, March 9, in Lake Crystal.
So, bundle up and warm up in a southern Minnesota gymnasium near you during the next three weeks.
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