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FAIRMONT -- Yes, it's the most wonderful time of what's left in the calendar year.
We segue from fixing another turkey sandwich to create space in the refrigerator to checking the weather app on our cell phones to see if snow or freezing rain will alter the area holiday high school sports tournaments today through Saturday.
Before I began typing this column, the Fairmont Area boys hockey team's first-round game against host Morris/Benson Area -- originally scheduled for today -- had already been postponed to Friday in Benson.
The Cardinals and the Storm will face-off in a 5 p.m. game, with the loser returning to the arena at 11 a.m. Saturday and the winner hitting the ice at 1 p.m. for the four-team, two-day event's championship. Mayville Port faces Prairie Center in Friday's other first-round clash in Benson.
In girls hockey holiday action Wednesday, Luverne defeated Fairmont Area, 3-0, in the opening round of the Schwan's Cup's Open National Division in Blaine.
Fairmont Area faces North Shore in a 2:30 p.m. consolation semifinal today back in Blaine. Arrowhead squeezed by North Shore, 2-1, in first-round action Wednesday.
Fairmont Area wraps up the three-day Schwan's Cup tournament on Friday, with a starting time and opponent to be determined by today's results.
Tonight also marks the beginning of two area boys basketball holiday tournaments, weather permitting.
Fairmont tips off the KwikTrip Holiday Tournament at Bethany Lutheran College's Younge Gym against Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at 6 p.m., while Class 1A No. 6-ranked Minnesota Valley Lutheran (8-0) faces Mankato Loyola at 6:30 p.m. in the Mankato-based campus' North Gym.
Maple River squares off against St. Croix Lutheran in Game 2 in Younge Gym, while New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva battles St. Clair in the second game in the North Gym.
The Fairmont--LCWM winner plays the winner of Maple River--St. Croix Lutheran in a 6:30 p.m. championship semifinal Friday in the North Gym, while the first-round losers square off at 6 p.m. Friday in Younge Gym.
The BLC holiday invitational concludes with four games, tipping off at 6 p.m. Saturday in Mankato.
Martin County West faces Le Sueur-Henderson in the opening round of the four-team Redwood Valley Holiday Tournament at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Redwood Falls.
The MCW--LSH winner plays the winner between host Redwood Valley and Lakeview in an 8 p.m. championship game Friday, while the first-round losers square off in a 6:30 p.m. consolation clash in Redwood Falls.
Make the 50-mile drive from Redwood Falls to Windom, and area girls basketball fans can watch Fairmont battle Cedar Mountain on Friday in a 6 p.m. opening-round game of the host Eagles' four-team, two-day holiday event.
The winner between Fairmont and Cedar Mountain faces the winner between Windom Area and Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg in a 3 p.m. championship game Saturday in Windom. The first-round losers tip off for third-place honors at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
If you want to stay closer to home, then hit the road to Blue Earth on Friday and Saturday for a pair of four-team basketball tournaments.
The Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther Jaguars tip off the girls classic in a 1 p.m. tipoff against the Jackson County Central Huskies on Friday, while the Jaguars battle the Huskies in a 2:30 p.m. boys opening clash in Blue Earth.
Host Blue Earth Area takes on United South Central in a 5 p.m. girls hoops opener Friday before the Bucs and Rebels lock up in a 6:30 p.m. boys tipoff.
The Bucs' holiday classic concludes Saturday, with the third-place girls game starting action at 1 p.m., followed by the girls championship at about 2:30 p.m. The boys' third-place contest is scheduled for 5 p.m., followed by the boys' championship clash.
So, place all that gift wrapping in the recycling bin, fill up the gas tank and carpool to an area sporting event during the ensuing days leading up to 2019.