Greg Abel PREPPING FOR PLAYOFFS — Fairmont’s Brylee Miller (far left) outleaps Cardinal teammate Nevaeh Rahm (33) and Blue Earth Area’s Sophia Keister (25) for a rebound during regular-season basketball action in Fairmont. Fairmont tips off the postseason on Saturday night, while Blue Earth Area opens section play on Tuesday night. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — What’s a Minnesota State High School League winter sports postseason without a snowstorm?

Never fear as sectional organizers and activities directors throughout the state have checked their weather apps and got out in front of the current blizzard.

Two area regular-season events originally on today’s docket have been cancelled, while the two playoff games have been rescheduled for Friday.

The Fairmont boys basketball team’s game against Belle Plaine, along with Blue Earth Area’s boys basketball contest at Worthington, have been called off and will not be rescheduled.

Meanwhile, the Fairmont Area Cardinal boys hockey team’s Section 3A quarterfinal clash with the New Ulm Eagles has been moved to 7 p.m. Friday night at the New Ulm Civic Center.

Senior forward Nate Rakness enters the sectional game with a team-best 33 points for No. 8-seeded Fairmont Area (8-18). Rakness hits center ice on a hot streak, generating five of his team-best 20 goals and four of his 13 assists during the last two games.

Senior forward Brock Lutterman and junior wing Luke Kester have generated 27 points apiece to share the No. 2 spot on the Cardinals’ lineup. Lutterman enters the sectional quarterfinal with a dozen goals and 14 helpers, while Kester has tallied 15 goals and doled out 11 assists.

Junior forward Austin Uecker has amassed a team-best 64 points on the strength of 25 goals and 39 assists for No. 1-seeded and Class A No. 10-ranked New Ulm (21-3-1).

Switching from ice to hardwood, the No. 6-seeded Martin County West Maverick (10-15) girls basketball lineup will play host to the No. 11-seeded Madelia Blackhawks (4-22) at 7 p.m. Friday night in Trimont in a play-in Section 2A game moved back 24 hours.

Sophomore small forward Emily Anderson tops the Mavericks with a 14.5-point scoring clip, while Anderson joins the junior post tandem of Ella Carlson and Liv Borchardt in topping the MCW charts on the boards.

The senior guard duo of Kari Matejka and Thea Anderson, along with Carlson, follow Emily Anderson in scoring with averages in the 8-point range.

The winner between MCW and Madelia advances to face No. 3-seeded Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey (16-9) in a South Sub-Section quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Mountain Lake.

In the opposite side of the Section 2A, South bracket, the No. 5-seeded Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther Jaguars (14-11) tip off the postseason in Springfield against the No. 4-seeded Tigers (12-12) in a 7 p.m. quarterfinal clash Tuesday night.

Junior point guard McKenna Benck and junior forward Olivia Mattson pack a potent 1-2 scoring punch for the Jaguars, while Mattson and junior post player Bethany Petrowiak top the team’s rebounding charts.

Freshman guard Keira Benck triggers the purple-and-white’s offense by distributing the lineup’s most assists per outing.

The winner between the Tigers and Jaguars will likely face No. 1-seeded Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (20-5) in a 6 p.m. South Sub-Section semifinal on Thursday, March 2, at St. Peter High School.

In Section 3AA girls basketball tournament action, the No. 3-seeded Fairmont Cardinals (13-10) play host to the No. 6-seeded Jackson County Central Huskies (11-12) in a 7 p.m. South Sub-Section quarterfinal on Saturday at Cardinal Gym.

Freshman guard Brylee Miller sets the Fairmont lineup in motion as the team’s top scorer, in addition to contributing solid numbers on the boards, in the passing lanes and on defense.

Junior center Nevaeh Rahm has evolved as a presence in the post on both ends of the court for the Cardinals, while junior small forward Grace Pendergast enters the postseason as the red-and-white’s leading scoring during the past couple of games.

Sophomore Rylie Cother and senior Maci Farmer form a formidable backcourt tandem for the Huskies. If Cother, who tossed in a single-game school-record 53 points earlier this season, and the sharp-shooting Farmer get locked on target, each player is capable of reaching the 30-plus point mark on any given night.

The winner between Fairmont and JCC advances to face either No. 2-seeded Pipestone Area (16-7) or No. 7-seeded Redwood Valley (9-16) in a 7:30 p.m. South semifinal on Tuesday at a neutral court.

In the Section 2AA bracket, the No. 7-seeded Blue Earth Area Bucs (5-19) travel to the No. 2-seeded Waseca Bluejays (15-9) for a 7 p.m. South quarterfinal on Tuesday.

Freshman guard Lola Lundquist and senior center Sophia Keister hit the hardwood court as the Bucs’ top two point producers, with the 6-foot Keister and junior power forward Chloe Groe crashing the boards.

Junior guard Katherine Armon ignites the Blue Earth Area offense and defense from an assists and steals perspective, respectively, while sophomore wing Erika Gaydon supplies the team’s long-distance shooting threat.

The winner between Blue Earth Area and Waseca advances to face either No. 3-seeded New Richland- Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (19-5) or No. 6-seeded Maple River (14-10) in a South semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at Mankato East High School.

From a state perspective, Blue Earth Area junior Addison Armstrong will compete on the vault during Saturday’s 6 p.m. Class A individual gymnastics meet at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul.

Armstrong, who captured sixth on the vault with a score of 9.0 during the Section 2 Meet, will have to wait until the seventh of eight event rotations to hit the vault table.

Armstrong, who just missed qualifying for state with a sixth-place sectional floor total of 9.025, earned a sectional medal by placing sixth in the all-around competition with a 34.4.

In sectional wrestling, No. 5-ranked 160-pounder Carver Rohman and No. 5-ranked 220-pounder Max Olson will guide the Martin County Red Bulls into Saturday’s 10 a.m. 3AA individual meet in Morris High School.

In Section 2A mat action, Parker Meyers will lead the Blue Earth Area grapplers into individual meet action at 10 a.m. Saturday in Mapleton.