Opening Day Goes to Mother Nature

Opening Day for high school winter sports in Minnesota will have to wait, at least for areas bracing for a blizzard to begin Thursday night. January 14 was the date set by the Minnesota State High School League to start the delayed winter sports season. In-person practice began January 4 and many coaches and athletes expressed excitement for the opportunity to play.

However, the weather has forced most, if not all, events in Steele County and the surrounding counties to postpone events. Ironically, when the fall season was about to begin in August after a five-month pause due to the pandemic, the first Owatonna High School girls tennis match of the season was postponed by hot weather. Don't fool around with Mother Nature.

Owatonna hockey games against Austin are rescheduled for March 1 for the girls in Owatonna and March 6 for the boys in Austin. OHS boys swimming against Faribault in a virtual meet is reset for February 2. Huskies basketball versus Mankato East does not have reschedule dates yet.

OHS girls hockey will now open their season hosting Mankato West at 1 pm on Saturday, January 16 at the Four Seasons Centre in Owatonna. The OHS boys will entertain Faribault afterward at 3:30 pm. Huskies basketball will play Rochester Century Saturday with the girls at OHS and the boys at Century (AM 1390 KRFO).

Wrestling teams around the region that were scheduled for Thursday include home matches for Westfield, NRHEG, Medford, and Triton.

Looking ahead to Friday, January 15:

Wrestling
Owatonna home vs Northfield and Pine Island with coverage on AM 1390 KRFO

Boys basketball
Blooming Prairie at Faribault BA
Maple River at NRHEG
Medford at United South Central
Rushford Peterson at Triton

Girls basketball
NRHEG at Maple River
United South Central at Medford

Steele County Blades junior hockey is scheduled to play the Minnesota Moose in Spooner, WI Friday night.