The boys threw rocks at each other all weekend long at the 2017 Black’s Pharmacy men’s curling bonspiel, but in the end civility prevailed and a good time was had by all. A total of 20 teams (10 local, 10 out-of-town) took part in this year’s event.
The John Miller quartet from the Richmond Curling Club emerged as overall champion, following a decisive 8-1 victory over last year’s winner, the Dave Conlin rink out of Abbotsford, in the ‘A’ final on Sunday (Jan. 8) at the Merritt Curling Centre.
The winning foursome was comprised of skip Jamie Braun, third Randy Roy, second John Miller and lead Jamie Tolman. The team has been attending the Merritt event for over 15 years, and also won the title in 2012.
The ‘C’ event was also a one-sided affair at this year’s men’s bonspiel, as the Bob Arksay rink from Abbotsford conceded the match after falling behind 6-0 just two ends into the final. The winner was Merritt’s Curtis Sloan, along with teammates Bob Reid, Tyler Francis and ‘the’ Jack Reynoldson.
The Arksay team suffered a significant setback on the weekend, as one of its members fell during competition on Saturday night and broke his wrist. Fortunately, Merritt’s Gerry Gilderdale stepped in and helped the visitors get through the competition.
It was the ‘B’ final on Sunday that produced some drama — a battle right-down-to-the-wire between the Jerry Sanders rink from Merritt and the Dave Williams quartet that calls Chase home.
The two teams were tied at 3-3 after five ends, and 5-5 at the end of seven. With Williams holding the hammer coming home in the eighth, Sanders needed to steal in order to claim victory. It almost happened. With his second-to-last stone, Sanders tried a ‘dried grape’ (raise in), but came up short. Williams then attempted to fill up the middle but also missed on his shot.
With a small window of opportunity, Sanders used his final shot to slip past a couple of guards and draw to the button to claim shot rock. Unfortunately, Williams was equal to the task, threading the needle for a takeout. He scored three to win 8-5.
Other members of the Williams foursome were Jim Beecroft, Chris Williams and Norm Case.
Merritt Curling Club spokesperson Paul Montgomery said the cashspiel format used for the men’s bonspiel in recent years has been very successful, and keeps attracting teams from outside the community.
“Every win results in a pay day, with the amount increasing incrementally with each round,” said Montgomery. “Players like that.”
Montgomery noted that Williams’ final throw in the ‘B’ final had $390 riding on it.
Next up for the Merritt Curling Centre is the ladies’ bonspiel on January 21 and 22.
‘A’ Champion: The John Miller rink from Richmond (left to right) Jamie Tolman, John Miller, Randy Roy, Jamie Braun. Ian Webster/Herald
‘B’ Champion: The Curtis Sloan rink from Merritt (left to right) Curtis Sloan, Bob Reid, Tyler Francis, the Jack Reynoldson. Ian Webster/Herald
‘C’ Champion: The Dave Williams rink from Chase (left to right) Jim Beecroft, Dave Williams, Norm Case, Chris Williams. Ian Webster/Herald
