Wednesday night saw a Canadian Juniors hopeful take down a former champion in Baron Insurance Super League play at the Vernon Curling Club.
Jonathan Gardner’s Sladen Moore cracked a six-point second end to ground 2000 champion Brad Kuhn’s North Enderby Timber 8-4.
Gardners’ rink of Michael Longworth, Michael Hiram and Jonathan Hatten, will represent B.C. at the 2011 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors starting Saturday in Calgary.
After scoring a single steal in the first end, Kuhn, in a three-way tie for first with Ty Griffith’s Nufloors and Dave Merklinger’s Jet Ice at 11-4, racked on a guard in the second, leaving Gardner a hit for six in a crowded house.
Kuhn responded with singles in the next three ends before Gardner, now 9-7, ended the comeback with singles in six and seven.
Jenn Gerow’s Gateway Mechanical made it two wins in a row as they ambushed Jim Cotter’s Woodland Equipment 9-2.
After holding Cotter to a single in the first end, Gerow, now 5-10, went on a roll, recording one in the second followed by back-to-back doubles in the third and fourth.
Cotter (10-5) counted one in five, but Gerow iced the game with a four in six.
Fielding a full team for the first time in weeks, defending B.C. men’s champion Jeff Richard (B.C. Trailer) handed the keys to the super league cellar to Kayla Gunner after he doubled her Armstrong Inn rink 6-3.
Richard (3-11) opened with singles in the first two ends before Gunner (2-13) countered with a single in three and double in four.
A single in four and double in five by Richards were enough to force handshakes.
T.J. Perepolkin got no rest on his bye week as he subbed for Griffith’s Nufloors in a 7-2 win over Wayne Laface’s Inspiration Homes.
Tied 2-2 after three ends, Nufloors scored a huge five-point fourth end to earn an early night upstairs.
With Darin Heath shot calling for Merklinger, the Jet Ice rink played a tight game to brush back Blake Kimura’s Village Green Hotel 5-2.
Defensive play saw the two teams tied 1-1 after three ends, but Jet Ice recorded a double in four and single in five, which was enough for them to ride out the win. Kimura is 5-9.
Heath, backed by former world champion Gary Van Den Berghe, Ryan LeDrew and Darrell (Heavy D) Houston, is one of three Vernon teams competing at the Canada Direct Insurance B.C. Men’s Champions, Feb. 7-13 at the Vernon club.
Cotter (third Ken Maskiewich, second Kevin Folk and lead Rick Sawatsky) and Aron Herrick (third Tobin Senum, second Marc Fillion and lead Jason Wizniak) are the other local entrants.
