The final seven teams that will compete in the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier, – the Canadian men’s curling championship – were determined Sunday.
Curling fans in Kamloops, host city for the Tim Hortons Brier, Mar. 1-9 were focused on the outcome of the B.C. playdowns at the Vancouver Curling Club.
The Kelowna/Vernon team skipped by John Morris, with Kamloops-raised Jim Cotter throwing fourth stones and Tyrel Griffith and Rick Sawatsky on the front end, downed Jason Montgomery by an 11-2 score in the final to become the hometown favourites.
“Going to a Brier in my home town is going to be a phenomenal feeling. I still have a lot of friends and family there and I am really looking forward to it,” said Cotter.
Morris earned the distinction of becoming only the third curler in history to represent three provinces (Ontario, Alberta and B.C.) at the Canadian men’s championship.
The Kootenay laden team of Vernon’s Trevor Perepolkin, Deane Horning of Castlegar, Tyler Orme of Armstrong, and Don Freschi, Kevin Nesbitt, and coach Terry Bublitz of Trail were eliminated after an 8-6 heartbreaking loss to the Jason Montgomery rink from Duncan.
Montgomery would eventually beat Kimberley’s Tom Buchy rink 9-1 in the Page Playoff quarter-final on his way to the championship match against Morris.
The Kevin Koe rink beat Kevin Martin 7-5 in the final to take Alberta, while Jamie Koe rink won the Northwest Territories-Yukon playdown for the sixth year in a row.
Jeff Currie took the Northern Ontario spot, while James Grattan will represent New Brunswick for the 11th time. The Eddie McKenzie foursome advanced from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia’s Jamie Murphy defeated 2008 Tankard-winner Mark Dacey 12-8 in the final to advance.