Team Ferguson kept a stranglehold on top spot in the Kootenay Savings Super League as it swung into action at the Trail Curling Club last week.
Ferguson curled to a hard-fought win over Team Myron Nichol to stay one point up on the Horning rink. After a blanked first end, Nichol struck for two in the second. Ferguson made a double take-out for two in the third, then watched as Nichol’s last rock in the fourth clipped the guard for a single steal. Team Nichol scored a deuce in the fourth, but Ferguson jumped back in the lead after Nichol’s last rock picked, leaving Rob an open draw for three in the sixth and a 6-4 lead. Team Nichol scored one in the seventh, but that was as close as he would get. Team Ferguson put up another two in the eighth on his way to an 8-5 triumph.
Team Fines started quickly against skip Justin Umpherville and his Junior Men’s team, taking advantage of some first end misses to score three. Umpherville managed one in the second, but his team buried rocks early to setup a steal of two in the third. Skip Ken Fines made a delicate tap to get one in the fourth, then threw up a wall of granite to steal two in the fifth and take a 6-3 lead. The game got out of reach in the seventh, when Team Umpherville missed a couple of runback doubles, leaving skip Ken Fines an open draw for four. More gambling in the eighth, led to another steal for Fines, and a 12-4 win.
With Deane Horning out of town, second Bill Van Yzerloo skipped this week against James McKenzie and his Castlegar Hyundai rink. Van Yzerloo made an open hit and stick for two in the first, then forced Team Hyundai into one in the second. The teams traded singles over the next four ends, before Team Horning scratched out another deuce in the seventh and a 6-3 lead. Team Horning kept the pressure on in the eighth, laying three at one time in the end, but McKenzie made a double take-out with his first, then a delicate come around tap in the four foot with last to count two. Van Yzerloo drew for two in the ninth, then watched as his team peeled Castlegar Hyundai out of rocks for another 8-5 win.