Sports

Local curling team unbeaten in New York victory

December 11, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Shellee Morning
King Curling Club
King’s Team Harris packed their brooms and headed for Rochester, New-York, to participate in the Rock N Reel Bonspiel for their first over-the boarder competition.
These youngsters were filled by excitement and determination.
Skip Codie Harris, Ben Harbridge as vice, Matthew Murphy as second and Jonathon Brunato as lead faced a large contingent of American teamthem.
During round-robin play, the Harris squad played teams from Schenectady, Rochester and Albany, winning all three matches and qualifying for the A division event. Semifinal action saw Harris against a team from Plain Chester, N.Y. and the King boys pushed from the hack strong in the first end and never looked back, winning 8-1, and advancing them to the championship game.
Facing the only other Canadian team in the event, Team Harris greeted Teaghan Laitar and her team from Fergus for the title. Laitar with hammer scored a deuce in the opening frame, then Harris responded in the second with his own two points to tie.
They traded deuces in the third and fourth ends, equalling the score again at four points each. In the fifth, Team Harris manipulated, forcing Laitar to a single and regaining the hammer. Both teams traded two points each in the sixth and seventh, but Laitar controlled the house in the eighth, forcing Harris to a single to tie the game, forcing the extra end.
It was a well-played scoreboard throughout the championship match by both Canadian teams with great shots and impressive teamwork.
Laitar, earning the hammer for the extra end, led her team to some well-executed shots and guard placement, leaving the Harris team with some challenging come backs.
Harris on his last shot drew down a difficult path, making a tough last shot for Laitar, who missed and gave up a steal of three, handing Team Harris the win.
Harris won the title with a five-game, unbeaten spiel for the Championship Title.
These four boys, along with fifth man, Cameron Sheardown, are also competing in OFFSA representing King City Secondary School with a record to date of two ties and one loss. This week, they will be playing zones in the Gore Mutual School Boys at Orangeville Curling Club.
Sunday Night Social League
On sheet 1, Skip Heidi Beck and her team of Jim and Gail McKinley and Fiori Gagliardi scored nine points to overtake the opposing team of Andrea and Amanda Zupanic, Charles Levine and Doug Brown (spare for Maria Moreau). They won more ends then Beck, but only scored six points in the high scoring exciting match.
On sheet 2, the strong front end of Sheila Kelly and Dominic Baldesarra helped Team Dave Grosse to their win against team Kelly. Skip Bill Kelly and Kim Battershell, Richard Boutin and Dan Antle rebounded in the second half to a close finish of 8-7.
Friday League playoffs
The Friday night social league began their knock-out competition playoffs this past week and after some tantalizing hits and draws, the first round winners drew a sigh of relief after their hard fought battles. Winners included Rob Robertson, Gerry Duffy, Peter Wasylkiw and Andrew McKenzie. Round two next week is anticipated to be just as exciting as playoffs always produce its own degree of surprises.

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