Local players fall short at SaskTel Tankard

Former Moose Jaw curler Chadd McKenzie came as close to reaching the SaskTel Tankard playoffs as you possibly can without actually making it.

McKenzie – playing lead for Brady Kendel’s foursome out of the Saskatoon Sutherland Curling Club – lost a pair of qualifier finals at the recent Men’s Provincial Curling championship in Estevan. After winning their first three games, Kendel lost in the ‘A’ final 8-7 to Saskatoon Nutana’s Colton Flasch, the ‘B’ semifinal 6-4 to Kerrobert’s Brock Virtue and the ‘C’ qualifier 7-5 to clubmate Scott Bitz. Both Brock Montgomery -- throwing third for Regina Highland’s Adam Casey -- and Derek Owens – curling second for former Hillcrest Sports Centre junior competitor Brent Gedak – lost in the ‘C’ semifinals.

Regina’s Steven Laycock defeated Flasch 9-7 in the championship final.

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Moose Jaw’s Pat Simmons and his Winnipeg-based rink of third Colton Lott, second Kyle Doering and lead Robert Gordon posted three straight wins at the Viterra Championship men’s provincials in Winkler, only to drop both of their games in the playoffs.

Simmons defeated Swan River’s Brandon Radford and Lasalle’s Randy Neufeld to reach the ‘A’ final, where he downed Winnipeg Assiniboine’s William Lyburn to each a playoff spot. There, Simmons fell 9-5 to Winnipeg Assiniboine’s J.T. Ryan before dropping a 9-8 decision to Steve Irwin in an elimination game.

West St. Paul’s Reid Carruthers defeated Winnipeg Fort Rouge’s Mike McEwen 7-6 in the championship final.