Skip Montgomery wants team to prove it’s the best
At six-foot-seven, Jason Montgomery is an imposing sight on the ice. Not hockey ice, but the pebbled variety.
The 35-year-old skip and his Victoria Curling Club rink — consisting of third Cameron de Jong, second Miles Craig and lead Will Duggan — played big on Saturday, using four-enders to pull off a pair of wins in the Island men’s playdowns at his home club.
Montgomery opened with an 8-4 win over clubmate Paul Henderson’s young crew in the morning, then opened with a score of four in the very first end to down Neil Dangerfield, also of the VCC, 9-5 in the afternoon A-event semifinal.
The Shawnigan Lake landscaper takes on veteran Wes Craig in this morning’s A-event final to determine the first of two berths to the belairdirect B.C. Men’s Championships, slated for Jan. 30 in Parksville.
“Obviously, we came here to win and our goal is to make the playoffs in provincials, but we have to get through this first,” said Montgomery, who missed last year’s playdowns because of hernia surgery.
“I think it’s our event to win. I think we are the best team here, but you have to play like you’re the best team here.”
They did it on Saturday, striking for a four-ender in the fifth against Henderson’s team, skipped by Alex Horvath.
“It was a closer game than the scoreboard shows,” said Montgomery, who lost the 2014 provincial men’s final to John Morris with Duggan and Craig on his team, but with Jody Epp throwing final stones.
“It was just a couple shots that could’ve gone either way,” he added of the 8-4 Saturday morning victory. “They could’ve had a three the end before, but just rubbed the guard.”
Montgomery’s VCC rink is the No. 1 seed in the eight-team event that continues today with the A- and B-event berths to be determined this morning and afternoon.
“It’s a pretty even field, really. I know it’s seeded and Horvath’s team was the eighth seed, but he’s undefeated in the Super League here [at the VCC], so he plays well on this ice,” Montgomery said.
The other semifinal had an interesting twist in that Wes Craig’s team’s average age is creeping on 59 years, while McCrady’s junior rink averages under 19. Craig, with Gerald Poelman at third, Tony Anslow at second and lead Victor Gamble defeated McCrady, of New Westminster, 9-8 in an extra end.
Wes Craig will face his son Miles Craig (Montgomery’s second) in the A-event final at 10 a.m.
At the women’s Open event in Hope, Island teams were reduced to just two as Kesa Van Osch of Nanaimo eliminated Dailene Pewarchuk of the VCC 9-6 in C-event play. Holly Donaldson’s split Vancouver/VCC team, which includes Steph Jackson-Baier at second and Carley Sandwith at lead, was also still alive in C heading to late Saturday play.
Kim Slattery’s Vernon rink downed Kamloops’ Karla Thompson 6-4 to earn the A-event title, the first of three berths to provincials at the VCC Jan. 2-7.