NORTHERN ONTARIO WINS FIRST BRIER SINCE 1985
Brad Jacobs leads young squad to 11-4 victory over Manitoba
EDMONTON — Al Hackner is only someone on an old video tape to Brad Jacobs, albeit one revered by Northern Ontario curlers.
But the 27-year-old Royal Bank account manager from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., now has something in common with the legendary Hackner, who won two Canadian men’s curling championships in the 1980s.
Jacobs became only the fifth Northern Ontario team to win the Brier, and the first since Hackner in 1985, when he shocked Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton 11-4 in front of 10,897 spectators Sunday night at Rexall Place.
“I know Al Hackner made that amazing shot, the best shot of all time, and then he ending up stealing in the extra (end) to win,” Jacobs said of Hackner’s cross-house double takeout to force an extra end against Alberta’s Pat Ryan at Moncton, N.B. “That’s really all I know. I wasn’t even born,” he added. “It really doesn’t mean a whole lot to me. The Briers that I’ve seen are in the past 10, 15 years.”
Jacobs’ best Brier moment used to be Alberta’s Kevin Koe’s draw to the button to beat Ontario’s Glenn Howard in the 2010 final “because we were there. Unbelievable shot to win the game under those circumstances.”
That memory has now been supplanted by how exceptionally well his team of third Ryan Fry, a former Winnipegger, and the Brothers Harnden, Ryan and E.J., on the front end played during three playoff games at this Tim Hortons Brier.
“Oh my God. I don’t even know how to feel right now,” Jacobs said.
“Really overwhelming what’s going on. I’m so proud of the guys for throwing the way they did.
“Phenomenal. We’re Brier champs. It’s a dream come true. This is what we wanted ever since we were kids.”
Jacobs’ rink was at a crossroads after losing to Saskatchewan during the round-robin Thursday morning to drop to 5-3.
“When we beat Manitoba in the round robin, when our backs were against the wall, that was the turning point to our Brier,” Jacobs said.
“We put on a massive per- formance and got ourselves to 6-3 and that was the turning point for us.”
After finishing 8-3 and tied with Manitoba and New foundland for second place, Northern Ontario breezed through the playoffs, becoming only the second team to win the championship while coming out of the Page Playoff 3-4 game.
“We played amazing throughout these playoffs,” Jacobs said.
“We were the underdogs the whole way. We never had hammer. To come out and do what we did is just phenomenal. So proud of the guys.”
The Northern Ontario rink shot an amazing 95 per cent in the final after also shooting 91 in a 6-5, extra-end Page Playoff 3-4 victory over Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue on Saturday night and 90 per cent in the semifinal upset of Howard.
“It’s been too long for Northern Ontario without that Tankard,” Jacobs added.
“Just to bring this back to Northern Ontario, back to Sault Ste. Marie means the world to us.”
This was supposed to be a Brier with an incredible field of experienced teams, including three of the greatest skips to ever play the game — Howard, Stoughton and Alberta’s Kevin Martin.
But Martin didn’t make the playoffs and the Jacobs eliminated both Stoughton and Howard in the playoffs, as well as Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue after going through the round robin with an 8-3 record to finish in a three-way tie for second place.
“We’ve proved ourselves up to now this week,” Jacobs said before the final. “This is one of the best Brier fields ever and we’re playing with them all.”
Make that better than them all at the end of the week. Jacobs will be representing Canada in the world championship March 30 to April 7 in Victoria.
Stoughton, who had previously won the final each time after also winning the Page Playoff 1-2 game, was trying to capture his second title in Edmonton and become only the fourth skip to win four Briers, while Howard was trying to finish off one of his team’s best-ever performances at the Canadian championship.
But Jacobs’ rink made absolutely everything against Stoughton in the first couple of ends to steal three points. After Stoughton got two back in the third end, Jacobs picked out a Manitoba shot rock in the four-foot to score three for a 6-2 lead after four ends.
After Jacobs got another deuce in the sixth end for an 8-4 lead, it was just a matter of time before Stoughton would throw his trademark spin-arama shot twice in the ninth end before shaking hands.
“They’re the up-and-comers for the game,” Howard said after losing the Sunday morning semifinal to Jacobs 9-7.
“It’s a pleasure to watch, a pleasure to play against them, just great guys. Brad is unbelievable.”