Trail Retirees played their last game of the first section last week, although it solved nothing and needed a tie breaker to determine the first-place team.
The first place Tom Hall team faced the second place Murray Walsh foursome. The Walsh side played three strong ends and had a 5-0 lead to show for it. Team Hall posted a five in the fourth to make a game of it. Trading deuces in the fifth, sixth and seventh had Walsh up by two without hammer. A strong end by team Walsh gave Murray the win without having to throw his last rock. Make the final 9–7.
The win resulted in a tie for first place, and a one-game playoff to determine the winner of the first section was played the next day.
Since we have five-man teams, in tie breakers and playoffs, the skips sit out the first end, the third sits the second end, the second sits off the third and fourth ends. The lead sits the fifth and sixth, and the fifth man sits off the seventh and eighth ends.
The turning point of the game was the first end, with both skips watching, team Hall’s third, Pat Burke, put up a five ender. Team Walsh went on offence, but it was team Hall that had all the breaks, rubs and ticks. Brooms were tapped (in lieu of handshakes) after five ends giving team Hall the first section win.
In other action, Team Dan Horan took five in the second end to take a three point lead over team Bruce Noble. After a few low scoring ends, team Noble grabbed the lead with a big three in the sixth end. After an intentional (?) blank in the seventh end team Horan went into the eighth down one with hammer. All went according to plan for Horan as they scored three for a 9 – 7 victory.
Team Harvey Handley was up 2-0 over team Fennel/Beauchamp after two ends. Team Beauchamp then posted a five spot in the third end and followed it with a pair of twos in the fifth and sixth ends. Down by five going into the seventh end, Handley’s front end put rocks in play behind cover, but the Beauchamp side made great shots to save the game for the team’s first win of the session. Make the final 10–5.
Team Forrest Drinnan shot out of the gates with a steal of four in the first end against team Serge Pasquali. In the second end Serge was left with a hit and roll to the four foot against two Drinnan rocks. Serge made the shot, but it was an indication of what was ahead. After trading singles in the third and fourth ends, Drinnan scored two in the fifth. Stealing singles in the sixth and seventh allowed Drinnan to keep it open and give up a single in eight for a 9 – 3 victory.
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