Colin Thomas and is rink are the champions of the St. John’s Super Curling League. They defeated the Andrew Symonds crew 5-2 in the final game.
Therapeutic Services Physiotherapy (skipped by Andrew Symonds) had choice of hammer or rocks because they won the 15-team Round Robin. They chose last rock in the first end and used it to advantage by blanking the first two ends. In the 3rd end, the third played with one centre-line guard figuring prominently, Symonds was long with a freeze attempt on his first stone. makethecall.ca skip, Colin Thomas, chipped the guard forming a wall guarding his shot stone at the back of the button. The Symonds foursome drew “first blood” with a nicely swept wide outturn draw to the button. In the pivotal end to follow, Thomas with hammer had a wide sweeping in turn with two possible favourable outcomes. If they nestled into a pocket at the back of the 4-foot circle, they might move the opposing second shot stone sufficiently for a 2 or a 3. Or, if their hammer curled enough, they might split their third shot stone at the top of the 4-foot circle sufficiently for a 2 or a 3. After a measure, and whether it was the shot called or not, the split was made and a 3 went on the board.
In the 5th end after Therapeutic Services Physiotherapy rolled out on a hit, Thomas smashed two frozen stones, and Symonds has an easy blank (hoping for a pair in the 6th end that would tie the game 3-3). With 3 rocks to come in the 6th end, it seemed that a pair was likely. Symonds buried his first stone to the top of the 4-foot circle, Thomas was light following it down to shrink the scoring area, but the hammer by Symonds crashed the Thomas stone closing the deficit to 3-2. In the 7th end with hammer, Thomas perfectly executed a run-back double takeout for a single. Needing a deuce to go to an extra end, the 8th saw interesting situations and drama:
- Team Symonds, with their third’s last stone, angle froze an opposing stone at the top of the button,
- Thomas followed the same line, was short, and left Symonds just a “circus shot” or a wide inturn tap which was attempted and rubbed a short guard before hanging dangerously in the 12-foot circle at 1:00,
- Thomas, with his last stone, guarded the raise takeout (leaving a double-raise or the “circus shot”,
- Symonds chose the latter, an outturn slash on his corner guard which he feathered driving it into the 4-foot circle but not with sufficient velocity to move the granite already there; makethecall.ca counted a single making the final score 5-2.
