Staff
Mike Jakubo of Copper Cliff went the short route—capping an undefeated run at the NOCA men’s provincial curling playdowns here with a 9-4 victory over Brad Jacobs (Sault Ste. Marie) in Saturday night’s final.
The two teams traded deuces in the second and third ends, but the turning point came in the fourth when Jacobs looked to be in good position to steal.
Instead, a failed attempt to put up a guard with his second-last rock gave Jakubo an opening—and he converted on a double-takeout and then one final straight take-out with his last rock to score one and lead 3-2.
“That was a tricky end for us,” Jakubo recalled afterwards. “We just needed to make solid shots and they played it tough on us, but we kept plugging away at it and left ourselves with not an easy shot, but an easier shot.
“We were able to stay calm and make that one to get the point.”
Jakubo never relinquished the lead the rest of the way, stealing two in the next end to claim a 5-2 lead.
They added two in the seventh, sandwiched between singles in the sixth and eighth by Jacobs, but the Copper Cliff Curling Club rink scored another deuce in the ninth, which led to handshakes.
Jakubo had beaten Jacobs 10-7 in the ‘A’-side semi-finals on Wednesday, and then again 8-5 in the 1-2 playoff game Friday night.
Jakubo, lead Lee Toner, and second Luc Ouimet are headed back to the Brier for a second time after appearing there in 2005.
Third Matt Seabrook is a new addition to this year’s team and will be making his first appearance.
This year’s Brier is slated for March 7-15 in Calgary.
