VITERRA CHAMPIONSHIP: Westman teams start provincials on right foot

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This article was published 05/02/2025 (275 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — With such an emphasis on how teams start, Day 1 of the 2025 Viterra men’s provincial curling championship proved to be an eventful opener.

Brandon’s Cale Dunbar and team of Chris Campbell, Kyle Sambrook and Shayne MacGranachan had a tall task as the centre ice game in the 12:15 p.m. draw and had a mountain to climb in order to win but did so, defeating Hayden Forrester 9-7.

After falling to an early 3-0 deficit, the team out of the Brandon Curling Club trailed 6-2 in the sixth before a massive turn of events opened the door for Dunbar to creep back in.

Needing to make some magic in the seventh, Dunbar did exactly that.

Having put four stones in play before Hayden Forrester jammed his final stone on the guard, Dunbar set up a crafty hit and stick and executed it perfectly to count four.

“It’s really nice to get that first one. The threat of being out Wednesday is a tough one to take, but we’ve played those guys a lot and we know that we’re going to get our breaks. We were able to rally back in the last three ends and just hang on,” said Dunbar.

Forrester had hammer coming home, and was able to put one on the board in the eighth.

Dunbar did what he needed to do in the ninth, a standard hit and stick to count two for an 8-7 lead.

Dunbar and his team set up a very challenging end for Forrester to try and tie, but the skip out of the Fort Rouge Curling Club came up short with his final stone, securing Dunbar’s victory.

All four of the Brandon-based team left the ice with a visible sigh of relief, but also a good reminder that good fortune can come at unexpected times.

“The four lets you take a breath, but we’re still tied up. Whether it’s a two or a four, all that matters is that we’re tied up playing the eighth, which is a tough spot to be in even though we just got four,” said Dunbar.

“We were able to keep some pressure on them in eight then we got a lucky two in nine, and ten was not a pretty end for anybody. Yeah there’s lots of highs and lows … thankfully in the end things swung in our favour.”

Fellow Brandon-based curler Steve Irwin also enjoyed a great start in the day’s early draw, beating Hamiota’s Travis Gregory in the first game 13-3.

Irwin opened with a deuce before ends of three, four, and four points. The win sets up Irwin’s second game of the tournament at 12:15 p.m. today against Devon Wiebe out of the Charleswood Curling Club.

Carberry’s Braden Calvert and his team out of the Fort Rouge Curling Club cruised to an opening-round win, 7-2 over Robin Nelson of the Granite Curling Club.

Calvert gave up single points in the third and seventh ends, but scored in every end other than the second.

After a runner-up finish at last year’s championship, Calvert said starting on the right foot is paramount to making another run deep into the week.

“The first game is learning the rocks, learning the ice, getting comfortable out there on arena ice and the guys did a great job (Wednesday) of just keeping it simple, and executed when we needed to,” said Calvert.

“I think the pressure is mostly just what we expect from ourselves. When we put it all together we know we can be a really good team and contend and that’s our mindset. It’s a long week. If you take it one shot at a time it gets a lot easier to get through the week.”

In Wednesday’s 4 p.m. draw, Jace Freeman had a great start, beating Dean Dunstone out of the Granite Curling Club 9-2.

As one of the youngest skips in the field, Freeman’s team of Timothy Martin, Nick Senff and Luke Robins enjoyed a strong start, putting up consecutive ends of two, one, one, and two in the first five ends.

Having just turned 20, Freeman technically hasn’t even graduated from the junior ranks, but is thrilled to come away with a victory to start the week.

“It’s huge getting a win like that early. They’re a very accomplished team and it’s a big confidence booster for us,” said Freeman.

His team out of the Virden Curling Club is all relatively new to the men’s provincial ranks, as the four combine for two years of total experience in this event.

“It’s our first time as a team being in this, only two from this team played in it last year, so it’s a new experience for two of our guys and the win just gives us more confidence going into our next game.”

Freeman’s next game comes this morning in the early draw against Assiniboine Memorial’s Brett Walter.

That will be the feature game on centre ice beginning at 8:30 a.m and streamed live on the Curl Manitoba YouTube page.

• • •

On top of Tuesday’s festivities to welcome back past champions, another familiar face is back on scene at the Viterra Championship and very deserving of a shout-out.

Resby Coutts missed the RME Women of the Rings in Pilot Mound due a health situation his wife was dealing with, but the always professional and staunch curling enthusiast called some of the women’s games from home.

With his wife doing much better thankfully, Resby is back on site at Stride Place in Portage la Priairie to call the games for the Curl Manitoba live stream in-person, as well as served as the master of ceremonies to open the event Wednesday evening.

He deserves a ton of credit for the effort he put into the historical, interactive Hall of Fame on the concourse of the venue.

Photos recognizing past champion teams line the walls, there are plenty of artifacts like trophies and the Labatt Tankard for viewing, as well as biographies on distinguished Hall of Fame curlers from across the province Manitoba’s century of curling competition.

Having attended and covered the sport at two Olympics, 32 world championships, and too many national and provincial championships to count, Coutts has a vast wealth of knowledge, but it’s his passion that makes him an undeniable, driving force for the sport.

And the curling community is better for having him here.

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com