The final scheduled night of the Original 16 Cash League regular season is in the books, but how things shake out when the playoffs come around in two weeks time is anyone’s guess.
While the top four teams have been settled, it’s the middle of the pack where things get very interesting, thanks to three teams sitting tied at 8-10 and two others at 7-10 with a make-up game to be played.
As a result, there’s still much to be decided when the teams are back on the ice Wednesday night at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.
BTN Chartered Accountants (Penny Barker, 16-2) had locked down first place a couple of weeks ago and put together a solid night against RK Sunview Farms (Dayne Heisler, 2-16), A single point in the first end kicked off a run of steals for the defending champions, with a deuce in the second, one in the third, two more in the fourth and another in the fifth bringing things to an early end.
It wasn’t a great night for the second- and third-place teams, as both rinks took losses.
Fountain Tire (Barry Silk, 12-6) had the closer of the two games in their battle with Young and Young Automotive (Stan Barnsley, 8-10), A steal in the fifth end gave Silk a 4-3 lead, but Barnsley tied things up the next end and the teams would exchange deuces the next two frames, forcing extra end. Barnsley could come through with the steal for the 7-6 win.
It was a tough night for KMS Construction (Ben Gamble, 12-6) as they also ran into a run of steals by Leeville Construction (Dustin Woloschuk, 7-10). Deuces in the second and fourth ends made it a 6-0 game for Woloschuk, and a further steal of three in the fifth would make it 9-0, leading the teams to shake hands.
Like Woloschuk, Ryder Helmczi (7-10) did his part to move into the logjam next week thanks to a 9-4 win over John’s Music (Ryan Wenarchuk, 9-9). Wenarchuk got off to a good start with a deuce in the first end, but Helmczi promptly took control of things with four in the second. A deuce in the fourth made it 6-3, and two more in the fifth made it an 8-3 game at the beak. The teams then exchanged single points before calling it a night.
Big ends were the order of the day in the game between Wade Gray (8-10) and EMJ Marketing (Joe Gunnis, 8-10). Gray scored four in the second end, but Gunnis got right back into the game with three of his own the next frame. That would be the last good news for EMJ, though, as another four-spot for Gray led into a pair of steals -- one in the fifth, two in the sixth -- and they’d go on to an 11-3 win.
At least one more team will join the ranks at 8-10 this Wednesday when Helmeczi and Woloschuk play their make-up game, with other teams playing exhibition skins games.
The first round of the playoffs is set to begin Wednesday, Feb. 28, with all games at the Moose Jaw Curling Centre.
