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By Bruce Campbell
Sports Editor
Hugh Quigley definitely knows when to pick the right time to make his shot.
The Quigley rink won the Okotoks Bonspiel Sunday when Quigley, on his last shot in the eighth end, picked off Brad Culp’s shot rock to score two and to win the A final 7-6 at the Okotoks Curling Club.
On Culp’s final shot he was able to freeze to Quigley’s rock on the inside of the four-foot to take shot rock. Quigley also had a rock tucked in behind his own rock on the four-foot. As well, he had a rock hugging the back of the house.
Quigley then made a perfect shot —picking Culp’s rock to score two for the victory.
“Brad made a great shot,” said Todd Rowland, Quigley’s second. “Hugh had about an inch or two to work with. We had to hit Brad’s rock and have a little bit of luck to have the second rock stay around to score two.”
Rowland said they had no other option. Had Quigley been off on his shot, he would have likely jammed Culp’s shot rock, giving Culp one point and the victory.
Quigley’s run to the title started with his first shot in the eighth end, when he was able to clear more granite than Fred Flintstone working at the quarry.
He made a shot that sounded more like a delicatessen order than in curling.
“He made an angle, double-raise, double takeout,” Rowland said. “It was a difficult shot and the idea was even if he didn’t make it, at least we were going to open it up, so Hughie would have a shot on his last rock.”
A maid couldn’t have cleaned up the house any better than Quigley did.
He was able to clear the guards up front, get rid of Culp’s two shot rocks and lay three — forcing Culp to make his delicate freeze.
Culp went into the final end up 6-5. He got a bad break when Andre Fagnan, Culp’s lead, attempted to clear Quigley’s rock on the side of the house. Fagan’s rock picked and barreled by Quigley’s rock.
“When that picked, it allowed Hugh to split his rocks (on both sides of the house),” Culp said. “That set up the whole end. But Hugh made some great shots to win it.”
Culp had taken a 4-1 lead in the fourth when he took three to break a 1-1 tie.
Quigley came back and took three in the fifth to tie it at 4-4 after five ends. He then stole one in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead.
Culp drew for two in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead going into the final end.
The Quigley rink consists of Quigley, skip; Al Dixon, third; Rowland, second and Jamie Chisholm, lead.
The Culp rink is Culp, Hal Henderson, Terry Burgess, and Fagnan.
Brian Duncan of Okotoks, who beat Rhett Freisz of Calgary 7-6, won the B event.
Mike Libbus of Black Diamond beat Okotoks curler Bruce Meyer in the C final, while the D event was won by Brian Brown of Nanton.
There were 41 teams at this year’s bonspiel, which ws also the final leg of the Community Savings Triple Crown. |
